Gordon Lee, ACE Charter split opening games in semifinals
You have to go back to the 2019 state championship series to find the last time that the Gordon Lee Trojans were involved in a playoff series that went three games.
But a Game 3 is exactly what the Navy-and-white were facing on Monday of this week as the Trojans bounced back from an opening loss to earn a split against Academy for Classical Education (ACE) Charter in their Class A Public School state semifinals series Saturday in Chickamauga.
Game 3 was scheduled for Monday of this week. However, due to newspaper deadlines, results were not included in today’s edition. They can be found on our website at northwestgeorgianews.com.
The winner of series will face Metter for the state title in Savannah at historic Grayson Stadium after the Tigers swept Charlton County in Folkston, 7-5 and 9-1, in their semifinal series on Saturday.
The state finals will begin with a doubleheader this Friday, starting at 5 p.m., while Game 3, if needed, would be played Saturday at 12 noon.
ACE Charter 3, Gordon Lee 2
The Trojans scored their only two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning as a single, a walk and a fielder’s choice set the table. Kade
Cowan scampered home on an error before Brody Cobb trotted home on a triple off the bat of Cade Peterson.
That would be all the scoring in the first five innings, although Gordon Lee had a runner thrown out at home in the bottom of the second and they left two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the third.
The Gryphons from Macon, making their first-ever appearance in the Final Four in just their third season of varsity region play, tied up the game in the top of the sixth inning. A single was followed by a one-out double from Gavin West to put two runners in scoring position. Lem Thompson scored on an error before
Blake Smith drove in West with an Rbi-single.
ACE saw Sam Whitley draw a walk and steal second to start the seventh. Gordon Lee starter Jake Poindexter was replaced on the hill by Brodie Genter with two outs and a 2-1 count to West. Genter would get strike two on the Gryphon batter, but West came through with a clutch Rbi-single to centerfield to bring in Whitley with the go-ahead run.
ACE starter Fisher Timms set down the Trojans in order in the bottom of the seventh with three straight flyballs to close out the victory. He allowed just four hits over seven innings, striking out three and walking two, while both runs he allowed were earned.
Poindexter scattered seven hits and allowed three earned runs over 6.2 innings. Whitley’s walk in the top of the seventh was the only one he allowed and he ended the game with 11 strikeouts, though he was saddled with the loss.
Gordon Lee 10, ACE Charter 0
Facing a must-win to extend their season, the Trojans took a 2-0 lead into the fourth inning. Nate Dunfee scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first and Cody Thomas came through with an Rbi-single in the top of
the third.
Gordon Lee added to its lead in the top of the fourth. Cowan drew a walk with the bases loaded, while another run scored on a sacrifice fly from Cobb.
The Trojans (34-3) blew it open with six runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Gryphons issued three straight walks to begin the frame before Dunfee and Blake Rodgers each ripped two-run singles. Peterson tacked on
fifth run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, while Thomas capped a 3 for 3 game with his second Rbi-single.
The Gryphons (34-5) got singles from their first two batters in the bottom of the fifth, looking to extend the game, but Gordon Lee pitcher Bo Rhudy finished off a masterful five-inning complete game with a strikeout and a groundball to shortstop to begin a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Rhudy allowed just four hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Chandler Mitchell started for the Gryphons and took the loss. He lasted
three innings and gave up only two hits, but issued eight of his team’s 12 walks in the nightcap.
“I don’t know if we really made any adjustments (between games),” Dunfee said. “It was really just our mentality. This entire postseason, I’ve told them and have continued to tell them, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose (Game 1), it’s onto the next game. Win or lose, you can’t let that dictate the next game, and after we lost the first one (today), they all said ‘it’s onto Game 2’. They’ve bought into that.
“There were some things
we didn’t capitalize on in Game 1 and we made some baserunning mistakes and some errors that game, but tip your hat to (ACE). They got the big hits when they needed them and we did not. The Timms kid settled in after that first inning and took it to us. He did a good job. In Game 2, we were disciplined and didn’t start pressing. We were patient and just took what they gave us.”
Coverage of Gordon Lee’s state quarterfinal series victory over Wilcox County can also be found on our website (northwestgeorgianews.com).