•Will face Cherokee Bluff in next round
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Junior pitcher Rowan Blanton was the story of game two’s 8-0 win over LaGrange. He pitched a complete seven-inning shutout for the win on the mound. He gave up a mere three hits and struck out 10. (Photo by Eric Denty)
After sweeping LaGrange High on Wednesday in “Sweet 16” action, the Wayne County High diamond Jackets will take on Cherokee Bluff High in “Elite 8” play on the road Monday in Flowery Branch.
This is another best-of-three series with the doubleheader being played on Monday. The first game is set to start at 5 p.m. The “if” game would be played on Tuesday.
The Jackets (28-6) advanced in the GHSA state tournament by downing the Grangers 4-3 and 8-0 at Howard “Bo” Warren Field. The Bears (26-4) advanced by beating Cedartown High 13-9 and 13-0.
Other 4A “Elite 8” match-ups include Heritage High/Starr’s Mill, North Oconee/Perry or Whitewater, and Holy Innocents/Troup or West Laurens.
Game one
The Jackets rode the back of strong pitching and clutch hitting in both wins against LaGrange High.
In the first game, senior lefty Gavin Mixon and closer Tate Altman held the Grangers at bay from the mound. Mixon pitched the first 3 1/3 innings to earn the win. He scattered four hits and three runs. He struck out three and walked two. Altman pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for the save. He came into the game in the fourth inning with one out and two runners on base. Catcher Tyler Walling helped out the cause by throwing out a Granger attempting to steal second, and then Altman induced a fielder’s choice to get out of the jam and help the Jackets hold onto their 4-3 lead. Altman then pitched three more scoreless innings to preserve the win. He allowed only two hits. He struck out two and walked two.
The Jackets got on the scoreboard in the first inning after Nic Thomas drew a walk. Walling moved him to second with a single to left. Thomas then scored off an RBI single by Garrison Grantham.
After LaGrange tied the game in the second, the Jackets added three more runs in the third. Dekan Yeomans led off with a double to left. Singles by Mixon, Eli Grantham and Garrison Grantham added two more runs, and Palmer Lamb reached base off an error, which also brought in a run.
At the plate, Yeomans led the charge with three hits. Eli Grantham had two hits, and Thomas, Walling, Mixon and Garrison Grantham each booked one.
Game two
Junior pitcher Rowan Blanton was the story of game two’s 8-0 win over LaGrange. He pitched a complete seven-inning shutout for the win on the mound. He gave up a mere three hits and struck out 10. In the game, he faced only 23 batters and threw 62 of his 93 pitches for strikes.
At the plate, the Jackets helped him out with eight runs off nine hits and five walks. Also, the Grangers committed five errors in the game.
The Jackets plated their first run in the second inning after Mixon drew a walk. He advanced to second off a single by Eli Grantham and then scored after Garrison Grantham singled to left and the Grangers committed their first error of the game.
Mixon and Eli Grantham drove in two more runs in the third, before the Jackets put the game away with four runs in the fifth. In the fifth, Walling singled to left to start the inning, and Mixon reached off an error. Eli Grantham drew a walk to load the bases before Blanton belted an RBI single to help his own cause. The big hit of the inning then came off the bat of Carson Shaver, who belted a three-run homer to left to give the Jackets a 7-0 lead.
The Jackets added a solo run in the sixth to pull out the 8-0 win.
In the game, Yeomans, Eli Grantham and Blanton each booked two hits. Walling, Mixon and Shaver each added one.