Sweet Water takes two from Millry, wins Area 1 championship

Sweet Water took the first two games in its season series against Millry to clinch the Class 1A, Area 1 championship and lock in its right to host the first round of the state playoffs.

Sweet Water 2, Millry 0

Sweet Water turned to its ace Thursday night in game one of the set and watched as Jonah Smith allowed only four hits and a walk in seven innings of work while striking out three batters for the win.

Outside of a two-run third inning by Sweet Water, Lain Jordan largely matched his counterpart on the mound. Jordan was effective and efficient for Millry, limiting Sweet Water to five hits and two unearned runs while issuing no walks and striking out five batters over seven innings on only 79 pitches.

The Bulldogs did all of their scoring in the top of the third Thursday. Smith reached on an error before his younger brother, Sasha Smith, dropped down a bunt single to put two runners aboard.

Courtesy runner Trent Sams scored on an error to put Sweet Water up 1-0. One play later, John Thomas Etheridge doubled the lead with a single to right that scored Sasha Smith.

Sweet Water 13, Millry 3

The Bulldogs turned in a far different performance Friday night when they hosted Millry. The first game of the set saw Sweet Water rely on a seven-run third inning and a four-run fourth to anchor a 13-3 onslaught.

Etheridge worked the complete game win, striking out a pair of batters and limiting Millry to two hits over five innings. The contest included five Sweet Water doubles and a Shamar Lewis homerun.

Sams scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the second before Chance Broussard scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Etheridge doubled in Sasha Smith and Braiden Broussard in the third to stretch it to 4-0. Reid Joiner singled home Sams to push the lead to 5-0. Joiner scored on an error for the 6-0 lead before Millry recorded an out in the bottom of the third. Luke Davis doubled in Chance Broussard and Chastian Washington before Jonah Smith doubled home Xavier Lucy for the 8-0 advantage.

Millry started to narrow the gap in the fifth with a trio of runs. The Bulldogs rallied right back in their half of the inning. Michael Allen Cole singled before Lewis homered to center for the 11-3 lead. Braiden Broussard singled in Jonah Smith before being doubled home by Ehteridge for the final run of the game.

Millry 5, Sweet Water 4

Millry rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth to prevent Sweet Water from getting the sweep. Three singles, a walk and an error allowed the Wildcat runs to plate.

A Sasha Smith double and a Braiden Broussard single in the bottom of the first tied the game briefly before Chance Broussard singled home his younger brother for the 2-1 lead.

Chance Broussard stole home in the bottom of the third to make the advantage 3-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Chance Broussard singled home his younger brother for the second time to make it 4-2.

Sweet Water (12-5) is set to play in the Gulf Coast Classic next week against Jasper, Brooks, Hamilton and Dale County.