The streak is over. Long live the streak. Tift County dealt Houston County its first loss of the year after nine games Thursday. The Blue Devils beat the Bears 7-2.

Houston County used four pitchers – ace Austin Wallace who pitched the night before obviously wasn’t one of them – to try and keep Tift County (5-5) in bay.

They were actually partially successful as the Bears out-hit the visitors 9-8. But they also obviously got the clutch hits when they needed them – six walks did not bode well for Houston County as well (the two Tift County pitchers only combined to walk two).

Both scored a run in the first with the Bears pulling out front with one in the bottom of the second. Tift County then did the rest, scoring one in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and finishing up with two in the sixth.

Scott Daniel earned the only RBI for Houston County, going 1-3 with a walk. David Umphreyville and Trent Jones were the only two to pick up multiple hits. Both were 2-3 but were unable to drive in a run(s) or score.

Trent Jones, who was the pitcher of record in the fourth when Tift County went ahead, took the loss on the mound.

Elsewhere, Veterans rolled past Rutland 10-0 and Perry edged Westside 2-1.

The Warhawks (4-0 in Region 2-AAA, 5-4 overall) won in five innings, out-hitting the visitor 5-1. Lyndon Meadows pitched all five innings. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.

Zach Johnson went 1-2 for Veterans with a walk. The one was a double that drove in a run. He also scored two.

Dylan Pierce was 2-2 with two RBI and a run scored and Zane Conlon was 1-2 – another double – with three RBI and a run scored.

Veterans scored one in the first, four in the second, three in the third and two in the fifth.

For the Panthers (3-1 in 2-AAA, 4-5 overall) it all boiled down to a pitcher’s duel. Nick Martens scattered three hits for Perry while Zack Grimes gave up four for Westside. Martens struck out four and walked one. Grimes fanned six and walked three. The Panthers also committed four errors and the Seminoles three.

Both went scoreless over two. Perry pushed one across in the bottom of the third but it was answered by Westside in the top of the third. The Panthers then scored the go-ahead run in the sixth. Nathan Murphy scored it on a fielder’s choice.

J.C. Bergh had two hits to lead the Panthers on offense. He was 2-3 with a run scored.