The Academy of Richmond County provided the shock of the season Tuesday, beating Statesboro 8-4 at Mill Creek.
The Musketeers (5-14) had lost 11 straight coming in and had yet to win a Region 3-AAAA game in seven tries. They looked nothing like the team SHS beat 17-4 earlier this season.
Richmond jumped out to a 5-1 lead then held on as Statesboro squandered opportunity after opportunity.
Trailing 6-2 in the sixth, The Blue Devils (9-10, 2-5) had two in and just one out with runners on second and third. Tony Hill walked to load the bases, but then Brandon Wilson was thrown out trying to steal home on a wild pitch and Scott Sarratt fouled out to end the threat and SHS never scored again.
Richmond added two insurance runs in the seventh off the fifth SHS pitcher of the night. Seven of the nine ARC starters had a hit and each one reached base at least once.
“I knew the pitching we were going to throw at them — they were going to hit the baseball,” said SHS coach Chris Bishop. “I didn’t think this was going to happen.”
The Academy score single runs in the first, third, two more in the fourth and another in the fifth largely in part to left fielder Brandon Lindsey went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and was a home run away from the cycle. He tripled home a run in the first and singled home a man in the sixth.
Musketeer starter Michael Fetzer went 5 1/3 for the win. His stuff wasn’t overpowering — he allowed 11 hits — but he let his defense work behind him.
Statesboro scored in the first on a Scott Sarratt single scoring Zack Taylor, but only after Hill was picked off second. Carlton Hendrix was thrown out at third in the second, the Devils left the bases loaded in the third when Fetzer escaped with a double-play ball and Aaron Cone was stranded after a one-out triple when Fetzer got a strikeout and grounder to end the inning.
Statesboro left 10 men on base and had won three in a row coming in.
The Blue Devils end Region 3-AAAA play on Thursday, Senior Night, looking to avenge a 7-2 loss to Lakeside at 5:30 p.m.
Chad Bishop can be reached at (912) 49-9408.
The Musketeers (5-14) had lost 11 straight coming in and had yet to win a Region 3-AAAA game in seven tries. They looked nothing like the team SHS beat 17-4 earlier this season.
Richmond jumped out to a 5-1 lead then held on as Statesboro squandered opportunity after opportunity.
Trailing 6-2 in the sixth, The Blue Devils (9-10, 2-5) had two in and just one out with runners on second and third. Tony Hill walked to load the bases, but then Brandon Wilson was thrown out trying to steal home on a wild pitch and Scott Sarratt fouled out to end the threat and SHS never scored again.
Richmond added two insurance runs in the seventh off the fifth SHS pitcher of the night. Seven of the nine ARC starters had a hit and each one reached base at least once.
“I knew the pitching we were going to throw at them — they were going to hit the baseball,” said SHS coach Chris Bishop. “I didn’t think this was going to happen.”
The Academy score single runs in the first, third, two more in the fourth and another in the fifth largely in part to left fielder Brandon Lindsey went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and was a home run away from the cycle. He tripled home a run in the first and singled home a man in the sixth.
Musketeer starter Michael Fetzer went 5 1/3 for the win. His stuff wasn’t overpowering — he allowed 11 hits — but he let his defense work behind him.
Statesboro scored in the first on a Scott Sarratt single scoring Zack Taylor, but only after Hill was picked off second. Carlton Hendrix was thrown out at third in the second, the Devils left the bases loaded in the third when Fetzer escaped with a double-play ball and Aaron Cone was stranded after a one-out triple when Fetzer got a strikeout and grounder to end the inning.
Statesboro left 10 men on base and had won three in a row coming in.
The Blue Devils end Region 3-AAAA play on Thursday, Senior Night, looking to avenge a 7-2 loss to Lakeside at 5:30 p.m.
Chad Bishop can be reached at (912) 49-9408.
