Trinity Sweeps Mars Hill For Second Straight 3A Title;
G.W. Long Tops Westbook Christian For Class 2A State Crown
Trinity Presbyterian blanked Mars Hill Bible in Class 3A and G.W. Long shutout Westbrook Christian in Class 2A to sweep their respective state championship series Friday at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium. It was second straight title and G.W. Long’s first championship since 2005.
Class 3A Championship Series
Game 2: Trinity Presbyterian 8, Mars Hill Bible 0
Trinity Presbyterian pitcher Alan Wood tossed a two-hit shutout and the Wildcats took an 8-0 win over Mars Hill Bible in the final game.
Wood (9-1), who struck out four and walked none for Coach Ken Whittle’s Wildcats (33-8), faced only 25 batters – four over the minimum. He yielded a game-opening double to J.T. Hudson but didn’t allow another hit until Hudson singled to start the sixth.
Thomas Burrows (12-1) started for Mars Hill Bible (32-19) and went 5 2/3 innings in the loss. Burrows, who pitched the Panthers’ final game in their Class 2A state championship series in 2012, compiled a 21-2 record over the last two seasons. He allowed seven hits and seven runs while striking out four. Trinity scored seven of its eight runs against Coach Jay Mitchell’s Panthers in the last three innings.
Freshman shortstop Robert Adams, named the series MVP, slugged a triple and single to drive in one run and score another for Trinity Friday, and tripled Thursday to finish with four RBIs and three runs scored in the two-game sweep.
Trace Johnston had two hits and two RBIs for the Wildcats and Brock Stevens had a triple and three RBIs.
Game 1: Trinity Presbyterian 9, Mars Hill Bible 2
Trinity Presbyterian used two big innings to take a 7-0 lead and winning pitcher Brock Stevens did the rest as the Wildcats downed the Panthers 9-2.
Stevens (8-2), a senior, gave up three hits and struck out nine over six innings before yielding to reliever Zach Reid who gave up one hit and one run in the seventh. Mars Hill starter Glenn Irby (7-4) went five innings and J.T. Hudson pitched the final two innings striking out four.
Coach Ken Whittle’s Wildcats (32-8) took advantage of two hit-by-pitches in the first inning and an RBI single by Trace Johnston to score three runs. The Wildcats added four runs in the top of the fifth. Stevens’ two-out double started the rally and Robert Adams, who had two hits and three RBIs on the night, singled in two runs. Allen Wood doubled in the other two.
Johnston finished with two hits, Adams had a triple among his hits and Stevens was 3-for-4.
Thomas Burrows and Irby had two hits each for Coach Jay Mitchell’s Panthers (32-18).
Class 2A Championship Series
Game 2: G.W. Long 5, Westbrook Christian 0
G.W. Long pitcher Tristan Rice tossed a four-hit shutout to lift the Rebels past Westbrook Christian 5-0 as the storied program captured its 13th state baseball championship.
Coach Drew Miller, who played on three of those state championship teams (1995, 1997, 1998) for his dad, Coach Earl Miller, watched his team turn in a near-perfect performance that included Rice’s effort on the mound, 10 G.W. Long hits on offense and a defense highlighted by left fielder Stetson Payne’s diving catch.
Payne snared a shot off the bat of Clay Templeton that robbed the Westbrook hitter of a sure double or triple. The catch also snuffed out any hopes of a Warriors comeback.
Rice (8-2) walked three and struck out four to get the win. Jake Kilgo (9-2) gave up five hits and two runs in three innings in taking the loss. Class 2A Series MVP Garrett Davis, who pitched a four-hit win in Thursday’s first game for Long (32-8), was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Ivey and Josh Rogers also had two hits each.
Alex Perkins, Jordan McCartney, Jonathan Ford and Matthew Reaves each had singles for Westbrook (25-15), coached by Matt Kennedy.
Game 1: G.W. Long 3, Westbrook Christian 2
Second baseman Seth Ivey singled in two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and G.W. Long’s pitching and defense did the rest as the Rebels beat Westbrook Christian 3-2 Thursday at Paterson Field.
Pitcher Garrett Davis (12-2) added two hits, but it was his masterful pitching performance that sealed the win. He allowed four hits, walked none and struck out four. Davis faced just 25 batters – four over the limit – for Coach Drew Miller’s Rebels (31-8).
Mikhail Cazenave (10-3) turned in an outstanding performance for Westbrook (25-14), coached by Matt Kennedy. He also gave up just four hits and struck out eight. Jonathan Ford had the game’s only extra-base hit when he tripled in a run in the top of the seventh off Davis. Ford then scored on Matthew Reaves’ ground out and Davis closed out the game by striking out Cazenave.