Here’s an in depth look at the first round of the state playoffs in Class AAAAAA. I’ll work on reporting some details of the other classifications in the next couple of days leading up to Wednesday’s start of the second round.
It was interesting to note that four teams in Class AAAAAA won one-run games in Game 3 to advance. Sacrifice bunts, squeezes and flies played big roles in all four.
Here’s a look at them:
-Marietta, a No. 4 seed out of Region 4-AAAAAA with a 13-16 record, upset Region 3 champion East Coweta in walk-off fashion. (Region 4 swept Region 3, btw.) In Game 3, with the score tied 6-6, Genesis Angulo singled to left field, scoring David New from second. Earlier in the inning, Reid Frizzell, who was 4-for-8 in the series, gave himself up on a bunt, moving New to second. Angulo, 4-for-9 in the series, then singled him in. This was Marietta’s second series playoff in the past 10 years, first since 2013.
-Lee County, the Region 1-AAAAAA champion, beat Newton 3-2 after losing 8-7 in Game 2 to force a deciding game. Lee County trailed 2-0 in the finale but scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Josh Hatcher pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for Lee County. Left fielder Dallas Greene – who was 6-for-11 with two doubles and a home run in the series – scored the winning run after leading off the sixth with a hit up the middle. Jordan Reep had a crucial sacrifice bunt in that inning.
-Mountain View won a pair of one-run games against Brookwood after losing the opener 11-2. The most dramatic victory came in Game 2, when Mountain View won 4-3 in the ninth inning on a sacrifice squeeze bunt by Luis Vilchez, scoring Zack Miller. It was perhaps a gutsy call for coach Jason Johnson to have Vilchez bunt, as Vilchez was 5-for-11 in the series, Mountain View’s top hitter. Miller had singled and stolese cond and went to third on Chandler Powell’s infield hit. In Game 3, Miller scored Cameron Hawkins on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to break a 2-2 tie. Mountain View won 3-2. This was Mountain View’s first-ever state-playoff series victory.
-Hillgrove beat Newnan 2-1 in their Game 3 in Newnan. With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Hillgrove’s first two batters reached on walks. Hillgrove coach David Richardson chose to bunt his cleanup hitter, center fielder Bilardello, who moved the runners to second and third. Newnan ultimately walked in the winning run, so the bunt didn’t prove pivotal, but it showed how coaches are not shy about using it. Bilardello, the bunter, was 5-for-8 in the series. John Devine also had a good series for the Hawks, going 4-for-7.
Bunts also a part of Milton’s upset of Lambert
Bunts also were prominent in Milton’s series victory over defending Class AAAAAA champion Lambert. Milton trailed 3-1 in Game 3, then broke through with three straight singles to start a four-run inning. Milton won 5-3. But Milton also put down three bunts in the climactic inning. All three moved runners, and two reached on fielder’s choices. Milan Sutaria pitched 5 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one run, in the upset. Remember that Lambert began the season ranked No. 1 nationally in a couple of polls. Milton returned only one starter (shortstop Steven Curry) from its 2014 team that lost to Lambert in the finals. Milton right fielder Jonathan Tracey was 7-for-11 with two doubles in the series. Clay Forbes pitched a complete-game four-hitter and didn’t allow an earned run in the 11-1 victory in Game 2.
Pope pitching dominant in first round
Pope’s two-game sweep of North Forsyth was one of the best Class AAAAAA series of the first round. Game 1 went 10 innings and was won 3-2 on Joshua Lowe’s home run to right-center field. Lowe also doubled and scored in the first inning, and he pitched the final out for the save, a strikeout. In Game 2, the score was 0-0 entering the seventh inning. Jacob Ramos’ two-run triple broke the tie off North Forsyth’s Dakota Chalmers, a Georgia signee, in Pope’s 3-0 victory. Pope got great pitching. Brandon Zarbinsky, a West Virginia signee, struck out 13 in eight innings of Game 1 but left with the game 2-2. Cameron Allison, who is committed to Auburn, allowed one hit and struck out 10 in 6.2 innings in the second game.
Valdosta, Lowndes represent county well
County and Region 1-AAAAAA rivals Valdosta and Lowndes have advanced to the second round of the playoffs in the same season for the first time since 2006. Both are frequent advancers, but rarely simultaneously. Lowndes has reached the round of 16 in 2013, 2011, 2009 and 2007. Valdosta had made it in 2014, 2010 and 2008. Both schools have made one quarterfinal (and no further) in the past 10 years – Lowndes in 2006, Valdosta in 2008. Lowndes beat Lakeside-DeKalb 14-5, 8-2. Valdosta beat Region 2 champion Tucker 6-0, 3-4, 4-2.
Adams has big series for Etowah
Etowah, the third-place team from Region 3, was impressive in its sweep of West Forsyth (6-3, 3-2). Third baseman Tyler Adams was 3-for-6 with a double, home run and six RBI in the series. Center fielder
Tyler Dillard was 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base and scored two runs in Game 2, a 6-2 victory. Robbie Knox, also Etowah’s football quarterback, pitched a three-hitter in that one, allowing only one earned run. He struck out 10.
Most region champions advance easily
Anybody not discussed thus far pretty much romped as expected in the first round. That would include Region 7 champ Collins Hill (10-6 and 12-0 over South Gwinnett), Region 4 champion Harrison (15-0, 12-0 over Campbell), Region 8 champ Parkview (10-3, 3-1 over Mill Creek), Region 1 champion Tift County (7-1, 5-0 over Rockdale County), Region 5 champion Walton (6-4, 11-1 over South Forsyth) and Region 4 runner-up Kennesaw Mountain (10-0, 15-0 over Westlake). North Gwinnett beat Archer 2-3, 7-3, 7-3 and advanced to the second round for the first time since 2011.
Most of the statistics and game details are courtesy of GameChanger.
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