GHSA semifinal recaps (Monday's games)

Posted 5/17/2021

Jeff Davis split its best-of-three series with Callaway in the Class 2A semifinals. Game 3 is Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Hazlehurst.

 

GHSA semifinal recaps from Monday's games.

Class 7A

Forsyth Central at North Paulding

G1: North Paulding 8, Forsyth Central 3

G2: North Paulding 6, Forsyth Central 3

In Dallas, North Paulding swept Forsyth Central Monday night and will make its first trip to the state championship series. The Wolfpack (30-8) will play Parkview in the best-of-three Class 7A state championship series that will be played at Truist Park. The date and time will be determined by the Georgia High School Association.

Four pitchers - Jake Hembree, Charlie Siegel, Hunter Sanders and Mitchell Heer - shut down Forsyth Central in a 6-3 victory in Game 2. Siegel earned the victory. Logan Lynch and Michael Parker finished with two hits apiece to lead the offense. Grayson Taylor added a two-run double in the game. Matthew Arundale went 2-for-4 to lead Forsyth Central. 

In Game 1, North Paulding used a three-run fourth inning to break a 2-all tie en route to an 8-3 victory. Dylan Rhadans allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and struck out eight to earn the complete-game victory. Heer and Lynch led the Wolfpack with two hits each. Stevie Lyons went 2-for-3 to lead the lead Forsyth Central (24-15).

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Lowndes at Parkview

G1: Parkview 8, Lowndes 0

G2: Parkview 16, Lowndes 2

In Lilburn, two-time defending state champion Parkview is back in the state championship series after demolishing Lowndes in a two-game sweep on Monday. The Panthers will play North Paulding in the best-of-three Class 7A state championship series that will be played at Truist Park. The date and time will be determined by the Georgia High School Association.

Parkview starter Landon Stripling allowed just two runs on five hits to earn the victory, while the Panthers pounded out 13 hits. Ryan Spikes and Cade Sadler each hit grand slams in the Game 2 rout. Spikes finished 3-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs. The Panthers (28-10) have won 16 straight games

In Game 1, Mason Brown hurled a three-hit shutout and struck out 12, while three different players hit homers for the Panthers as Parkview scored eight runs off 10 hits in an 8-0 victory. Sadler smashed a two-run homer, while Spikes added an RBI double, Jayden Talik added a two-run double and Ali Banks ripped a solo homer during a six-run third inning. Spikes finished 3-for-4 and needed a triple to hit for the cycle. Talik and Bryson Stripling finished with two hits each.

Lowndes ends its season at 26-13.

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Class 6A

Houston County at Allatoona

G1: Allatoona 6, Houston County 0

G2: Houston County 6, Allatoona 1

In Acworth, Houston County standout pitcher Coleman Willis allowed a run on seven hits to help Houston County defeat Allatoona 6-1 in Game 2 of the best-of-three semifinal series Monday night, helping the Bears (30-8) avoid elimination. Allatoona took the first game, 6-0. Houston's win sets up a winner-take-all Game 3 that will be played Tuesday at 5 p.m. The winner advances to the state championship series.

Willis was in contol from the start, striking out nine en route to a complete-game victory. Andrew Dunford and Garrett Hortman finished with two hits apiece to pace the offense. Hayden Soley went 2-for-3 to lead Allatoona. It was the first postseason loss for Allatoona (33-6) 

In Game 1, Allatoona ace Logan McGuire hurled a four-hit shutout and handed Houston County its first postseason loss in a 6-0 defeat. McGuire locked horns with Houston standout Brodie Chestnutt until the Buccaneers got to Chestnutt for four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Ethan Sutton went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while William Mosley and Jackson McElvy added two hits each for the Buccaneers.

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Lassiter at Pope

G1: Lassiter 3, Pope 2

G2: Lassiter 3, Pope 0

In Marietta, Lassiter ambushed Pope and swept the Greyhounds Monday night, returning to the state championship series for the first time since 2010. The Trojans, the third seed from Region 6, lost to Pope twice during the regular season. The Greyhounds finished as the second seed in the region. It was the final game for legendary Pope baseball coach Jeff Rowland, who is retiring from the school.

Walker Noland pitched a three-hit shutout to earn the complete-game victory in Game 2. Bradley Frye's RBI single in the third made it 1-0, then Ryan Stephens padded the lead with a two-run homer in the fourth. Frye finished 3-for-3, while Stephens finished 2-for-3 to lead the Trojans (32-6)

In Game 1, Lassiter scored two runs in the top of the seventh to overcome a 2-1 deficit and help pitcher Ben Norton earn the complete-game win. The right-hander allowed two runs on six hits. Parker Hughes, Stephens, Kyle Carlson and Norton finished with two hits apiece to lead the offense.

Pope finishes its season at 29-12.

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Class 5A

Ware County at Starr's Mill

G3: Starr's Mill 6, Ware County 1

In Fayetteville, Starr's Mill elminated Ware County with a 6-1 victory Monday evening after the two schools split the first two games of the best-of-three semifinal series on Saturday. The victory sends Starr's Mill (29-11) to its second state championship series in school history. The Panthers finished as the state runner-up in 2009.

Ware County scored in the top of the first inning, but they managed little off Starr's Mill pitcher Declan Dun the rest of the way. Dun allowed just a run on three hits. He walked the first batter he faced in the top of the seventh before surrendering to Daniel Courtney, who worked a 1-2-3 inning to help the Panthers win the series. Sean White led Starr's Mill on offense, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

Ware County ends its season at 22-13.

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St. Pius X at Loganville

G1: Loganville 5, St. Pius X 3

G2: St. Pius X 2, Loganville 0

In Loganville, Saint Pius X and Loganville split a pair of games Monday night, forcing a decisive Game 3 that will be played Tuesday night at 6 p.m. The winner advances to the state championship series. Loganville is seeking to advance to the state championship series for the fifth straight season.

Saint Pius X pitcher Matt Navarro and Will Tippett combined to allow Loganville just two hits in a 2-0 Game 2 victory. The Lions (28-11) scored both of their runs in the fifth inning when a walk forced home a run, then a hit batter forced home another. Evan Sitzmann went 2-for-3 to lead St. Pius X.

In Game 1, Loganville (29-9) overcame a 2-1 deficit with a four-run sixth inning to grab the lead, then they held on for a 5-3 victory. Red Devil starter Tyler Cruce was masterful in a complete-game victory on the mound. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and fanned seven. Will Cawthon's RBI single in the sixth tied the game, then Loganville took the lead on a wild pitch before Jackson Daniels' two-run double gave the Red Devils a 5-2 advantage. St. Pius scored one in the seventh on Tippett's RBI single before Cruce recorded the final two outs. Daniels' two hits led the Red Devil offense. Jack Herring went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Lions at the plate.

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Class 2A

Lovett at Bremen

G1: Lovett 2, Bremen 1 

G2: Lovett 5, Bremen 2

In Bremen, Lovett (22-12) swept Bremen on Monday in the state semifinals and advanced to the state championship series for the second time in three seasons. They will meet the Callaway-Jeff Davis winner for the Class 2A state championship on Saturday in a best-of-three series that begins at 5 p.m. at Grayson Stadium in Savannah. The Lions won the Class 3A state title in 2018.

Conner Partin and Will Prigge combined to allow Bremen just two runs on six hits. Robert Mitchell finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs to lead the Lions on offense. His two-run double in the third inning game Lovett a commanding 4-1 advantage. Brooks Hardie had two hits to lead Bremen.

In Game 1, Lovett starter Michael Hollingsworth allowed an early run in the second inning, then got stronger as the game progressed to earn the complete-game victory on the mound. He allowed just a run on six hits. Kai Cunningham, Logan Givens and Zach Minetola finished with two hits apiece to pace Lovett's offense. Blake Matthews finished 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Bremen.

Bremen ends its season at 28-9.

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Callaway at Jeff Davis

G1: Callaway 4, Jeff Davis 0

G2: Jeff Davis 3, Callaway 0

In Hazlehurst, Cole Baucom and Alex Mason combined to shut out Callaway 3-0 and helped the Yellow Jackets stave off elimination with a victory in Game 2 on Monday. The third-and-deciding game will be played Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m.

The winner will meet Lovett for the Class 2A state championship on Saturday in a best-of-three series that begins at 5 p.m. at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.

The Jackets (25-14) scratched home two runs in the first inning of the second game, then Cade Walters' RBI single in the second gave Jeff Davis all the runs it needed. Baucom struck out nine in six and two-thirds innings. Trenton Clance and Walters finished with two hits apiece to lead Jeff Davis. The loss spoiled a 3-for-4 performance from Callaway's CJ Stephens.

In Game 1, Callaway's Tucker Starling allowed Jeff Davis just four hits to earn the complete-game victory on the mound. The Cavaliers (24-12) scored all of their runs in the top of the sixth. With Starling in control, that would be all the run support he needed. Justin Moore's RBI single and Kaden Rogers' two-run double highlighted the inning. 

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Class 1A Public

ACE Charter at Gordon Lee

G3: Gordon Lee 15, ACE Charter 6

In Chickamauga, Gordon Lee outlasted ACE Charter in a wild Game 3 that saw the two teams combine for 21 runs on 22 hits. Gordon Lee (34-3), the two-time defending state champion, is in the Class 1A Public state championship series for the fourth straight year and sixth time in the past eight seasons. The Trojans will play Metter in the best-of-three state championship series that begins Thursday at 5 p.m. at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.

After ACE trimmed the deficit to 8-6 in the top of the third inning, reliever Riley King worked a scoreless four and two-thirds innings in relief of starter Blake Rodgers. Cade Cowan went 3-for-3 with four RBIs to lead the Trojans' offenive attack. Nate Dunfee, Brody Cobb, Cade Peterson and Jacob Neal finished with two hits each. Cobb had a two-run homer. 

ACE Charter, in the semifinal round for the first time in school history, finished with a 33-6 record.