GAINESVILLE — North Hall’s bid to repeat as Class 3A state baseball champions came to a shocking end Friday night against Lovett at Jody Davis Field.
The Lions rallied from three runs down and then got the game- and series-winner on a Trojans error in the bottom of the 9th to pull out a 5-4 victory and take the two teams’ best-of-three second round series 2-1 and advance to the quarterfinals.
On Thursday, Lovett took an 11-1 win in Game 1 while the Trojans answered with a 7-6 win in eight innings in Game 2.
Despite the crushing Game 3 loss, North Hall senior catcher Charlie Erickson said the young squad proved it belonged. They entered the 2018 season with seven new starters and just one pitcher -- Georgia Tech-signee Reese Olson -- who had thrown any appreciable innings at the varsity level.
“A lot of people didn’t think we would be able to have the season we did. I think we proved a lot of people wrong,” Erickson said. “I’m proud of all the young guys who stepped up and showed that they could play.”
It was especially a bitter pill to swallow for Erickson, who had belted a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to give the Trojans a 4-1 lead. However, he also was on the mound when the Lions scored the series-clinching run.
Any examination of how the Trojans were not able to hold on is easily found in the fact that the offense stranded 12 runners, six in scoring position, and was just 1-for-11 with RISP for the game. And while the North Hall defense turned three double plays and threw a runner out at the plate in the bottom of the seventh in Game 3, they also allowed eight unearned runs in the three games.
“One play didn’t lose this series for us,” North Hall coach Trevor Flow said. “We had guys on base all night but we just couldn’t get that one hit. We had a couple of misplays but really those weren’t the real difference.”
Erickson, who had two of the Trojans five hits for the game, agreed.
“We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities” he said.
That was certainly the case, but early on it looked like the Trojans were poised to blow things open quick. Caleb Clark led off with a double to left center and moved to third on bunt by David Seavey. Olson knocked in Clark for a 1-0 lead just three batters in. Erickson then walked and courtesy-runner Wes Tadman scored after a wild pitch and a Lovett throwing error to make it 2-0.
Meanwhile, senior Mark Swett making his first-ever varsity playoff start, was dominant through the first four innings yielding just two hits and getting plenty of help from his defense, which turned double plays in three consecutive innings.
The defense snuffed out three potential Lovett rallies as Tyler Brooks started and Caleb Wiley finished off a double play to keep the Lions off the board in the second. The same combo turned another double play to end the third. In the fourth the Trojans got an unconventional double play as Erickson forced Foster on a ground out and Dyer tagged out Charles Gibson between first and second as neither Lions baserunner moved on the play.
But the Lions finally did breakthrough in the fifth as Peyton Ringer, who hit for a cycle in the series, doubled to lead off, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1.
Erickson then appeared to give the Trojans just the breathing they needed in the sixth launching his two-run bomb. But Lovett finally got to Swett in the sixth.
The Lions plated three runs on four hits, including getting a two-RBI single on a bad hop that would have been the third out of the inning, to tie the game at 4-4.
From there it was a pitching duel between Erickson and Lovett’s Game 1 starter Ben O'Meara.
However, the Lions nearly won the series on the first batter Erickson faced as centerfielder Dylan Wiley misplayed a single by Wyatt Nelson, who raced around for a potential inside-the-park home run. But Wiley recovered to find relay man Caleb Wiley, who threw to catcher Caden Bales as they gunned down Nelson at the plate.
It stayed deadlocked until the Lions got the game-winner in the ninth.
“All the success these kids had, they did themselves,” Flow said. “They set goals at the beginning of the year and worked their tails off. They exceeded all expectations they or anyone else put on them.
“It was a tough way to lose but we have a good nucleus of guys coming back. We’re going to be in good shape for next year and beyond.”
