Monday's state championship series recap

Posted 5/20/19

Loganville won its third consecutive Class 5A state title Monday night, sweeping Ola

for the program's fifth title since 2008. (Special Photo: Brett Fowler)

 

Monday's state championship series recaps

 

Class 7A Championship Series
G1: Parkview 4, Hillgrove 1

G2: Parkview 9, Hillgrove 0

Parkview won the program's eighth state championship and went back-to-back after sweeping a pair of games Monday night in the first high school baseball state championship series ever played at SunTrust Park.

It is the program's fifth state title since 2011, all of them coming while playing in Georgia's largest classification.

The Panthers also won a school-record 36th game and ended the season on a 16-game winning streak, including a perfect 10-0 record in the state playoffs. Parkview is a combined 20-0 in its past 10 postseason series dating back to the 2018 season.

In the first game, Parkview made the most of three hits. All-American Jonathan French delivered a two-run single in the third to give the Panthers a 2-0 advantage. Stephen Hrustich later added an RBI double.

Pitchers Miles Garrett and Brad Stanley combined to allowed one run on four hits. Hillgrove's Deion Walker led the Hawks with two hits and drove home the Hawks' only run of the game.

In Game 2, Parkview scratched home a run in its half of the sixth, then they broke the game open with eight runs in the top of the seventh to roll to a 9-0 victory. Makenzie Pate and Koby Ayala each finished with three hits to lead the Panthers at the plate. Pate finished with a triple and three RBIs.

Zach Stewart led Hillgrove in Game 2 by going 2-for-3.

It was the first trip to the state championship series for Hillgrove (32-10) since 2011 when they lost to Parkview and finished as the state runner-up.
 

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Class 5A Championship Series
G1: Loganville 6, Ola 2

G2: Loganville 7, Ola 6

Loganville's Dylan Strickland induced a game-ending double play to help Loganville win Game 2, 7-6, and sweep Ola Monday night at Coolray Field.

Strickland, brought in with the bases loaded and one out, induced a 6-4-3 double play turned by shortstop Jacob Boyd, second baseman Michael Knight and first baseman Daniel Braswell. It is the third straight Class 5A state title for the Red Devils, who is the first team to win three consecutive state titles since Columbus High won three from 2010-12.

The Red Devils have won five state titles since 2008, and they have played in the state championship series for the past four seasons. The 2016 team finished as the state runner-up.

After Ola had grabbed a 6-5 lead in Game 2, Strickland scored when Boyd reached on an error to tie the game at 6. A batter later, Ian King's RBI single scored Boyd to give Loganville (34-6) the lead for good.

King finished 3-for-4 to lead the Loganville offense, while Blane Marchman had two hits, including a triple and an RBI. Dalton Thomas and Baylen Sanders led Ola with three hits, while Patrick Holloman finished with two.

In the first game, Loganville broke open a tight game by pushing five runs home in the top of the seventh to win 6-2. Pitcher Caleb Garner earned the complete-game victory, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits. Braswell finished 2-for-4 to pace the Red Devils' six-hit attack.

Ola, which played in its first state championship series, finishes its season at 28-12.

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Class 2A Championship Series
G1: Rockmart 4, Jeff Davis 1

G2: Jeff Davis 4, Rockmart 2

In a low-scoring matchup, Rockmart and Jeff Davis split a pair of games on Monday at Macon's Luther Williams Field.

Rockmart (29-10), seeking its first state title in school history, won the first game behind ace pitcher and LSU commit Ty Floyd. He allowed a run on two hits and struck out 12 in a complete-game performance. The junior has fanned 32 batters in his last 15 innings on the mound.

He also added an RBI double in the game. Brayden Cole and Sam Sanders finished with two hits apiece, while Cooper Yanzetich's two-run single in the bottom of the fourth broke a 1-all tie.

But Jeff Davis (30-7) got a strong pitching performance from Caleb Leggett and Britt Metts who combined to hold down Rockmart after they scored two runs in the first inning and helped force a decisive Game 3 Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Macon.

Jeff Davis, in the Class 2A state championship for the second time in three years, scored all of its runs in the third inning. The biggest blow was an RBI double from Colby Marchant. Metts led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Floyd and Dylan Bailey each had two hits to lead Rockmart in Game 2.


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Class 1A Public Championship Series
G1: Gordon Lee 2, Schley County 0

G2: Schley County 3, Gordon Lee 2

In a rematch of the 2017 Class 1A Public state championship series that Schley County swept, Gordon Lee took the first game of the best-of-three series at Savannah's Grayson Stadium Monday night. But Schley battled back to win the second game of the doubleheader and force a decisive third game on Wednesday.

Game 3 will be played at 4 p.m.

In the first game, Gordon Lee pitcher Jake Wright hurled a two-hit shutout, while Chris Potter went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs to lead the defending state champion Trojans (31-5).

But Schley County pitcher Lorne Barineau turned in an impressive performance in the second game, allowing two runs on six hits to earn the complete-game victory.

The Wildcats (29-6), seeking their third Class 1A Public state title in three years, used a two-run third inning to take the lead for good on Dylan Taylor's two-run double. Barineau also helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-3.