It takes a lot to make baseball history at Parkview, a program with as much or more tradition than any other in the state. But the 2015 Panthers certainly will go down as an all-time great team.
Parkview capped a dominant season with an impressive two-game sweep of Walton, giving the Panthers their third state championship in the last five years Saturday at the Raiders’ field.
Parkview starters Ryne Inman and Will Ethridge dominated on the mound, Austin Biggar and David Draper delivered big hits, and first baseman Jonathan Whitmer, shortstop Trevor Brown and third baseman Schylar Chapman made dazzling defensive plays for the Panthers.
Parkview (34-2) won its last 26 games of the season and is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. It was the Panthers’ sixth baseball state title overall.
"We knew we could be special, but 34-2, that's never been done at Parkview," said Whitmer, one of 11 Panther seniors.
In Game 1, Inman pitched his third complete-game shutout of the postseason. The Georgia State signee allowed three hits, struck out six and walked only one.
Draper’s two-out, two-run single in the first inning, and Whitmer’s sacrifice in the third inning produced Parkview’s runs in the 3-0 Game 1 win.
Raiders’ Game 1 starter Zac Kristofak, a Georgia commitment, allowed three runs on four hits, striking out seven with five walks in five innings.
The Panthers won Game 2 convincingly, 8-1, capturing the best-of-three series in front of a packed crowd that filled the bleachers and lined the walls down both baselines.
Parkview capitalized on three Walton errors to jump out in front in the first inning of Game 2, with Biggar’s two-run home run to left field putting the Panthers ahead 3-0. It was Biggar's 11th home run of the season, and it was a no-doubter. Biggar is committed to Georgia.
Parkview tacked on three more runs in the third inning, with Biggar coming through again with a two-run single, and then added two more runs in fifth inning to make it 8-0.
That was more than enough for Ethridge. The junior, who’s committed to Ole Miss, went the distance, allowing one run on five hits.
Walton’s Michael Guldberg got the Raiders on the board in the sixth inning, delivering an RBI single that drove home Luke Manzo, who led off the inning with a double. Walton had the bases loaded with one out, but Tyler Heinrichs lined out to Parkview second baseman Daino Deas, who flipped to Brown for an inning-ending double play.
"Our defense has been there for us all year long," Parkview coach Chan Brown said. "What you saw today is kind of what we've been all year long."
Parkview did not commit an error in the two games. Walton committed five in Game 2.
Walton (30-7) was looking for its first state title since 2007 and, with only four seniors, will be expected to be in the mix again next season.
"My expectations will be high again next season," Walton coach Shane Amos said. "We had basically three sophomores out there playing with a bunch of juniors. I expect some big things out of this team. But I can't say enough about my seniors that I had. They led this group probably more than anyone knows."
Walton's seniors are: pitchers Cole Bloodworth and Game 2 stater Pierce Smith and Manzo and Heinrichs.
It wasn't the Raiders' day on Saturday, though. It belonged to a Parkview squad that will go down in history as one of the program's greatest teams. The Panthers' season included a perfect game, a Region 8-AAAAAA championship and, of course, a state championship.
"I knew we could be good," Brown said. "After the perfect game, we felt pretty good. Then, we lost a big game to Brookwood and that kind of brought us back to earth. At that point, we challenged ourselves as a team and as a staff to move forward. Let's be special and be great the rest of the year. And that's what they were."
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