Providence Christian and Treutlen have well-deserved reputations as strong offensive teams. But it was a pair of pitchers in the Class A semifinal series in Lilburn who made the difference on Monday.
Treutlen (30-5) won 8-1 behind left-hander Tyler Cauley in the first game, while Providence (25-11) squared things with a 10-0 win in the second game behind Alan Skinner. The deciding game will be played Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Providence Christian.
Cauley allowed only five hits and struck out six and kept Providence off balance by effectively mixing his pitches and changing speeds.
"We had trouble figuring out what he was going to throw," Providence coach Adam Cantrell said.
Treutlen didn't have that trouble against Providence starter Glen Williamson. Devon Smith, Chris Howell and R.J. Dennard all hit home runs.
That put the Stars in a hole against a Treutlen club that had not lost a state playoff game. Skinner, a lanky senior, was effective at getting ahead in the count and throwing strikes. He allowed only three hits and struck out seven against a team that had been averaging 11.3 runs in the state playoffs.
"The first game was a little like a regular-season game; we weren't as focused," Skinner said. "[In] the second game we came out knowing that our season was over if we didn't win."
Providence, which entered the series averaging 13.4 runs in the playoffs, finally demonstrated its long-ball ability in the fourth inning by scoring four runs on a solo shot by Steven Slaughter and a three-run homer by Austin Lloyd off Treutlen starter Matthew Powell. The Stars added two more in the fifth, one on a solo homer by Nick Stidham, and four more in the seventh.
"Our guys responded well and played well," Cantrell said. "And Alan Skinner pitched as well as he has all year. I guess our guys weren't ready to go home."
Probable starters for the deciding game will be Treutlen's Devonte Pierce and Providence Christian's Patrick Smith.
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