West Laurens rallies for walk-off win over Appling County in extra innings

Grant Baker's RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning gives the Raiders their third straight extra-inning victory over the Pirates

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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In a back-and-forth game that went to extra innings for the fourth time in the last five meetings between West Laurens and Appling County, the Raiders rallied for a 5-4 walk-off win in the bottom of the 8th inning on an RBI single by Grant Baker. The win was West Laurens' third straight extra-inning victory over their rivals, evening the recent series at 2-2 in extra frames.

Why it matters

The West Laurens-Appling County baseball rivalry has consistently produced exciting, close games that often require extra innings to decide. This latest installment continued that trend, with the two teams battling for 8 innings before the Raiders emerged victorious, keeping their strong start to the season going.

The details

Cason Pollock led off the bottom of the 8th with a single, and J.J. Giles followed with a hit to put runners on first and second. After intentional walks loaded the bases, Baker delivered the game-winning hit to score the winning run. West Laurens starting pitcher Kolby Clark struck out 7 before being relieved, and Brycen Milton closed out the game for the Raiders. The teams combined for 15 hits and 11 walks in the tightly contested affair.

  • The teams are scheduled to play again on April 13 in Baxley.
  • Thursday's game was the fourth time in the last five meetings between the teams that the game went to extra innings.

The players

Grant Baker

A senior who delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning for West Laurens.

Kolby Clark

The West Laurens starting pitcher who struck out 7 batters before being relieved.

Brycen Milton

The West Laurens freshman reliever who closed out the game for the Raiders.

Kaden Walls

The Appling County pitcher who started the game for the Pirates.

Landon Anderson

The Appling County pitcher who took the loss after relieving Walls.

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What they’re saying

“There's something about the Raiders' and Pirates' recent series, and extra innings. They played them for a fourth time in five meetings Thursday night, and this one also ended in memorable fashion.”

— Clay Reynolds, Author (courierheraldtoday.com)

What’s next

The two teams are scheduled to play again on April 13 in Baxley.

The takeaway

The West Laurens-Appling County baseball rivalry has become must-see entertainment, with the teams consistently playing close, extra-inning games that come down to the wire. This latest thriller continued that trend, with the Raiders rallying for another dramatic win to keep their strong start to the season going.