It took two days and three games, but the Bulloch Academy Gator baseball team advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2012 as they knocked off Loganville Christian 15-0 Tuesday afternoon at Gator Alley.
The Gators (22-5) nearly blew a chance to make it to the second round of the playoffs as they fell behind in the opening game by a score of 6-1 before coming all the way back to knock the Lions off by a count of 7-6 on a walk off 2-run single by Nick Walton with 2-outs in the seventh.
The Lions took a 6-1 lead in the top of the fifth on a 2-run homer to left by Kyler Fellows, but the Gators battled back with a 2-run single from Mark Justen to make it 6-4. Mason Johns got the Gators within a run at 6-5 as his fly ball to right was booted allowing a run to score from third.
The Gators had the bases loaded in the seventh with no outs and tried a squeeze bunt, but the ball was popped up to the pitcher who was able to double the Gator runner at third. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and Walton was able to bring them both home with a single to left as the team ran onto the field in celebration.
“I didn’t think we played well enough to win that game, but credit to our guys for coming back,” said Gator coach Kevin Nix. “The suicide squeeze turned into a double play and that could have just broken their spirits, but again credit to our kids for battling back and Nick Walton did a great job of driving in the winning runs.”
The second game started off promising as the Gators led 2-0 after scoring a pair of runs on a passed ball and a fielder’s choice in the first inning. The Lions responded taking a 4-3 lead in the third and then got a couple insurance runs on a 2-run double to left by Caden Lanier to take a 6-3 lead. A couple Gator miscues led to a few more runs as Loganville Christian forced a third and decisive game three winning 9-3.
“Give credit to Loganville Christian,” Nix said. “They could have easily just folded up after losing the way they did in the first game, but they are well coached and executed their gameplan in the second game. We made some errors and weren’t very sharp and that really hurt us.”
The Gators seemed much more relaxed when they hit the field Tuesday for a noon start. With a loud dugout cheering them on Bulloch Academy wasted no time in jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Justen started things off with a 2-run double, and Tucker Howard followed up with a 2-run single a few batters later.
The Gators continued to pile on in the second scoring five more runs thanks to some small ball. While the squeeze play failed in Monday’s opener Nix called on it a few times in game three and the Gators executed it to perfection. Bryson Scott brought home a hustling Mason Johns from third with a bunt to give the Gators a 6-0 lead. Braylon Evans then executed a squeeze bunt himself to extend the lead to 9-0.
Carter Hennon added a 2-run triple in the third to extend the lead to 12-0. Jack Conner scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch as he hustled in from third as the Gators won by the mercy rule 15-0.
“I feel like the team put a little too much pressure on themselves to win in the first two games on Monday,” Nix said. “I told the team how much I love a game three and I feel like sometimes when you throw the first punch like we did early you can ride some momentum off of that. I think as soon as we got out in front you could just see them relax a little and start having fun out there.”
Almost lost in the 15-run game was the amazing job on the mound Tuesday by Gator starting pitcher Landon Brooks who allowed only two hits while striking out five.
“Landon was just out there pounding the strike zone and daring them to hit his fastball,” Nix said. “He never got behind in the count as he gave us a chance to be successful.”
Next up the Gators hit the road for the GIAA state quarterfinals as they go up against No. 4 seed Strong Rock Christian. The first of a doubleheader will start at 5:00 in Locust Grove. If the Gators split a third and decisive game would be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
