Generals

rewarding it is.

“And when you drop Game 1 on the road and bounce back and win two games with those stakes on the line, it’s huge, but so is the heart and fight in this group. I’m so happy for these players and their families who got to witness some memorable baseball games.”

Woodward Academy 5, Heritage 4

The Generals outhit the War Eagles, 7-6, in the opener Friday night, but came up a run short in the final tally.

Johnathan Hickman got things started with a solo homerun in the first inning, while Lance Dockery and Joseph Hill also homered in the third inning.

But Woodward’s Ethan Cornelius was able to retaliate, stroking an RBI-double off Generals’ starter Cole Wilcox in the third inning, while Wesley Maxey smacked an RBI-single later in the frame. Wilcox finished with eight strikeouts and just three earned runs allowed in six innings, but had to settle for the loss.

Nik Thompson notched the win with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings for Woodward, while Cornelius was 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs.

Brody Campbell went 2-for-3 for the Generals, while Hill also finished with two hits.

Heritage 12, Woodward Academy 7

The Generals – playing as the home team - struck for five runs in the second inning of the second game, tacked on three more in the fifth and two in the sixth, but had to stave off a rally attempt by the War Eagles in the seventh to claim the win.

Alex Barbee picked up the victory for the Generals, going 6.1 innings, allowing seven runs on 13 hits with six strikeouts. Mason Carnes lasted just four innings for the War Eagles, allowing seven runs on eight hits.

Josh Gibson blasted a homer in the fourth inning, while Dockery went yard in the sixth. Hickman finished 3-for4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs. Luke Grant, Blake Bryan and Alex Coulter had two hits apiece to aid the Heritage offense.

Heritage 19, Woodward Academy 18

The nightcap will go down as quite possibly the most memorable

game in Generals’ history.

The War Eagles – playing as the visitors in Game 3 after losing the coin flip – jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first, only to see Heritage fight back to cut the lead to 9-7 by the end of the third inning.

Woodward scored three more times in the top of the fourth to push their advantage to five runs, but Heritage would get two back in the fifth and tied the game at 12 when Wilcox launched a three-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth.

However, the momentum the Generals grabbed was lost just as quickly when Woodward put up six runs in the top of the seventh, taking a seemingly comfortable 18-12 lead.

But, needing just three more outs to secure the series win, the War Eagles could only watch as the Generals matched them with a six-run frame. Wilcox singled to bring in one of the runs and after Heritage loaded the bases, Gibson hit a homer heard back in Ringgold as he knotted the game 18 with an improbable and dramatic grand slam off Woodward pitcher Christian Wylder.

The game would finally come to a climax in the bottom of the 10th, again in dramatic fashion. Pinch runner Corbee Wilson was able to score the seriesclinching run on a steal of home as bedlam erupted on the Heritage side of the field.

Wilcox finished the game 3-for-5 with four runs driven in, while Gibson had three hits, five RBIs and three runs scored. Grant was also 3-for-5 with knocked in two.

Coulter, Hill and Campbell each had two of Heritage’s 16 hits, while Hill and Coulter also had two RBIs.

Grant earned the win in relief, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and a walk with one strikeout. Carnes took the loss for Woodward, giving up one run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in his 2.2 innings of work.

Hunter Faloner went 5-for-5 with four RBIs for the War Eagles.

Heritage, the No. 2 seed from Region 6, will host the Hawks in the third round by virtue of being the higher seed. Hardaway, from Columbus, is the No. 3 seed from Region 1. They are coming off a three-game series victory over Region 5 champion and stateranked Troup County in the second round.