BUFORD — Locust Grove baseball coach Stephen Phillips said he had been inundated all week with people wanting to know just where in the age of GPS were they located.
That won’t be a problem now after his Wildcats stunned defending champion Buford 3-1 Monday in the deciding Game 3 of the two teams’ best-of-three Class AAAA championships series at McQuaig Field.
If you want to know where they are located, just follow the caravan that’s following the championship trophy down I-75.
“For the last couple of days people were asking me where we were. I think they know now,” he said.
The title-clinching win was the first-ever in any team sport for the seven-year-old Henry County school. Buford, meanwhile, came into the series looking for its first-ever back-to-back baseball titles after beating Whitewater in last year’s finals and its third since 2011.
Buford coach Tony Wolfe said fate just wasn’t on their side on Monday.
“It just wasn’t meant to be I guess,” he said after addressing his team following the loss. “I feel for the seniors because this has been such a great group to coach. We wanted them to be able to go out as champions but we just couldn’t get it done.”
The game, and the series, basically boiled down to one more clutch hit for the Wildcats. Colton Bailey’s RBI single in the fifth scoring Austin Moody broke a 1-1 tie and then Joah Curry, who moved to third on the play, scored two pitches later on a wild pitch for a 3-1 lead.
Nick Wilhite scored Buford’s only run in the fourth on a Noah Ledford single to tie the game but the Wolves managed just one hit and only had two base runners total the rest of the way.
Locust Grove (33-5-1) was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position (RISP) with two RBI while the Wolves (32-5) were just 1-for-7 with RISP and the Nos. 2-5 hitters -- Austin Wilhite, Nick Wilhite, Griffin Jolliff, Justin Glover -- were just 1-for-10 on the day.
“You have to give credit to (the Locust Grove) pitchers,” Wolfe said. “They made pitches when they needed too. We hit the ball hard but they were right at people or (Locust Grove) made a great play to get the out.
“We felt confident we could get back in it but it just never happened. It’s disappointing to end it this way but the guys kept battling and that’s all you can ask.”
The Locust Grove pitching duo of Christian Young and Odlanier Rodriquez scattered five hits and fanned eight. Young went five innings allowing the one run to get the win.
Buford had its chances.
The Wolves had a pair of runners on the third but Austin Wilhite's rope to center was tracked down by Curry, who was able to double off Brandon Marsh to end the inning. After Ledford's RBI hit in the fourth, Tanner Alexander hit into a fielder's choice at home and Nathan Haines and Dillon Lancaster both struck out to leave the bases loaded. The Wolves got one last chance in the fifth.
Marsh singled to open the inning and after Austin Wilhite flied to right, Nick Wilhite reached on the first error of the game to put runners at first and second with one out. Then, what looked like a bloop single for Jolliff to load the bases, turned out not to be.
Phillips argued that Marsh was out at third and the call was overturned. Glover then popped to left to end the inning. The Wolves did not get another base runner the rest of the way as Rodriquez retired all six Buford batters he faced to quell any comeback attempts to earn the save.
“That was a huge play for us but that one play didn’t cost us the game,” Wolfe said. “My complaint was not that he was out but that because of the hit (the umpires) didn’t seem to be in the right position to make the call either way. But again, that play wasn’t the difference.”
Buford junior Frank Bradshaw, pitching for the first time in the playoffs and for the first time in more than a month, shook off some early nerves to go 4 1/3 innings allowing two runs on three hits. Clay Dickie followed Bradshaw going two innings allowing one run on three hits and a walk but two of their four combined free passes scored giving the Wildcats just enough of a cushion.
“Frank looked rusty at the start but he settled down and gave us a chance. We couldn’t have asked more from him,” Wolfe said. “But we had a few walks and (Locust Grove) got some timely hits and we didn’t and that was the difference really. Missed opportunities for us.”
Both coaches said it was as good a series as advertised.
“I knew it was going to be a tough series. I thought both teams battled and baseball fans had to like that one,” Phillips said. “We feel fortunate to be able to walk away with the title. Buford is a tremendous program and Coach Wolfe and his staff do a great job.”
“Locust Grove played well all series. You have to tip your cap to them,” Wolfe said.
The two teams split their opening-day doubleheader Saturday with Buford taking Game 1, 3-2, behind a complete-game effort from Glover and a game-winning, bases loaded walk from Nick Wilhite in the bottom of the seventh inning. Locust Grove answered with a 4-2 Game 2 victory behind freshman Nolan Crisp, who held Buford to just six hits and two runs in six innings.
NOTES: It was the first back-to-back losses for Buford since falling to Cartersville in the 2014 semifinals. ... The Wildcats showed their mettle in the playoffs going 5-0 in elimination games in the 2016 playoffs. ... Three of the Wolves 5 losses in 2016 were to the Wildcats, including a 3-0 loss back on Feb. 29. ... Brandon Marsh was outstanding going 8-for-11 in the series. The rest of the Wolves lineup had 10 hits combined. Marsh came into the series hitting a staggering .542 and RAISED his final average to .559 on the season.
