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Posted 5/14/16
By Tim Morse
Georgia Dugout Preview
The same combination that carried Treutlen High School to a sweep of Schley County last week in the state semifinals delivered again on Saturday.
Pitchers Zach Hughes and Tristan Cone tossed complete-game victories to help the Vikings win their first state baseball championship in school history, sweeping Trion in Soperton.
The Vikings took Game 1, 3-0 behind a three-hit, complete-game shutout from Hughes.
Then Cone struck out nine and allowed just two runs on four hits in a complete-game 6-2 victory to sweep the series.
Trion (24-7) was seeking its first baseball championship since 1983.
In both games, Treutlen scored runs in the first inning and never looked back. Bryson Wilcher's RBI single in the first inning of Game 1 gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Treutlen added another run in the second and took a 2-0 advantage.
Wilcher led the offense going 2 for 3 with an RBI to pace Treutlen's five-hit attack.
Then Treutlen scored a run in each of the first three innings of Game 2 to grab the lead. Trion scored a run each in the third and fourth inning to cut the deficit to 4-2. But Treutlen added a pair of insurance runs in the top of seventh before Cone finished off the Bulldogs to sweep the series.
The Vikings (28-5) finished with 10 hits in Game 2. Magel Johson went 3 for 5 with a double and a pair of RBIs. Cone and Summerall each added two hits. Summerall finished with a homer and two RBIs.
Gabe Howell and Drew Williams hit solo homers in Game 2 for the Bulldogs' only two runs.
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Class A private
Game 1: Tattnall Square 2, Hebron Christian 1
Game 2: Hebron Christian 5, Tattnall Square 3
After Logan Simmons' walk-off solo homer in the seventh inning in a dramatic Game 1 victory, Hebron Christian fought back to take a 5-3 victory in Game 2 to force a decisive Game 3 on Monday in the GHSA Class A private school finals.
Simmons' line-drive missile that barely cleared the left field fence overshadowed a strong pitching duel between Tattnall Square's Cory Bartholomew and Hebron Christian's Jake Hershman.
Hershman struck out 12 in a complete-game masterpiece, allowing two runs on five hits to take a hard-luck loss.
Meanwhile, Bartholomew pitched out of jams four times in the game with runners at third base. In the top of the seventh, he pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to set up Simmons' herocis.
Caleb Martin homered in the second inning for the Lions' only run of Game 1.
But Hebron, as they have done this postseason, found a way to come back. After Tattnall Square (26-8) took a 3-1 advantage in the top of the second, Hebron scored four runs in the third inning to take the lead for good.
The Lions (30-7) managed just two hits off Tattnall starter Garrett Houston. Jake Coker earned the complete-game victory for Hebron Christian to force a winner-take-all Game 3.
“When you put the ball in play good things are going to happen,” Hebron coach Ben Drust said. “That’s what I keep trying to stress to these guys is to have a good zone and stay within your zone and they executed that plan great. We got some help, but you know what you’ll take the help when you can get it.”
Tattnall coach Joey Hill said his team has to play better on Monday after the Trojans committed three errors in Game 2.
"That was not indicative of how we play," he said. "We have to pitch better, we have to hit better and we have to play defense better."
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