Class AAAAAAA Baseball Championship
Game 2
Etowah 5, Woodstock 4 in 11 innings (Champion: Etowah)
It took four extra innings and several close calls on both sides but Etowah’s two runs in the bottom of the 11th inning made the difference at State Mutual Stadium in Rome Wednesday night
The win marks the first baseball championship for Etowah, who won the first game 4-1 of a best-of-three series, as well as the first for a Cherokee County school since 1948 when Canton took the crown.
The scoring began in the second inning with a three-run home run by Etowah’s Andrew Keene. Woodstock answered in the fourth inning with a base-clearing triple by Justin Bailey to tie the game. Neither team scored for the next seven innings though both teams had their chances.
The bottom of the seventh inning set up perfectly for Etowah. The Eagles started with a single by Chris Keever and then a sacrifice bunt pushed Shaw, the courtesy runner, in scoring position at second base. Nick Bartosz then hit a chop to the shortstop which advanced Shaw to third. Woodstock walked Drew Waters, loading the bases with one out. Woodstock pitcher Jared Staples then struck out Keene swinging and caught Jackson Sisk looking, snatching the possible regulation win away from the Eagles.
Staples finished the game after 8 2/3 innings with 13 strikeouts, allowed three earned runs on 11 hits. He only walked two and was relieved by sophomore Josiah Seigel.
In the top of the eighth, it was Woodstock’s turn. Senior Jason Woszczynski singled to left field and then Spencer Keefe laid down a perfect bunt. Etowah second-baseman Bartosz was late covering first base, leaving runners at first and second. Caleb Bartolero laid down another successful bunt, which advanced courtesy runner Hunter McNabb to third, and an error allowed Bartolero to get to first, loading the bases with no outs. Grant Jacobs then grounded into a double play which began at home plate, leaving runners at second and third with two outs. Justin Bailey battled deep into the count but was caught looking by junior Nick Torres to retire the inning.
In the top of the 11th inning, a Liam Byrne RBI single gave Woodstock a one-run lead and it looked as if a Game 3 was inevitable.
But as many champions do, Etowah found the answers. Senior Drew Waters drove Bartosz home on a ball which bounced awkwardly off of the right-field fence, giving Waters a triple. Keene and Sisk were walked, loading the bases again for Etowah, this time with no outs. Weston Campbell was next up and hit a low chop towards second base, which led to a force out at home. Brandon Marcus then came to the plate and, on the first pitch, tried to bunt that barely made it to the mound and led to another force at home.
Junior Nico Cho was next to face Seigel and hit a low line drive which was scooped up at second but the throw to first was bobbled and Etowah’s game-winning run had crossed home play just after 11 p.m.
Game 1
Etowah 4, Woodstock 1
Etowah took a step towards its first baseball title by winning Game 1 in the series.
The Eagles got the action started in the first inning with a double by junior Andrew Keene. Jackson Sisk brought him home with an RBI single. Both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm until the fifth inning when Etowah pushed the lead to 3-0.
In the fifth, the Eagles got runners into scoring position off a Nico Cho sacrifice bunt, which put Brandon Marcus on second base. Woodstock pitcher Brant Hurter bobbled the bunt and failed to make the play at second and was forced to throw to first for the out.
Chris Keever was up next and hit a single to right field to get runners at the corners. Connor Bowen took advantage with another bunt to get the runner home. Hurter tried to get the ball to the catcher but it skipped low off the dirt, leading to an error and a run.
In the bottom of the fifth, Woodstock answered offensively with an RBI single by Nolan Tressler that squeaked past the first baseman to make it a 3-1.
However, Etowah’s Drew Waters brought another run home in the seventh-inning with a RBI single to right field after a balk was called on Hurter, which put a runner at third base.
Etowah finished with seven hits and one error, Woodstock had five hits and two errors.
Class AAAAAA
Game 2
Pope 5, Lee County 1
Pope won their third state baseball title Monday afternoon with a two-game sweep of Lee County. Story to come.
Game 1
Pope 2, Lee County 1
Pope opened the best-of-three series with a win over Lee County, collecting 10 hits. The Greyhounds opened the scoring in the third with a run, Lee County tied it in the fourth before Pope went ahead to stay with a run in the fifth. The Trojans had just three hits and the second game at State Mutual Stadium in Rome is expected to start at 1:45 p.m. Check back more for action.
Lee County vs. Johns Creek
Lee County defeated Johns Creek in a deciding Game 3 semifinal 8-0 Friday and will play Pope in the championship series. The two programs will face off in Rome on Monday morning at 11 in a doubleheader. If a Game 3 is needed, it will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Mercer University in Macon.
Click the link below for a recap of the semifinal game.
http://highschoolsports.blog.ajc.com/2017/05/26/lee-county-beats-johns-creek-8-0-in-belated-game-3/
Class AAAAA Championship
Game 2
Loganville 3, Wayne County 2 (Champion: Loganville)
Loganville ace Bay Witcher took the mound for Game 2 and pitched six scoreless innings as the Red Devils swept their way to the program’s third all-time state title and first since 2012.
Loganville was held scoreless until Jacob Moss drove in Dylan Strickland in the bottom of the fifth inning. Marcelles Campbell, who batted in the Red Devils’ first run of the finals in Game 1, added the insurance with an RBI later in the inning.
Loganville eventually took a 3-0 lead that held until Wayne County plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning off a liner to right field. Witcher, a Troy-commit, got the victory after a scoreless seventh inning.
Game 1
Loganville 3, Wayne County 0
Loganville’s Joseph Brandon pitched a complete game, no-hitter in Game 1. The Red Devils gave Brandon all the run support he would need in the bottom of the first inning when Bay Witcher drove in Marcelles Campbell to give Loganville a 1-0 lead.
The Red Devils added a two-run 4th inning that started with a Gabe Knight triple. Dylan Strickland drove in Knight and then Rhett Mixon got Strickland across the plate to make it a 3-0 game.
Brandon finished with nine strikeouts in his seven innings pitched.
Class AAAA Championship
Game 3
Marist 4, Blessed Trinity 3
The War Eagles won the deciding game that took place at State Mutual Stadium in Rome on Saturday afternoon. Blessed Trinity scored two in the top of the second inning and added a run in the third before Marist scored three in their half of the third and put across what turned out to be the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. The War Eagles have now won 13 state baseball titles, the most of any school in Georgia.
For Blessed Trinity, Cole McNamee had two RBIs and Colin Davis drove in the other run. McNamee started the game on the mound and gave up three runs while Jake Smith came on for the final 2.2 innings and allowed the winning run. The Titans finished the season 36-6.
The teams played six times this season with Blessed Trinity winning the first four games but the final two victories in the matchup for Marist gave the War Eagles the title. Marist finished 25-17.
Game 2
Class AAAA
Marist 7, Blessed Trinity 2 (Series tied 1-1)
In what was a tale of two games, Marist avoided the sweep in Game 2 by putting together a nearly flawless top half of the third inning at State Mutual Stadium in Rome on Thursday.
What started as a repeat of the Game 1 dominance, Blessed Trinity took a 2-0 lead after the first inning on a Colin Davis single to left field which brought Ryan Davis home. When Camron Lundkovsky hit a double at the next at bat and brought Davis home, it appeared the Titans had control.
However, Marist would answer. In the top of the third, Patrick Duffy got on base on a walk and then Charlie Benson knocked a single over the shortstop to put runners at first and second with no outs. Bill Rubright then singled to left and loaded the bases.
The sequence happened quickly, Jamie Taylor hit a low liner to the short, which drove in a run, but then the ball was bobbled on the grab, leading to the error and tying the game. Cassius Young then hit a single to left field which reloaded the bases, bringing Chris Cathcart to the plate. The junior hit a rope to centerfield which cleared the bases and left him at third. Will Goldberg then brought him home with a chopper to the shortstop.
Marist continued applying pressure in the top of the fifth with a Joseph Mannally RBI single to take a 7-2 lead after Connor Stephens was hit by a pitch. The War Eagles would hold on for two innings to force a championship game on Saturday.
Game 1
Blessed Trinity 11, Marist 1
Blessed Trinity took the first step towards adding another trophy to its case after run-ruling Marist in six innings. The Titans offense was overwhelming and, paired with an excellent performance by pitcher Peyton Glavine, the son of Tom Glavine, Marist had few chances.
The Titans struck first in the on a C.J. Abrams chop shot that advanced David Dunn from first to second. Ryan Davis then singled to right field, bringing Dunn home to take a 1-0 lead. Colin Davis hit a single to left which led to Ryan Davis being caught trying to take third. Jake Lundkovsky brought the runner home with a single on the next at-bat.
Senior Mitchell Weidner expanded the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning with a solo homerun that fought a 15-mile-per-hour headwind and skirted the left field fence, just right of the foul pole.
In the top of the fifth inning, Abrams got on base after being hit by a pitch and was able to get into scoring position by stealing second, his second stolen base of the game. Ryan Davis brought him home with a single, which left runners on second and third with no outs. Collin Davis then hit a single into right field which pushed Ryan to third. Lundkovsky then came up big with a two-RBI single, padding the lead. After singles by Cole McNamee and Jake Smith, the bases were loaded with Michael Markwordt up to bat. The senior hit a bouncer over the first baseman which drove two runs home.
The Marist defense then stepped up and got out of the jam with a strikeout of Weidner and a pickoff of Markwordt at first base but not after Dunn connected for an RBI single to left field to make the lead 11-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Marist was able to score a run on a Cathcart groundout to Glavine, which scored Rubright from third, but it was too late.
Blessed Trinity finished with 11 runs, 13 hits and one error. Marist had one run, five hits and one error.
Class AAA Championship
Game 2
North Hall 6, Pierce County 5 (Champion: North Hall)
North Hall won its first baseball state championship by holding off Pierce County in Game 2 Thursday at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.
Pierce County had the tying run on second base after scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh to pull within one, but Corban Meeler, who started the game, got a flyout to left to end it.
The Trojans scored all six of their runs in the third inning, as Game 1 winning pitcher Reese Olson drove in the game’s first run off Pierce County starter Cody Williams.
The Trojans sent 11 batters to the plate in the third and tagged Williams for six hits. Pierce County responded with three runs in the bottom of the third and made it 6-4 in the fourth, but Meeler preserved that two-run lead by forcing a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Game 1
North Hall 9, Pierce County 2
Reese Olson pitched a complete game, his fifth of the postseason in five starts, in North Hall’s win in Game 1.
The Trojans, seeking their first state championship, struck with three runs in the first inning and put the game out of reach in the sixth inning with four more.
Charlie Erickson started the scoring with two RBIs in the opening frame and Olson also drove in a run. Pierce County starter Cody Grant was pulled after two innings. North Hall added two more runs in the fifth inning on a Jackson Latty two-RBI single to make it 5-2, and Olson came through again in the sixth inning with two more RBIs, finishing the game with three.
Latty also had three RBIs, and Taber Mongero scored three runs. Olson gave up seven hits in handing Pierce County its first loss of the playoffs.
Class AA Championship
Game 2
Jeff Davis 7, Elbert County 6
The Yellow Jackets of Jeff Davis weathered a three-run sixth inning by Elbert County to win their first baseball championship Friday at Grayson Stadium in Savannah. Jeff Davis scored two runs in the fifth and another two in the sixth. The game-winning run game on an RBI single senior Hogan White.
Elbert struck in the first on a Colton Moon double which brought Avery Hunt home. A pitch into the dirt got Moon to third. Senior Bryce Bowden brought him home with a single to push the lead to 2-0.
Jeff Davis cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on a Seth Graham RBI single. In the bottom of the second, pitcher Cody Ogilvie hit a towering shot to center field which left him at second base. Senior Josh McEachin then laid down a bunt which put runners at first and third. A wild pitch then allowed Ogilvie to score from third and McEachin to make it to second. Hunter Foster then took advantage with an RBI single to push the lead to 3-2.
Elbert answered in the top of the fourth on a Moon RBI game-tying single.
The Yellow Jackets took the lead again in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Jordan Dubberly sacrifice fly which made it a 4-3 game with Ogilvie at the plate and a runner on second with two outs. Ogilvie hit a low shot straight past the second baseman to bring the runner home, pushing the lead to 5-3.
Elbert County came back in the sixth, however. With runners on first and second and no outs, Peyton Adams came to the plate and laid a bunt that rolled up the third base line and loaded the bases. Bowden was at the plate, fought deep into the count, and then hit a blooper past the first baseman which scored a run and made it a 5-4 Jeff Davis game. Turner Banks then hit a two-RBI single to left field to and Elbert 6-5.
Jeff Davis then took control in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. The tying run came on a Chandler Davenport single to right field which drove Hunter Foster home. Graham then came to the plate with runners on first and second and two outs. Graham hit a cut shot to right field which loaded the bases for White, who would answer with a RBI single to take a 7-6 lead and one inning later Jeff Davis had a championship.
Game 1
Jeff Davis 4, Elbert County 1
Hunting for its first baseball championship, Jeff Davis relied on pitcher Cody Ogilvie to add to and protect an early lead in Game 1.
The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the top of the first with a single from junior Alex Sanders, pushing Hunter Foster home. Elbert County answered, however, in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice flyball by Bryce Bowden which scored Avery Hunt. Jeff Davis’ Ogilvie avoided trouble with the bases loaded and forced Daniel Lavender into a pop up to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Jeff Davis battled with two outs to put runners in scoring position and picked up a run off of an error, making the score 2-1.
In the third, Jordan Dubberly pushed courtesy runner Austin Lewis to second with a perfect bunt. Lewis then got to third on a wild-pitch with one out. Ogilvie then hit a low ball through the shortstop and third baseman and Lewis scored.
Jeff Davis added another run in the top of the final frame on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Garrett Baucom. The Yellow Jackets finished with 11 hits and one error, Elbert County had five hits and one error.
Class A-Public (Champion: Schley County)
Game 2
Schley County 12, Gordon Lee 3
Schley County completed the sweep of Gordon Lee to win its second baseball title at State Mutual Stadium in Rome on Thursday.
In the clinching game after taking the opener 6-0, the Wildcats struck in the bottom of the first with a Chase Patrick single to centerfield, followed by Will Barry getting hit by a pitch. Clint Sellars was then walked, loading the bases. Wade Law came to the plate and made the most of the situation with a double down the third-base line that drove in Patrick and Barry.
Schley did not let up in the bottom of the second inning as a two-run double by Barry sent Patrick and Camron Vanlerberge home.
In the top of the third, Gordon Lee looked for answers with RBI’s by Noah Peterson and Dylan Minghini which cut the lead to two.
The Wildcats would answer quickly. In the bottom of the third, Schley’s Cameron Belcher got hit by the first pitch. Chance Holloman was then walked. Jordan Hall then tried to bunt but struck out. Vanlerberge was walked to load the bases. Reid Ragsdale hit a liner to right center for an RBI and make the score 5-2. Patrick hit a ground out but another run scored. Then with Barry at the plate, a pitch found the dirt and rolled past the catcher allowing Vanlerberge to come home from third. Sellars walked, bringing up Wade Law, who connected with a two-RBI single to push the lead to 9-2. Belcher then belted a low liner right over second base to score the sixth and final run of the inning.
Gordon Lee tried to answer in the sixth with a one-run Drew McDaniel double but Schley’s half of the third inning proved to be the difference.
Game 1
Schley County 6, Gordon Lee 0
Schley County scored two runs in the second inning and four more in the fifth to move past Gordon Lee in Game 1.
The Wildcats got the scoring started in the second inning after a Chance Holloman single to left-field. Jordan Hall then singled to right to put runners at first and second with one out. Cameron Vanlerberge laid down a bunt, advancing runners to second and third. Up next was Reid Ragsdale, who was walked on four pitches, loading the bases. Chase Patrick hit an RBI single and an error by the first baseman allowed the second run to cross home plate.
Both sides remained scoreless for the next two innings but things heated up in the fifth inning as Schley County took full control of the game.
On the first pitch of the inning, Schley’s Camron Vanlerberge hit a rocket over second base for a single. Reid Ragsdale was next up and hit a ball to left field which was dropped, putting runners at first and second. Chase Patrick then came to the plate and flied out. Will Barry then hit a hard ball just over the left fielder’s outstretched arm for a two-RBI double. Senior Clint Sellars came to the plate and hit a double which brought Barry home. Junior Jordan Hall then hit a grounder to the shortstop but the throw to first was low and skipped past the first, allowing Sellars to score from second.
Class A-Private (Champion: Savannah Christian)
Game 2
Savannah Christian 5, Tattnall Square 4
Savannah Christian’s Jarrett Brown came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with a 2-1 count, two outs, and runners on first and second and a state championship on the line. The sophomore shortstop hit a hard bouncer that scooted past the third baseman and sent Kyle Hilton home to win the first state baseball title for the Raiders Friday night at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.
The game remained scoreless through four innings when in the bottom of the fifth, Savannah Christian came alive. Hilton laid down a perfect bunt towards first base. The first baseman tried to throw home but could not catch Colby Obrien, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Things got worse for Tattnall on the next at-bat when Ben Jackson laid down yet another bunt and an error allowed two more runs to cross home plate, making it 3-0 for Savannah Christian. Junior Drew Malphrus then hit a sacrifice fly to right field which scored another run.
Tattnall had answers, however, in the top of the sixth. Trey Ham was walked which loaded the bases for Logan Fink who walked on five pitches which cut the lead to 4-1. On his first pitch, Junior Austin Marchman then hit a bomb in the right-field gap, scoring two runs and pulling the Trojans to within one. B.J. Spears then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at four.
In the top of the seventh, Tattnall had three outs and a chance to force a Game 3, however, Hinton took control. The righthander struck out Tyler Warnock, Garrett Houston, and Miles Morris with a curveball that snapped off late and cut across the plate at the last second.
The stage was set.
Savannah Christian sent Justin Anderson to the plate and he popped out to shallow center field. Hilton was next up and, in what could have been a very scary moment, was hit on the helmet by a wild pitch and made his way to first. Jackson then popped out and it looked as if extra innings were inevitable. Zach Brockman was then walked which put runners on first and second with two outs and Brown at the plate for the walk-off single.
Game 1
Savannah Christian 5, Tattnall Square 2
Savannah Christian made a move towards its first baseball title by defeating Tattnall Square in Game 1. The Raiders relied on senior Zack Brockman’s arm to keep the Tattnall runs at bay while scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 5-1. Brockman finished with five hits, two runs and seven strikeouts.
Tattnall got things started first with a Logan Fink two out single in the bottom of the first to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. The Raiders would answer with a Cameron Crosby sacrifice fly after loading the bases on a walk and two singles with no outs. However, Tattnall pitcher Matt Blair got them out of the jam and kept the damage at one earned run.
In the top of the third Justin Anderson led off for Savannah Christian and hit a double to right field and then stole third to score on a Kyle Hinton grounder to short to take the lead 2-1.
Ben Jackson padded the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single to centerfield, which left runners on first and second. With two outs, Jarrett Brown then hit a two RBI line drive to right field with Jackson just beating the ball to home plate. Tattnall tried to rally with a Logan Simmons deep shot which, with his speed, could have been an in the park homer. However, Jackson made a spectacular catch which only allowed one run to score.
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