GRIFFIN — It all happened so quickly.
Still clinging to hopes of a late rally, Statesboro trailed Griffin 3-1 in the top of the sixth of the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader in the second round of the GHSA Class AAAA playoffs.
With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on No. 9 hitter Henteves Jester, SHS starter Crawford Simmons threw his 118th pitch — then watched a routine grounder skip over the glove of his third baseman. Two runs scored and the dam was broken as GHS (24-5) scored five more times in the frame to take a commanding lead and cruise to a 14-2 victory and a sweep of the series.
After holding on for a 4-2 win in Game One, Griffin was merciless in the second game. The most devastating moment came off the bat of Telvin Nash, who took a 2-0 fastball later in the sixth and hammered it deep over the left field wall to make it 10-1.
Griffin starter Jeremy Holcomb didn’t need the run support, but he kept his end of the bargain by pitching a complete game and allowing just two runs on six hits. Statesboro (15-14) only struck out three times the entire day but flew out eight times and popped out five times.
“We didn’t hit the baseball real well,” said SHS coach Chris Bishop. “We hit the ball on the button a lot, but they ran them down because they have some great kids in the outfield. We faced pitching that I felt like we’ve seen before — it just wasn’t a good day for us.”
The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, being the visiting team in the second game. Tim Beckham and Xavier Randolph drew back-to-back walks. After a sac fly, Greg Fietsam lined a shot to right to make it 1-0. Another sacrifice moved the runners up a base, then Holcomb delivered with a screamer back through the box for a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Devils countered in their half of the first with a Zack Taylor single, stolen base, and Scott Sarratt liner to right. They didn’t score again until the seventh.
Simmons, who entered the game with an ERA of 0.40, gave up eight runs, but only four were earned.
Griffin 4, Statesboro 2
Errors and walks were the demise of Statesboro in the opener, and not even a triple play could give the Devils the momentum SHS so badly needed.
Starter Tony Hill gave up a triple to Beckham to start the game, then pegged Randolph, walked Nash and Fietsam to make it 1-0 before induced a fly out to center to put SHS in a 2-0 hole.
Once again the Devils countered by scoring in the next half inning. Sarratt was hit by a pitch, then courtesy runner Aaron Cone stole second. Connell singled to move Cone to third, but Griffin starter Feitsam got Marquis Corprew to ground into a double play to keep the damage at just one run. Again, SHS didn’t score until its final at-bat.
Jester doubled to start the second, then scored on an errant throw by Josh Ware deep in the hole at shortstop, making it 3-1. The Bears added another in the fourth on two more Devil errors. Beckham drew a walk, took second when Connell couldn’t handle Hill’s pick-off attempt, then advanced to third when Connell chucked the ball into left field. Randolph nearly knocked Hill off the mound on a 1-0 pitch to score Beckham.
“We had six critical errors in terrible times,” said Bishop.
In the bottom of the fifth, with runners on second and third, Jacolby Beckham hit a sharp grounder right to a drawn-in Ware. Ware threw out Beckham at first, then Connell ran Holcomb from home back to third where courtesy runner Victor Gamble was. Connell tagged both runners —who were off the bag — to complete the triple play.
Statesboro rallied in the seventh with a Taylor double, Sarratt single and Connell chopper off Feitsam’s glove. After a strikeout, Carlton Hendrix bunted over the runners. Alex Brown pounded a 1-0 pitch off the plate straight into the air and was nipped by half a step at first to end the game.
Hill pitched six innings, allowing just four hits but walking eight on 106 pitches. His counterpart Feitsam was the model of efficiency, going the distance on 66 pitches and allowing six hits.
“I’m exuberant that we were able to win 15 games and get into the second round because nobody gave us the opportunity to do that,” Bishop said. “The kids worked hard for that. I just want our younger guys to remember the feeling and work hard to do better next year.”
Notes: Griffin’s Beckham was 2-5 with four walks and four runs scored in the series. …Griffin was 5-6 in stolen base attempts. … Griffin will host the winner of the Dalton-Heritage series next week. ...The first two hitters in the Statesboro lineup were a combined 2-for-12.
Chad Bishop can be reached at (912) 489-9408.
Still clinging to hopes of a late rally, Statesboro trailed Griffin 3-1 in the top of the sixth of the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader in the second round of the GHSA Class AAAA playoffs.
With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on No. 9 hitter Henteves Jester, SHS starter Crawford Simmons threw his 118th pitch — then watched a routine grounder skip over the glove of his third baseman. Two runs scored and the dam was broken as GHS (24-5) scored five more times in the frame to take a commanding lead and cruise to a 14-2 victory and a sweep of the series.
After holding on for a 4-2 win in Game One, Griffin was merciless in the second game. The most devastating moment came off the bat of Telvin Nash, who took a 2-0 fastball later in the sixth and hammered it deep over the left field wall to make it 10-1.
Griffin starter Jeremy Holcomb didn’t need the run support, but he kept his end of the bargain by pitching a complete game and allowing just two runs on six hits. Statesboro (15-14) only struck out three times the entire day but flew out eight times and popped out five times.
“We didn’t hit the baseball real well,” said SHS coach Chris Bishop. “We hit the ball on the button a lot, but they ran them down because they have some great kids in the outfield. We faced pitching that I felt like we’ve seen before — it just wasn’t a good day for us.”
The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, being the visiting team in the second game. Tim Beckham and Xavier Randolph drew back-to-back walks. After a sac fly, Greg Fietsam lined a shot to right to make it 1-0. Another sacrifice moved the runners up a base, then Holcomb delivered with a screamer back through the box for a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Devils countered in their half of the first with a Zack Taylor single, stolen base, and Scott Sarratt liner to right. They didn’t score again until the seventh.
Simmons, who entered the game with an ERA of 0.40, gave up eight runs, but only four were earned.
Griffin 4, Statesboro 2
Errors and walks were the demise of Statesboro in the opener, and not even a triple play could give the Devils the momentum SHS so badly needed.
Starter Tony Hill gave up a triple to Beckham to start the game, then pegged Randolph, walked Nash and Fietsam to make it 1-0 before induced a fly out to center to put SHS in a 2-0 hole.
Once again the Devils countered by scoring in the next half inning. Sarratt was hit by a pitch, then courtesy runner Aaron Cone stole second. Connell singled to move Cone to third, but Griffin starter Feitsam got Marquis Corprew to ground into a double play to keep the damage at just one run. Again, SHS didn’t score until its final at-bat.
Jester doubled to start the second, then scored on an errant throw by Josh Ware deep in the hole at shortstop, making it 3-1. The Bears added another in the fourth on two more Devil errors. Beckham drew a walk, took second when Connell couldn’t handle Hill’s pick-off attempt, then advanced to third when Connell chucked the ball into left field. Randolph nearly knocked Hill off the mound on a 1-0 pitch to score Beckham.
“We had six critical errors in terrible times,” said Bishop.
In the bottom of the fifth, with runners on second and third, Jacolby Beckham hit a sharp grounder right to a drawn-in Ware. Ware threw out Beckham at first, then Connell ran Holcomb from home back to third where courtesy runner Victor Gamble was. Connell tagged both runners —who were off the bag — to complete the triple play.
Statesboro rallied in the seventh with a Taylor double, Sarratt single and Connell chopper off Feitsam’s glove. After a strikeout, Carlton Hendrix bunted over the runners. Alex Brown pounded a 1-0 pitch off the plate straight into the air and was nipped by half a step at first to end the game.
Hill pitched six innings, allowing just four hits but walking eight on 106 pitches. His counterpart Feitsam was the model of efficiency, going the distance on 66 pitches and allowing six hits.
“I’m exuberant that we were able to win 15 games and get into the second round because nobody gave us the opportunity to do that,” Bishop said. “The kids worked hard for that. I just want our younger guys to remember the feeling and work hard to do better next year.”
Notes: Griffin’s Beckham was 2-5 with four walks and four runs scored in the series. …Griffin was 5-6 in stolen base attempts. … Griffin will host the winner of the Dalton-Heritage series next week. ...The first two hitters in the Statesboro lineup were a combined 2-for-12.
Chad Bishop can be reached at (912) 489-9408.
