Baseball semifinals recaps

By Stephen Black and Craig Sager II

The baseball semifinals got underway for Classes AA-AAAAAA tonight and several teams advanced into the finals. While Lovett-Benedictine was postponed until tomorrow, all other matchups saw at least one game payed. Charlton County clinched the Class A-Public championship with an extra-innings win over Gordon Lee.

Read about all the action in our recaps below.

Class AAAAAA

Parkview 4-1, Milton 0-10: Mac Marshall pitched six shutout innings in Game 1 for defending state champion Parkview. Marshall threw six innings and struck out 10. Parkview’s Ryan Blanton hit a 2-run home run in the third inning while Sam McCoy, who closed out the game on the mound, also homered. In Game 2, Milton starter Dylan Cease struck out 11 in 5.2 innings pitched while Jack Thompson homered and drove in three.

Roswell 7-0, Walton 0-1: In Game 1, Austin Krzeminski pitched a complete-game shutout for visiting Roswell. The Hornets’ Drew Davis drove in two runs. Game 2 opened with a Henry Rowling solo homer that would be the game’s only run. Raiders’ starter, Will White got the win after tossing six innings and Caleb Bohan pitched the final inning.

Class AAAAA

Greenbrier 5-6, Whitewater 4-3: Visiting Greenbrier trailed 4-0 in Game 1 before Adam Grice connected on a solo home run and a 2-run double in the fifth inning to help tie the game. Clint Hardy drove in the game-winning run in the ninth. In Game 2, Whitewater went up 2-0 in the fifth inning after a 2-run inside-the-park homer. Greenbrier answered with a 5-run fifth inning to take the lead.

Pope 0-9, Starr’s Mill 14-7: Starr’s Mill won Game 1 in five innings as Ryan Avidano and Luke Abrams scattered five hits for the Panthers while seniors Ryan Peurifoy and Artemis Kadkhodaian each homered and drove in four runs. In Game 2, Pope’s Nathaniel Lowe hit a 3-run homer to help the Greyhounds to a 9-1 lead in the fourth inning. Pitcher Jacob Ramos tossed a perfect 1.1 innings of relief to close the game out for Pope.

Class AAAA

Marist 6-2, Crisp County 3-1: Michael Toner carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning to help visiting Marist win Game 1. Toner gave up five hits in six and two-thirds innings. Anthony Sherlag had four RBIs. In Game 2, Marist pitcher Sean Guenther tossed a complete game while striking out 13. Parker Mathis had the game-winning RBI in the fourth on a double.

Redan 9-3, Troup 8-4: Trega Williams hit a 3-run homer in the seventh inning to win Game 1 in walk-off fashion. Troup starting pitcher Garrett McClurg was knocked out of the game after taking a line drive to the face in the third inning. In Game 2, Troup’s Dalton Hadley drove in two runs.

Class AAA

North Hall 1-5, Blessed Trinity 0-8: Host North Hall’s Preston Graham pitched a 1-hitter in Game 1. An error by Blessed Trinity in the fourth inning allowed Lincoln Hewett to score the game’s only run. In Game 2, Blessed Trinity’s Brian Kehner pitched six innings allowing just two hits and zero runs, while slugger Nathaniel Maggio had five RBIs and hit three home runs.

Cartersville 4-9, St. Pius X 3-4: In Game 1, Austin Adams clubbed a 3-run homer in the third inning to give the host Purple Hurricanes a 4-1 lead they would not relinquish. Hayes Linn got the win on the mound after six innings pitched and one earned run. Beau Benefield doubled twice and drove in three in Game 2. The Purple Hurricanes scored six runs in the fifth to take a commanding 9-2 lead.

Class AA

Westminster 1, Pepperell 0: Senior righty Hays Meyer tossed a no-hitter and struck out seven as visiting Westminster took Game 1. Junior McClain Bradley led the Wildcats at the place, going 2-for-3 with the game’s lone RBI. Bradley knocked in Nelson Douglas in the fourth on a single up the middle. Game 2 will be played Tuesday, as field conditions required a late start Monday.

Class A-Public

Charlton County 3, Gordon Lee 1 (8 innings): Charlton County won the Class A-Public state championship after a 3-1 win over visiting Gordon Lee in an 8-inning Game 3.

Gordon Lee, which was the home team despite playing at Charlton County, took an early 1-0 lead off a Tanner Sexton single that scored Cody Wilson. Charlton County’s Scott Beasley blasted a solo shot over the trees in left field to tie it in the fifth inning. In the top of the eighth, L.J. Tally singled to drive in Jacob Baxter, then Richard Dasher knocked in Tally to make it 3-1. Jessie King pitched a complete game for the Indians.