Cougars Win State
At 5:35 on Sunday afternoon it became official one more time for the Piedmont Academy baseball program.
The Diamond Cougars defeated Windsor Academy 10-0 in game three of the GISA Class AA state championship series hosted by Mercer University in Macon. Piedmont rallied to win the title after falling 4-2 in the first game of the series. The Cougars then earned 8-2 and 10-0 victories to take home yet another state championship trophy.
Moments after Zach Spivey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to end the third and deciding game, Cougar players located coach Wes Tanner for the traditional dumping of the water cooler. Tanner did not even attempt to run and took the ice cold water bath with pride.
As is often the case in three-game series, pitching depth played a key as Piedmont’s Sam Wright, Tate Marks, Chase Porter and Cameron Mobley each stood out on the pitcher’s mound.
Several players also had standout games at the plate during the series including Rob Allgood, Owen Brady, Tanner Faircloth, Porter and Wright.
“We responded after falling in the first game and really stepped up our play,” Tanner said. “It showed what this team was made of.”
GAME ONE
The opening game of the series began Friday afternoon and was not completed until almost noon the following day.
In the end Windsor used a two-out double in the top of the sixth inning for the winning runs in a 4-2 victory. It was the first loss of the 2018 postseason for Piedmont.
The contest had several weather delays Friday and did not begin until approximately 80 minutes after the scheduled first pitch. The game finally began at 5:51 p.m. (a strike thrown by the Cougars’ Sam Wright) and continued, with more delays, until the top of the fifth inning.
In that inning Piedmont’s defense made three errors, with the playing conditions almost certainly playing a part. By the time the contest was stopped for the final time Friday night a downpour had been ongoing for several minutes.
When play resumed Saturday at 11:05 a.m. the Windsor Knights had two runners on base with two outs. Freshman Cameron Mobley, who played well throughout the season in all phases, was called on to pitch in relief of Wright and Chase Porter. Mobley recorded a strikeout to leave the Windsor runners stranded.
Wright pitched the first three innings of the game, all on Friday, and finished with four strikeouts while allowing just one hit. Knight batters were able to draw four walks on the Cougar ace.
Porter worked the next 1.2 innings allowing three hits.
Mobley pitched all 2.1 innings in Saturday’s portion of the game. In the sixth inning Windsor had a leadoff double and a bunt single to start the frame. Mobley bounced back with a strikeout and a pop fly to third base.
It appeared Mobley had worked his way out of the inning but the home plate umpire called a potential third strike a ball. The Knights took advantage of their second chance and drilled a double for two runs and a 4-2 lead.
Windsor’s Braden Leslie was effective on the mound and went the distance for coach Matt Britt’s team scattering six hits while walking three and striking out six.
The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when a runner stole third and advanced home on the throw.
Piedmont answered with a run in the bottom of the first when Allgood crushed a homer over the left field fence.
The Cougars took their lone lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Porter had a leadoff triple and Zach Spivey reached on an error. Caleb Coffey then walked to load the bases. Caleb Faircloth then had a sacrifice fly to score Porter.
Neither team scored in the third or fourth inning. Windsor tied the score in the top of the fifth added by some Piedmont defensive miscues.
In the bottom of the seventh, Piedmont appeared set to rally when Coffey had a leadoff walk and Owen Brady singled. Tanner Locklear had been called in as a courtesy runner for Coffey and was picked off second base despite appearing to get back to the base before the tag.
Windsor then held on for the final two outs and the victory much to the delight of its large crowd which had only a short trip the stadium.
“We pressed a little in the first game and let the situation take a toll on us,” Tanner said. “We tried to make too many things happen.”
GAME TWO
With its season on the line the Piedmont baseball team responded in a big way with solid offense and a strong pitching performance from Tate Marks.
The Cougars put two runs on the board in the top of the first keyed by a triple from Wright.
Piedmont added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning as Wright had a leadoff double. After a single by Spivey, Wright would score on a ground out to short stop from Coffey.
Brady kept the inning going with a single. Faircloth then delivered an RBI sacrifice fly to center field for an RBI.
The Cougars would put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth inning with four additional runs. Brady doubled and later scored when Faircloth reached on an error. Faircloth scored the fifth run of the game followed by infield singles from Mobley and Marks.
Allgood then picked up another RBI for the series on a sacrifice fly and Porter drove in a run with a single.
While Piedmont’s offense had more punch in game two of the series, the story of the game was the dominant performance by Marks on the pitcher’s mound. The sophomore went the distance scattering eight hits and striking out six batters.
The Knights managed two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning but would get no closer.
In the bottom of the seventh Marks got a ground out to short stop to end the contest. Marks’ effort on the mound was one of his best this season.
“In all the big games he’s pitched that may have been as good as he’s been,” Tanner said.
GAME THREE
Wright pitched four solid innings before all but using his series pitch allotment. The Piedmont ace scattered four hits while striking out one.
The Cougars took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Allgood started the two-out rally with a single followed by a walk to Porter. Wright then hammered a triple to bring the two runs in.
In the second Tanner’s team added another pair of runs. Faircloth had a single past third and Mobley reached on a fielder’s choice. Marks then delivered a two-run double for a 4-0 advantage.
Brady picked up an RBI in the bottom of the third scoring Porter.
Piedmont broke the deciding game open with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Marks and Allgood both began the inning being hit by a pitch.
Wright walked to load the bases. Porter had an RBI double for run number six and Spivey had an RBI sacrifice fly for the seventh run. Coffey grounded out to short stop but another run scored on the play.
Windsor used several pitchers in game three but none were able to keep the Cougar offense in check.
Tanner praised Wright’s performance in the deciding third game.
He has become such a leader on and off the field,” the coach said.
CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
Piedmont claimed its fifth consecutive state baseball championship Sunday with its series win against Windsor.
Overall, it was the sixth state title for the program. The Cougars won state for the first time in 1992 under coaches Ben Hood and Wayne Hall.
Windsor coach Matt Britt is now 0-2 with two schools in the state finals against Piedmont. Britt also coached Flint River Academy to the championship series in 2016 when his Wildcats were swept in close games.
Britt is a former standout player at George Walton Academy which competed in the GISA at the time. Britt helped lead the Bulldogs to a Class AAA state title during his playing career.
Going into the 2018 finals against Piedmont the Windsor coach said his team would “stick with what got us here.”
“If we are able to do that then we have a chance to be in the ballgame,” Britt said. “It will then take a big play for us.”
The Knights followed that formula to perfection in game one of the series on their way to a 4-2 win.Piedmont would have to be considered an early favorite for another deep playoff run in 2019. The Cougars lose just two seniors (Parker Clark and Noah Faubli) from this year’s team but will return its entire pitching staff and starting lineup.
“It was great to be part of a winning team,” Faubli said. “After the first game there was no panic from anyone in the dugout. We knew what we had to do and went out and got the job done.”
Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg won the Class AAA state title by defeating Frederica Academy two games to one. The Lions won Sunday’s game three 10-4, also played at Mercer