Houston County captured its second state title and first since 2014 with a dominating 12-0 run-ruling of Loganville. Houston County’s Tanner Hall was masterful in his five-inning shutout. The Armstrong Atlantic State-commit allowed one hit while striking out six and walking three.
The Bears’ bruising offense mustered nine hits and eight walks while the Red Devils committed two costly errors.
Tony Locey got the scoring started with a double to score Tyler Flewellyn in the second inning. A disastrous top of the third inning resulted in the Bears blowing the game wide open. Blake Dawson laid down a bunt to advance Austin Langford over but instead of a sacrifice it turned into an errant throw which allowed Langford to make it 2-0 and Dawson to cruise into second base.
After a ground out for the first out of the inning, Jake Fromm blasted a controversial two-run homer that resulted in Loganville head coach Jeff Segars and pitching coach Brandon Anglin to be ejected. The Red Devils argued that Fromm’s home run was foul but the umpires saw it differently, allowing Houston County to make it 4-0.
“You know, it hooked really bad,” Fromm told macon.com. “I know the ball went a long ways, and it hooked really bad. I mean, it could have gone either way.”
“I thought it was a foul ball. The third-base umpire called it a foul ball, and it’s his call. For him to go get help, when it’s not the guy behind the plate’s call, it changed the game. No doubt about it.”
After the homer, the game continued to unravel for Loganville. Hall drew a walk before Austin Hittinger doubled. Dillon Strickland drove home Hall on a sacrifice fly and Locey added his second RBI of the night with a single, capping the five-run inning.
The Bears scored five more runs in the fourth to go ahead 11-0. Drew Franklin took the mound after Ryan English was chased but failed to put out the flames. Houston County loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before Fromm was issued a walk, forcing home Langford. Hall was next in line to draw a walk and bring another run in. Hittinger collected sacrifice a sac fly before Tucker Garland drew an RBI walk and Langford singled in Flewellyn.
Houston County tagged on its final run on a Hittinger single in the fifth.
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