The CHS Varsity Baseball Team won their first series of the GHSA 7A playoffs on Friday, April 26, against the Mill Creek Hawks away at Bogan Park with a final series record of 2-1.
The series began on Thursday, April 25, with a double extra inning game. The top of the first remained scoreless for the Warriors, but unfortunately starting pitcher, Reid Worley, at the mound, the Hawks took the lead early in the bottom of the first. Heading into the second inning, Mill Creek held the 0-1 lead.
Like the top of the first, the second and third innings remained scoreless for both the Warriors and the Hawks.
With two quick outs from a ground out to shortstop and pop out to first base, the top of the fourth was on its way. Second baseman, Jayce Jones, singled on a hard ground ball through the gap between third base and the shortstop to put a runner at first base. Jayce Jones then steals second base, putting himself in scoring position. With a ground ball single from DH, Jared Jones, Jayce Jones scored, tying the game 1-1.
Worley was able to hold off the Hawks from taking back the lead in the bottom of the fourth with three consecutive strike outs to close out the inning.
With the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings remaining scoreless, the game entered into the first extra inning. Though the Warriors had three consecutive singles to load the bases in the top of the eighth, the inning finished scoreless for the Warriors after a double play.
The Warriors were able to hold Mill Creek off in the bottom of the eighth with two strikeouts from Worley and one out after pitcher, Blake Myers, entered the game.
The top of the ninth started out with a ground out by right fielder Hudson Will. Third baseman, Collin McGhee, got on first after a hard ground ball single up the middle to the Hawks’ centerfielder. Senior centerfielder, Jackson Bradfield, secured this game’s MVP spot with his two-run homer, allowing the Warriors to take the 3-1 lead.
With Myers pitching, the Warriors were able to hold off the Hawks from scoring in the bottom of the ninth for the win of Game 1 of the series.
Game 2 was also held on Thursday, April 25 at Bogan Park. With the Hawks taking the lead early in the first inning. They then were able to further their lead to 3-0 in the top of the second.
Cherokee was able to lessen the lead to 3-2 after a single from Jared Jones, knocking in Aidan Cifuentes, and a single by Hudson Will.
The Hawks then furthered their lead with six more runs in the third and another six in the fourth. While Cherokee made a valiant effort to come back with four runs scored in the fourth and another 6 runs in the sixth and seventh innings, it just wasn’t enough, ending the game with a final score of 12-15.
With the series split on Thursday, the teams met back at Bogan Park on Friday for a win or go home situation.
With a scoreless first inning, Mill Creek took the lead early on in the bottom of the second after an error from Cherokee, moving the score to 0-2.
After falling behind early in the game, Cherokee was successful at holding off the Hawks from scoring and furthering the lead during the third, fourth, and fifth innings.
After a line drive double from third baseman, Collin McGhee, and another from shortstop, Alex Morales, Cherokee had the winning run up to bat. With a ground ball from Brennan Roth, both McGhee and Morales’ runner, Aidan Cifuentes, were able to score, tying up the game at 2-2. Unfortunately, the inning came to an end before any others could score.
From then on, Cherokee and Mill Creek were stuck in a standoff. Both teams went scoreless and the game entered into extra innings. Inning after inning, the game remained tied with the teams in a stalemate. The teams went on to compete in 11 innings total. The top of the eleventh inning began with a hard ground ball double by first baseman, Brennan Roth to start the Warriors off. The double was followed up by a single by Evan Holstein, sending Roth to third base. With a line drive single by designated hitter, Jared Jones, Roth was able to score, allowing the Warriors to take the lead.
After an electric beginning to the eleventh inning, the Warriors’ sole mission was to hold off the Hawks from scoring. With Jackson Bradfield taking the mound, the Warriors were able to do just that with two strikeouts and a fly ball to right fielder, Hudson Moore, for the game. The Warriors won 3-2 sending them to the Sweet 16 in the GHSA 7A State Playoffs.
Unfortunately, their postseason run ended in the Sweet 16 with two hard-fought games against the North Gwinnett Bulldogs, ending the season with a 22-13 overall record.
The team battled hard in their round of 32 series against the Mill Creek Hawks and their Sweet 16 series against the North Gwinnett Bulldogs. We are proud of our CHS Varsity Baseball Warriors for their diligent work throughout their entire season.
