No. 2 Mount Paran shuts out Worth County in Elite Eight

SYLVESTER – The Worth County baseball season is over and the team returned to Sylvester Tuesday evening after losing two games to No. 2-ranked Mt. Paran Christian in Atlanta. The season concludes with the most wins in school history (24) and a spot in the Elite 8 of Class AA baseball.

“Sometimes you can’t measure everything with wins and losses,” said Worth County Head Coach Will Smith. “The way our guys played and acted while dealing with real frustration just shows what our team is about and what our community is about.”

Smith said the Mt. Paran coach had nothing but complimentary words for the visitors in Atlanta. And Smith was overjoyed with the community support of the baseball team.

“We had some of our churches show up at our hitting facility before we left and circle us with prayer for safe travels and then when we got to Atlanta, we had more fans than they did until later in the day. The community support we have had this season has just been phenomenal.”

The Rams would still prefer to come home with the wins.

“That is a really good baseball team up at Mt. Paran,” said  Smith. “They are baseball players. They know how to get to the ball and the right angles to use to get the outs quicker. They are fast and have really good arms.”

Mt. Paran kept the Rams scoreless, winning 6-0 in game one and 8-0 in game two.

Part of the Rams frustration was the Mt. Paran defense. Three times in the first four innings the Rams had runners on first and second base with one out and the inning ended in a double play.

“We hit the ball,” the coach said. “But every time they made the play.”

Mount Paran’s Nolan O’Connor took a perfect game into the seventh inning – which means no hits, walks, or errors. Worth County senior Luke Smith broke up the perfect game when he reached on an error after getting clotheslined by the first baseman and then Coy Etheredge broke up the no-hitter with a single to left.

“Look, we all wanted to win, but this was a great experience for our guys and good for our program and Worth County,” Smith said.  This is a testament to our six seniors and what they have brought to our program. All six of them are honor graduates, as well.”

The six seniors are Owen Hancock, Lalan Ellis, Owen Fletcher, Luke Smith. Coy Etheredge, and Christian McDonald. At least three of those seniors will play college baseball – Hancock is headed to the University of Mississippi, Smith will play at Brewton-Parker and Fletcher is headed to Thomas University.

By Joe Whitfield
Sports EditorJoeWhitfield[email protected]