Loganville takes first game, but rain plays havoc with Class 5A schedule
Loganville’s Jake Boland knew he was starting the final game of his high school career and he wasn’t going to let a little rain get in the way of him finishing it.
The senior pitched a complete game, withstanding a one-hour and six-minute delay in the sixth inning, and drove in two runs, including the game-winner, to help Loganville beat Pope 3-2 in the first game of the Class 5A championship at Gwinnett Field.
“My stuff was on and as a senior, probably one of my last games, so I had to give it my all on the field,” Boland said. “I put everything I had on that mound today.”
With heavy rain expected, the second game was postponed until Tuesday at 11 a.m. A third game, if necessary, will start 30 minutes afterwards. The Class 6A series between Etowah and North Paulding is still scheduled to start with a doubleheader at 5 p.m.
Boland, who has signed to play with Georgia Highland College, allowed two runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four. He retired 11 in a row between the second and sixth innings.
The game was halted by rain with two outs in the sixth, just after Pope had tied it 2-2 on Ben Hill’s liner that popped out of the third baseman’s glove and allowed Luke Winbush to score. But Boland returned after the rain delay to finish the job and retired the final four batters in order.
“I told my coaches they’d better put me back in,” Boland said with a laugh.
Loganville coach Brian Mills thought about going to the bullpen after the long delay but opted to send his senior back to the mound.
“We knew Jake wanted the ball,” Mills said. “It wasn’t anything new for him. He was still sharp.”
Pope scored a run in the first inning on Kayden Campbell’s RBI single, but Loganville answered with two runs in the bottom half on a walk, bunt and throwing error and Boland’s sacrifice fly.
Loganville scored in the sixth when Brantley Carter walked, stole second and third – without drawing a throw either time – and scored on Boland’s second sacrifice fly.
“Brantley is an elite runner,” Mills said. “Everybody coaches elite runners, but a lot of times they’re not real smart. Brantley is smart. Credit to him, he’s done a great job studying the game, studying pitchers and getting jumps and he did a great job there. That was the difference.”
The tough-luck losing pitcher was Nick Bobrowski, who pitched six innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits and one walk, striking out eight. It was the first loss of the season for the left-hander, who has signed with Georgia Southern.
Loganville (35-4) has won nine straight and is trying to win its ninth title, first since a run of three straight from 2022-24. Pope (36-3) had a 25-game winning streak broken; the Greyhounds are looking for their sixth title, first since 2022.
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
