Wednesday, June 4, 2003
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Wednesday, June 4, 2003 |
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Colquitt Co. sweep ends stellar year for Tigers MOULTRIE Fayette County had no answer for Colquitt County's two senior left-handed starters Monday and was eliminated by the Packers 11-4 and 7-5 in a state semifinal doubleheader at Ike Aultman Field. The Packers will get a chance to duplicate their 1997 state championship when they play host to East Coweta, beginning with a doubleheader expected to be played Friday. A third game, if necessary, will be played Saturday. East Coweta advanced to championship round with an 8-5, 5-1 doubleheader sweep of Redan Monday in Sharpsburg. The Packers have advanced to the Final Four four times and have made the finals twice in the last seven years. Fayette County, the No. 1 team from Region 4-AAAAA, was the final top seed in the tournament, but never mounted a real threat until it had two outs in the bottom of the seventh of the second game. Colquitt County's Thomas Tripp, pitching in relief of starter Cody Green, gave up a three-run home run to Tigers catcher Jason Hardwick to make it 7-5, came right back with a strikeout to end the game and Fayette County's season. Fayette County, which had defeated Effingham County, Eagle's Landing and South Gwinnett to reach the semifinals, finishes 27-8. "Our guys don't have anything to hang their heads about," said Fayette County head coach Robert Townsend, who has led the Tigers to three region titles and four state playoff appearances in seven seasons. "We had a great year." Monday's two victories make the Packers 27-8 overall, 8-1 in the playoffs and 12-1 since May 1. Aaron Eubanks pitched the Packers to the first-game victory, winning his 11th game of the season against just two losses. He has won five games in the playoffs. And Cody Green pitched into the seventh inning of the nightcap before tiring and gave up just three runs, only two of which were earned. He is now 8-2. Eubanks delivered with both his arm and his bat in Game 1. The senior left-hander gave up four runs and seven hits and struck out seven. But it was at the plate that he did the most damage. He went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run and drove in two. The homer came in a six-run fifth inning that chased Georgia Tech-bound Fayette County starter Lee Hyde. The Packers sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and got key two-out hits from Brandon Connell, Lee Henry and Johnathan Walker. The game had been close to that point. The Packers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Eubanks and Max DeMott. Colquitt added three more in the bottom of the third to go up 4-0. DeMott had the big hit, a two-run single. Another scored on a wild pitch by Hyde. The Tigers scrapped back into the game, scoring two in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the fifth. In the fourth, David Owens walked off Eubanks to open the inning and was forced at second on Joseph Edens grounder. Hyde followed with a double to left, moving Edens to third. Hardwick's sacrifice fly scored Edens and Hyde scored on a wild pitch. The Tigers scored again in the fifth on an infield single by Jeff Crisp and a double by Owens. Ricky Williams singled in Kyle Ray in the top of the seventh, but that was all the Tigers could manage. Hyde, who took the loss while giving up 10 runs and 10 hits, had a double and a single. Crisp, Owens, Hardwick, Ray and Williams had the other Fayette County base hits. Colquitt took the lead in Game 2 when DeMott led off the second inning with a long home run off Tigers starter Edens. The Packers added three more in the fourth with Connell driving and Walker each driving in a run. Another scored on a balk. The Packers lead went to 7-0 with three runs in the fifth off Fayette County reliever Dan Cooper. Jackson drove in one run with a double, Connell singled in another and Walker's sacrifice fly drove in the Packers last run of the game. Hyde got Fayette County back in the game with a solo homer in the sixth to make it 7-1. A single by pinch-hitter Chase Davis off Tripp cut the Colquitt lead to 7-2 in the seventh. Two batters later, Hardwick fouled off five straight pitches pitches before hitting a long three-run homer to left to cut the Packers lead to two. But Tripp got the final out. Hardwick had two hits in the second game for Fayette County. Owens, Davis, Hyde and Ray had the others. Green allowed just four hits before departing with one out in the seventh.
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