Cougars Looking for Three-Peat
The Piedmont Academy baseball team is now halfway on its journey to a three-peat.
The Diamond Cougars swept Grace Christian of Bainbridge last week in the GISA Class AA state playoffs and are now preparing for the semifinal best-of-three series against Southwest Georgia Academy. Piedmont will host the semifinal matchup with a doubleheader Friday beginning at 2 p.m. A third game, if necessary, would be Saturday at 3 p.m.
Piedmont, who is now 18-7 overall, defeated Grace Christian 10-0 last Friday in the first game of the quarterfinal series and then took a 10-5 victory on Saturday to advance.
“In the first game, we came out a little flat, but we rebounded nicely and made solid contact after starting sluggish,” coach Daniel Funt said. “We talked to the players about how important it is to do well early.”
While the final score in the second game was closer, there were still plenty of positives.
“We jumped out on them early, but you have to give them credit for battling back,” Funt said. “We were also able to answer. I was happy with our offense.”
In the series clinching win, Mack Brady earned the win working six innings, striking out six and allowing just five hits and two earned runs. Nate Miller worked the seventh inning to close the door.
Offensively, Wyatt Galloway had a big afternoon Saturday going 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI while Tyler Miller was 2-for-2 with three runs and an RBI. Brock Carter finished 2-for-2 with two runs and three RBI.
Alan Powell added a 2-for-3 performance with a run and RBI while Zach Wilson was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Brady was 1-for-3 at the plate with a run and RBI and Michael Edwards finished 1-for-4.
Piedmont jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning (the Cougars were the designated visiting team in game two of the series) but Grace Christian hung around and pulled to within 6-3 after the third.
Funt’s team added a run in the fourth and three more in the sixth for some breathing space. Grace Christian pushed two runs across in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the final 10-5.
The quarterfinal series opener the previous day saw Carter once again pitch a gem of an outing with 13 strikeouts in six innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk.
The game was close through the early innings with the Cougars leading just 2-0 after the third, but a three-run bottom of the fourth inning would be more than enough with Carter on the pitcher’s mound.
Piedmont scored five more runs in the bottom of the sixth to close the game out.
Brady had a strong performance at the plate in game one of the series going 3-for-5, driving in a run and scoring two. Wilson was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while Galloway was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.
Carter was 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI while Jay Sheets finished with a homer and four RBI. Powell was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI and Hunter Whiting stepped in and was 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Edwards also contributed offensively going 1-for-4 at the plate.
Brady and Carter had two stolen bases while Whiting had one.
Funt credited both Carter and Brady with strong pitching performances in the series.
Up next will be Southwest Georgia, which got past Robert Toombs Academy in the second round. Southwest Georgia won both of its games by slim 4-3 margins.
On paper, the Warriors will be the toughest playoff opponent to date this season for Piedmont. Southwest Georgia enters the series with a 17-4 record.
Southwest Georgia tied with Crisp Academy for first in its region but is the No. 2 seed by virtue of a coin flip.
“They are a solid team,” Funt said. “We’ve seen them the last two years in playoffs. We faced them in the first round in 2014 and the second round in 2015. We’ll see some of the same players again. Their No. 1 pitcher is pretty solid. He throws around 80 and mixes his speed well. They have that tough South Georgia mentality and will never quit until the last out. We have to play well.”
The Piedmont coach said he was surprised at how close the games between Southwest Georgia and Robert Toombs turned out to be.
The winner of the Piedmont-Southwest Georgia series will face the survivor of the Flint River-Windsor best-of-three match-up for the state championship next week.
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