Piedmont Over RTCA

The Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders baseball team took on Piedmont Academy at home last Friday in the second round of the GISA State AA Playoffs. RTCA had a bye in the first round after winning their Region and went into the playoffs as the #1 seed. Piedmont came into the game as the #9 seed, but they have won six of the past seven State Championships. It was a best-of-three series, and the Cougars of Piedmont won both games of the double header on Friday to knock the Crusaders out of the tournament.

Game 1

RTCA faced off against a tough pitcher in the first game of the day. Gavin Mask of Piedmont had thrown a perfect game in the first round against Briarwood and had another good showing against RTCA as he allowed just three hits while striking out 14 Crusaders. After a scoreless first inning, Piedmont put a runner on base in the top of the second inning. An infield hit put another runner on base. An error then brought in a run to put Piedmont on top 1-0.

Cam Williams was on the mound for RTCA and threw well on the day. With runners on base in the top of the third inning, Williams picked off a runner at second base to end the threat. RTCA wasn’t able to get anything going in the bottom of the third.

In the top of the fifth Piedmont scored two more runs on an RBI single to give them a 3-0 lead over the Crusaders. TJ Stanley did get a hit in the bottom of the frame, but that was all for RTCA.

The Cougars added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-0 lead over RTCA. The Crusaders finally got on the board in the bottom of the final inning. Williams was on base and then an error on a ball hit by Gauge Brantley put the first run on the board for RTCA. Stanley then hit a ball past third to make it 5-2, but that was all they could get as RTCA lost 5-2 to the Cougars in Game 1.

Game 2

RTCA wasted no time in the second game. In the top of the first inning RTCA loaded the bases. Stanley came through with an RBI double for a 2-0 lead. An error on a ball hit by Brantley made it 4-0. Clayton Meadows singled up the middle, and then Hayden Kight was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brantley came in on a walk to make it 5-0, and then a three-RBI double by Tripp Durden gave the Crusaders an 8-0 lead.

Piedmont picked up one run in the bottom of the first inning, and then in the bottom of the second they scored four runs to close the lead to 8-5. In the bottom of the fourth inning the Cougars went on a run as they took the lead over the Crusaders.

In the fourth with the bases loaded with no outs, a hit batter closed the lead to 8-6, a walk made it 8-7, and then another walk tied the game at 8-8. A base-clearing double put Piedmont on top 11-8 over RTCA.

RTCA was held in the fifth inning and then Piedmont brought Mask back in to close out the game. He did just that as Piedmont defeated the Crusaders 11-8 to end RTCA’s season. RTCA ended the season with a 15-4 record.