Class A defending public-school champion Schley County was eliminated Monday.
Two-time private-school champ King’s Ridge Christian was one out away from sweeping its semifinal series with Hebron Christian and leading 5-1, but lost 6-5 in a remarkable comeback. That forces a Game 3 on Tuesday.
The quarterfinal round in the other classifications -- AAAAAA through AA -- commence Tuesday.
Here are summaries of the four Class A semifinal doubleheaders.
Private:
Hebron saved by 5-run 7th
Hebron Christian scored five runs after two were out in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday and defeated King's Ridge 6-5, forcing a Game 3 on Tuesday. Hebron won it with a bases-loaded walk-off double by Luke Crawford. It scored two. Hebron trailed 5-1 with a runner on first base and two outs. Six straight Hebron batters reached – three hit by pitches. James Civelli (2-for-2, BB) started the nine-batter inning with a single. Ben Coker pitched a complete game for Hebron.
In the opener, King’s Ridge jumped to a 4-0 first-inning lead and won 8-1. Austin Campbell had a two-run double in the inning. Kyle Brnovich, an Elon signee, pitched five scoreless innings. He struck out nine and allowed four hits. He was 2-for-4 at the plate. Brnovich and another big game in the finale. He was 2-for-4 with a triple, a double and two runs scored, but in a losing cause. Campbell was 2-for-2 with a double. Fraser Ellard pitched five scoreless innings but was pulled.
Tattnall Square eliminates Calvary Day
Tattnall Square knocked out Calvary Day with 7-2 and 6-1 victories. In Game 1, Cory Bartholomew pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits and only one earned run. He struck out six. At the plate, Bartholomew was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. Luke Laskey and Garrett Houston also were 2-for-3. Laskey had a homer and a double. In Game 2, Blake Simmons and Austin Marchman were each 3-for-4. Nick DiPonzio homered. Garrett Houston struck out 11 and allowed four hits, three in the seventh inning, when Calvary scored its run.
Public:
Walker, Williams star in Trion sweep of Charlton County
Trion beat Charlton County 8-2 and 6-4. In the opener, Trion broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning in which Malik Martin hit a grand slam. Evan Walker was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Drew Williams pitched a complete-game seven-hitter. He walked only one. Game 2 was tied 4-4 entering the bottom of the sixth inning and got two runs on RBI singles by Walker and Williams (2-for-4, double, four RBI). Walker pitched a complete game and allowed six hits and just one earned run. He struck out seven. Trion last won a state championship in baseball in 1983. Charlton won in 2013 and 2014.
Treutlen takes two from champ Schley County
Treutlen swept defending Class A public-school champion Schley County 3-1 and 2-1 as Tristan Cone hit a two-run homer in the opener and was the complete-game winning pitcher in Game 2. In Game 1, Treutlen had only three hits. Jordan Morris doubled in Tyler Summerall, who had singled, for Treutlen’s other run in the fourth inning. Zach Hughes threw a complete-game six-hitter. He allowed no earned runs and struck out seven. In Game 2, Cone struck out eight and allowed only seven hits. Cone had had one of Truetlen’s two hits. Hughes had the other, as Treutlen had just five hits in the two games. Brett Usry, the tough-luck loser, struck out eight. Treutlen last won a state title in any sport in 1974 (boys track and field).
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