RTCA Wins Over Windsor
It has been a big two week for the Crusaders baseball team of Robert Toombs Christian Academy as they secured the Region Championship last week over First Presbyterian Christian Academy and then swept Windsor Academy in the first round of the GISA State AA Playoffs on Monday of this week.
vs. FPCA
RTCA quickly took a 3-0 lead on the Highlanders. They had already brought in two runs, and the third came in when Rob Moore scored on a sacrifice fly by TJ Stanley. They made it 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning with a hit by Andrew Tuck. RTCA added one more run on a hit by Bradlan McDonald for a 5-0 lead.
RTCA held in the bottom of the second inning to hold the 5-0 lead going to the third inning. Neither team scored in the third or fourth innings, but in the sixth inning RTCA loaded the bases. Kenny Anderson and Dawson Pinkard scored on a hit by McDonald for a 7-0 lead. Stanley came in on a sacrifice fly as RTCA took an 8-0 lead.
RTCA held in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings with Moore striking out the final batter for the 8-0 win in the Region Championship.
vs. Windsor Game 1 RTCA and Windsor both had runners on in the first two innings of the game, but neither team could get a run across.
Windsor had a runner on second base in the top of the third inning, but a shot right back to Moore on the mound ended the threat. In the bottom of the inning Hayden Kite reached base, and then moved to second on a steal. Moore hit a ball into right field that should have been routine, but the outfielder misplayed it which brought in Kite for a 1-0 lead. That was followed by a single by Pinkard, and a walk by Stanley loaded the bases. A walk to McDonald scored a run for a 2-0 lead. Windsor loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning, but a double play and a strikeout kept them off the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the fifth RTCA picked up two more runs for a 4-0 lead. In the sixth Kite got an RBI, and an error scored Karson Evans for a 6-0 lead. Tucker Heath and Moore combined for three RBI's to put the Crusaders up 9-0. RTCA loaded the bases and a final walk gave them the 10-0, run rule win.
Game 2
RTCA were the visitors in the second game, and in the top of the first inning with a runner on third base, a balk put the Crusaders on top 1-0 with Evans scoring. Kite scored on an RBI single by Mc-Donald for an early 2-0 lead.
In the second inning Clayton Meadows came across the plate on a hit by Rayce Sharpe for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth Moore drove in Evans to put RTCA on top 3-0. Stanley brought in a run and then a hit by Evans and Tuck put RTCA up 7-0 heading to the fifth inning.
RTCA added a run in the fifth inning and then four more in the top of the seventh inning as they took a 12-0 lead. They closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh and took the 12-0 win over Windsor.
RTCA Coach Brian Fitzgerald said, “We weren't super crisp today, but we pitched the ball well enough. We knew that we matched up well, and it just turned out our pitching was just a bit better today. Dawson and Rob each had five hits and five RBI's each and that is a good day for them. We are excited about the win, and happy to be moving on.”
RTCA will play on Friday of this week at Gatewood Academy with the first game of the double header starting at 4:00 p.m. If needed, they will play a Game 3 on Saturday with the time TBD.
