GHSA Playoffs: LaGrange Outlasts Stephens Co., Advances to 2nd Round
April 26, 2019
TOCCOA, GA - It all came down to a winner-take-all game 3 between the hosts, No. 2 seed out of Region 8, Stephens County, and the No. 3 seed out of Region 5, LaGrange. LaGrange used a big pitching performance from RHP Charles Crawford (2020) and timely hitting to defeat Stephens Co. 5-3 in a pressure packed game. The Grangers move on to the second round to face the No. 1 seed from Region 7, Blessed Trinity.
Stephens County appeared to hold the slight edge on paper over LaGrange and had the pitcher they wanted on the mound, LHP Gabriel White (Mercer recruit). The southpaw came out firing over the first two innings of the game, albeit for a first inning double by LF Will Alford (2021). White sat 81-84, touching 85 mph. His fastball showed run and sink, especially effective to his armside. Early on, his slurve-like breaking ball induced a number of swing and misses, working at 67-71. Occasionally, he would mix in a changeup with fade action at 64-65.
Stephens County LHP Gabe White (@MercerBaseball recruit) starting vs. LaGrange. Short arm action out of a low 3/4 slot. FB sitting 81-84, touched 85 w/ run and sink. Slurve-like breaking ball at 67-71. 3 Ks thru 2.0 IP. Tied up 0-0 T3. @PBRGeorgia #GHSAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/pP8axvjRBZ
— Phil Kerber (@PhilKerberPBR) April 25, 2019
Opposite of White was RHP Charles Crawford. Crawford did not feature overpowering stuff, working 77-79 with good tilt on his fastball, although he was able to effectively locate the pitch. The crafty righty also offered up a mid-70s sinking changeup and an upper-60s 11/5 curveball.
The Indians of Stephen Co. struck first in the third inning when DH Carson Brock laced a double to left field. Two batters later, leadoff hitter 3B Dawson Sorrells (East Georgia College recruit) broke the scoring open with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. The lead was short lived however.
The inning started off innocently enough with White striking out the first batter followed by a single and a flyout. The Indians were ready to get back in the dugout and hit some more. Two self inflicted moves prevented that though. A walk and a hit-by-pitch and all of a sudden the bases were loaded for Lagrange four hitter C Trent Bailey (Georgia College and State recruit). Bailey delivered a two run double, giving LaGrange the 2-1 lead. Two more run would score in the inning, giving the Grangers a 4-1 lead after three innings.
Stephens Co. briefly gains the lead in the T3, before C Trent Bailey (@GrangerBaseball; Georgia College and State recruit) delivers a 2-run double down the right field line. 2 more runs would score on wild pitches in the inning. 4-1 LaGrange lead T4. @PBRGeorgia #GHSAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/0cqcphTvoA
— Phil Kerber (@PhilKerberPBR) April 25, 2019
Stephens Co. was not out of it yet. C Cayden Maxwell led the inning off by reaching base on an error, he then advanced to second base on a wild pitch. 1B Davis Swenson (Gordon State recruit) cut the lead in half when he blasted a double into the right center gap, driving in Maxwell. The lead would be cut to 4-3 when LF Ridge Adams drove Swenson in on a single.
LaGrange got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the fourth inning, giving them a two run buffer to work with. Which is more than Crawford would need to close out the game. Stephens Co. was not ready to go down without a fight. They had their chances in the fifth and sixth inning, getting men on first and second, but LaGrange always found a way to get out of the inning unharmed.
The seventh inning was a similar story for Stephens Co. With the top of the order up to bat, Sorrells drew a leadoff walk, bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs. Crawford was unfazed tough. He was able to induce an infield pop up, roll up two ground ball outs and seal the win and series for LaGrange.