Baseball Class A-Private Championship: Savannah Christian vs. Tattnall Square recap

Photo Credit: @DennisKnightSMN (Savannah Morning News)

Class A-Private

Game 2

Savannah Christian 5, Tattnall Square 4

Savannah Christian’s Jarrett Brown came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with a 2-1 count, two outs, and runners on first and second and a state championship on the line. The sophomore shortstop hit a hard bouncer that scooted past the third baseman and sent Kyle Hilton home to win the first state baseball title for the Raiders Friday night at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.

The game remained scoreless through four innings when in the bottom of the fifth, Savannah Christian came alive. Hilton laid down a perfect bunt towards first base. The first baseman tried to throw home but could not catch Colby Obrien, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Things got worse for Tattnall on the next at-bat when Ben Jackson laid down yet another bunt and an error allowed two more runs to cross home plate, making it 3-0 for Savannah Christian. Junior Drew Malphrus then hit a sacrifice fly to right field which scored another run.

Tattnall had answers, however, in the top of the sixth. Trey Ham was walked which loaded the bases for Logan Fink who walked on five pitches which cut the lead to 4-1. On his first pitch, Junior Austin Marchman then hit a bomb in the right-field gap, scoring two runs and pulling the Trojans to within one. B.J. Spears then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at four.

In the top of the seventh, Tattnall had three outs and a chance to force a Game 3, however, Hinton took control. The righthander struck out Tyler Warnock, Garrett Houston, and Miles Morris with a curveball that snapped off late and cut across the plate at the last second.

The stage was set.

Savannah Christian sent Justin Anderson to the plate and he popped out to shallow center field. Hilton was next up and, in what could have been a very scary moment, was hit on the helmet by a wild pitch and made his way to first. Jackson then popped out and it looked as if extra innings were inevitable. Zach Brockman was then walked which put runners on first and second with two outs and Brown at the plate for the walk-off single.

Game 1

Savannah Christian 5, Tattnall Square 2

Savannah Christian made a move towards its first baseball title by defeating Tattnall Square in Game 1. The Raiders relied on senior Zack Brockman’s arm to keep the Tattnall runs at bay while scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 5-1. Brockman finished with five hits, two runs and seven strikeouts.

Tattnall got things started first with a Logan Fink two out single in the bottom of the first to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. The Raiders would answer with a Cameron Crosby sacrifice fly after loading the bases on a walk and two singles with no outs. However, Tattnall pitcher Matt Blair got them out of the jam and kept the damage at one earned run.

In the top of the third Justin Anderson led off for Savannah Christian and hit a double to right field and then stole third to score on a Kyle Hinton grounder to short to take the lead 2-1.

Ben Jackson padded the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single to centerfield, which left runners on first and second. With two outs, Jarrett Brown then hit a two RBI line drive to right field with Jackson just beating the ball to home plate. Tattnall tried to rally with a Logan Simmons deep shot which, with his speed, could have been an in the park homer. However, Jackson made a spectacular catch which only allowed one run to score.