TRENTON, Ga. - Losing is never easy to take, especially when it happens in the playoffs.
It's even worse when the primary reason is self-inflicted wounds, which is what happened to Dade County's baseball team Thursday evening.
The host Wolverines committed 18 total errors leading to 21 unearned runs in their GHSA Class AA second-round series against Heard County, losing 23-7 and 13-5 in the best-of-three series to end their season.
"We were just a different team tonight," Dade County coach Aaron Simmons said. "We fought, but we just couldn't come back from all of those errors."
The trouble started in the top of the fifth inning of the first game. With two outs in the inning and Dade County (20-8) leading 6-4, a ground ball to third base took a bad hop and got by senior Chase Bradford, scoring two runs. By the time the damage was done, Heard County (17-14) had scored four more times to take a 10-6 lead.
The Braves went on to score six runs in the sixth inning and seven in the seventh, with most of those due to six more errors by the Wolverines.
"I felt like it kind of snowballed," Simmons said. "Once we started making errors, guys started to press and we started making not only physical mistakes but mental as well."
The Wolverines had a chance to break the game open early at the plate, loading the bases in the first with just one out. However, a fly ball to right field led to a baserunner being doubled up at first, and Dade ended the inning having only scored one run.
Heard County sophomore Tray Owens put his team ahead 3-1 in the top of the third with a towering three-run homer. Owens hit another homer in the sixth, this time for two runs, and finished the game 5-for-6 with four runs scored and five RBIs.
Simmons hoped the Wolverines could put the rough first game behind them as they came back to play game two just 30 minutes later, and it seemed they had through the first two innings.
In the third, however, with the score tied at 1-all, defensive miscues hurt them again as they made three errors, which led to six runs, with all but one unearned.
The Wolverines scored four in the fifth inning to pull to within three at 8-5, but they were never able to get any closer as Heard County pitcher Bryan Jones threw a three-hitter with eight strikeouts.
Dade County seniors Greg Templeton and Harley Walker took the losses, giving each of them only their second defeat on the mound this season.
"This doesn't take away from the amazing season we had," Simmons said. "These guys put Dade County baseball back on the map. Winning 14 games in a row and the first region championship in 51 years, that's something they should really be proud of."