Tigers take the first step
S ports LaGrange Daily News
Weekend, May 2-3, 2015 • Section B
Craft rises to the occasion work with as he went to the mound for the bottom of the first inning. “It’s great. Anytime you go out there with the lead, you have a lot With the season, and his highof confidence,” Craft said. “And school career on the line, CallaI have a lot of confidence in my way’s Kevin Craft threw a gem. defense, too.” After Adairsville won the first Austin Garrett, Callaway’s shortgame of Friday’s doubleheader 1-0, stop and leadoff hitter, got the first Callaway had to win the second game to force a Game 3 in the best- inning started with a triple, and he scored on a Dylan Johnson sacriof-three state-playoff series. fice fly. Craft, a senior right-hander, got It remained a 1-0 game until the the call, and he was brilliant. Craft threw a four-hit shutout as the fifth inning when Callaway took advantage of some wildness by Cavaliers won 4-0 to even the series. Callaway will host a winner-take- Adairsville pitcher Reese Spencer to score three more runs. all game at 1 p.m. today. After C.J. Gallatin, Mason Hendrix Callaway scored a run in the top and Garrett walked to fill the bases, of the first inning in Game 2, and Johnson was walked to drive in a run. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News that’s all the support Craft needed. Kevin Craft threw a shutout as Callaway beat Adairsville 4-0 to Cody Mimbs and Cortney Laye Craft was glad to have a run to By Kevin Eckleberry
[email protected]
force a Game 3.
also walked to bring in two more runs, and Callaway led 4-0 after six straight base on balls by Spence. Craft did the rest, and Callaway’s season was still alive. In the first game, Perry Keith was the tough-luck loser for Callaway. Keith gave up just five hits and no earned runs, but Adairsville’s Sean McDermott threw a three-hit shutout to get the win. Adairsville scored the game’s only run in the top of the sixth. After Spencer reached second base on an error, Verta Collum’s bloop single brought him in. Callaway got runners on first and third in the seventh inning, but McDermott got a groundout to end it.
Season comes to close for Grangers By Kevin Eckleberry
[email protected]
The season came to an end for the LaGrange Grangers on Friday in an elimination game in the state baseball playoffs. LaGrange and Evans split a doubleheader on Thursday, forcing a decisive Game 3 on Friday. It went well early for the Grangers, who surged to a 2-1 lead, but Evans controlled things the rest of the way to take a 6-2 victory and advance to the second round of the Class AAAAA state tournament. It was a successful season for LaGrange, which finished third in Region 1-AAAAA, one of the state’s best regions, to make it to the state playoffs. In Friday’s game, LaGrange took a 2-1 lead when Larkin Easterwood hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, but it was unable to get anything going offensively the rest of the way. While the Grangers will have to replace five key seniors, the future looks bright with so many key players returning, including most of the position players. SOCCER: The Callaway Cavaliers stood their ground against one of the state’s best teams. Facing an unbeaten Calhoun team in the opening round of the Class AAA state playoffs, Callaway fell short 3-0. It was a respectable showing against the state’s second-ranked Class AAA team. Callaway should be poised for a big 2015 season with only two seniors, Kevin Craig and Hunter Milliman, leaving the program. In private-school soccer, Lafayette Christian had no trouble with Cumberland Christian Academy in the first round of the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association tournament. The Cougars, who won a region championship to advance to state, won 9-0 to reach the semifinals. The Cougars will be back at Callaway Stadium on Monday at 5 p.m., and if they win that game, they’ll play for a state championship next weekend. Aaron Dixon led the Cougars with four goals, and Morgan Channell added two goals, including one on a bicycle kick. Timothy Busuulwa also scored two goals, and Taekyoung Yun added one goal. Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @ lagrangesports
Hawks blow out Nets to advance to semifinals NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Millsap had 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists and the Atlanta Hawks finally finished off the Brooklyn Nets in six games, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 111-87 victory Friday night. Kyle Korver added 20 points and hit three of his six 3-pointers during a series-deciding run to open the third quarter as the Hawks turned a six-point lead into the only blowout of the series. The East’s No. 1 seed has a quick turnaround before facing Washington on Sunday in its second-round opener. The Wizards, the No. 5 seed, swept Toronto in the first round.
Kevin Eckleberry photos | Daily News
Troup’s Tyler Bunn slides in safely to first base on a pickoff attempt during Game 2 of Friday’s state-playoff series against Marist. Troup won both games to advance to the second round.
Tigers take the first step Troup sweeps Marist in state opener By Donny Karr
[email protected]
They’re moving on. The Troup Tigers have advanced to the second round of the state playoffs after sweeping the Marist War Eagles in a home double-header on Friday. The Tigers defeated Marist 2-1 in the first game and they finished the sweep with a 4-1 win. Troup (24-4) stifled Marist’s offensive production with junior pitchers Winston Turner and Bo Halcomb both pitching complete games. “I can’t say enough good things about Winston and Bo,” Troup head coach Craig Garner. “They did a great job pitching out of some crucial situations and tight spots. They made quality pitches when they had to.” In Game 1, Turner worked around eight hits and two walks to give up just one run in seven innings. The Tigers scored their first run of the opening game on a second-inning suicide squeeze bunt by Tyler Bunn, and Jonathan Foster added an RBI single in the inning to give his team a 2-0 lead. The War Eagles closed the gap with a run in the fifth inning. Marist appeared poised to even the score in the sixth inning, but with runners on second and third base, Turner got
Troup’s Winston Turner is met in the dugout between innings during Game 2 on Friday. Turner was the winning pitcher in the first game.
out of the jam without any runs scoring, and the Tigers still had the lead. Turner also got out of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning without allowing any runs. “I thought we would score more runs,” said Turner. “I didn’t have my best stuff tonight, but I knew I just had to keep throwing strikes and we managed to get the win.” Troup wasted no time in taking the lead in the second game. In the first inning, Miles Cameron, who went 3-for-3 in the first game, drove in two runs with a double.
The Tigers added another run in the second inning on a Curtis Grant RBI single. Marist had runners on second and third base in the bottom of the fourth inning with only one out, and a sacrifice fly plated a run. A loud Marist dugout had little effect on Halcomb’s pitching performance as he struck out the next two batters to end the inning with his team ahead 3-1. Bunn extended the Tigers’ lead in the sixth inning with an RBI single. Halcomb finished the
game with no walks and five strikeouts, while allowing only one run on three hits. “It gives us alot of confidence to win both games,” Halcomb said. “I think we got alot of the jitters out tonight and we’re ready for the next round. We’re going to do big things this year.” Troup, the number two teams from Region 5-AAAA, will be on the road for the next round of the playoffs. On Wednesday, Troup will visit Wayne County, which won the Region 3-AAAA title and beat Eastside in a first-round series.
Weekend, May 2-3, 2015 • Section B
Craft rises to the occasion work with as he went to the mound for the bottom of the first inning. “It’s great. Anytime you go out there with the lead, you have a lot With the season, and his highof confidence,” Craft said. “And school career on the line, CallaI have a lot of confidence in my way’s Kevin Craft threw a gem. defense, too.” After Adairsville won the first Austin Garrett, Callaway’s shortgame of Friday’s doubleheader 1-0, stop and leadoff hitter, got the first Callaway had to win the second game to force a Game 3 in the best- inning started with a triple, and he scored on a Dylan Johnson sacriof-three state-playoff series. fice fly. Craft, a senior right-hander, got It remained a 1-0 game until the the call, and he was brilliant. Craft threw a four-hit shutout as the fifth inning when Callaway took advantage of some wildness by Cavaliers won 4-0 to even the series. Callaway will host a winner-take- Adairsville pitcher Reese Spencer to score three more runs. all game at 1 p.m. today. After C.J. Gallatin, Mason Hendrix Callaway scored a run in the top and Garrett walked to fill the bases, of the first inning in Game 2, and Johnson was walked to drive in a run. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News that’s all the support Craft needed. Kevin Craft threw a shutout as Callaway beat Adairsville 4-0 to Cody Mimbs and Cortney Laye Craft was glad to have a run to By Kevin Eckleberry
[email protected]
force a Game 3.
also walked to bring in two more runs, and Callaway led 4-0 after six straight base on balls by Spence. Craft did the rest, and Callaway’s season was still alive. In the first game, Perry Keith was the tough-luck loser for Callaway. Keith gave up just five hits and no earned runs, but Adairsville’s Sean McDermott threw a three-hit shutout to get the win. Adairsville scored the game’s only run in the top of the sixth. After Spencer reached second base on an error, Verta Collum’s bloop single brought him in. Callaway got runners on first and third in the seventh inning, but McDermott got a groundout to end it.
Season comes to close for Grangers By Kevin Eckleberry
[email protected]
The season came to an end for the LaGrange Grangers on Friday in an elimination game in the state baseball playoffs. LaGrange and Evans split a doubleheader on Thursday, forcing a decisive Game 3 on Friday. It went well early for the Grangers, who surged to a 2-1 lead, but Evans controlled things the rest of the way to take a 6-2 victory and advance to the second round of the Class AAAAA state tournament. It was a successful season for LaGrange, which finished third in Region 1-AAAAA, one of the state’s best regions, to make it to the state playoffs. In Friday’s game, LaGrange took a 2-1 lead when Larkin Easterwood hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, but it was unable to get anything going offensively the rest of the way. While the Grangers will have to replace five key seniors, the future looks bright with so many key players returning, including most of the position players. SOCCER: The Callaway Cavaliers stood their ground against one of the state’s best teams. Facing an unbeaten Calhoun team in the opening round of the Class AAA state playoffs, Callaway fell short 3-0. It was a respectable showing against the state’s second-ranked Class AAA team. Callaway should be poised for a big 2015 season with only two seniors, Kevin Craig and Hunter Milliman, leaving the program. In private-school soccer, Lafayette Christian had no trouble with Cumberland Christian Academy in the first round of the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association tournament. The Cougars, who won a region championship to advance to state, won 9-0 to reach the semifinals. The Cougars will be back at Callaway Stadium on Monday at 5 p.m., and if they win that game, they’ll play for a state championship next weekend. Aaron Dixon led the Cougars with four goals, and Morgan Channell added two goals, including one on a bicycle kick. Timothy Busuulwa also scored two goals, and Taekyoung Yun added one goal. Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @ lagrangesports
Hawks blow out Nets to advance to semifinals NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Millsap had 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists and the Atlanta Hawks finally finished off the Brooklyn Nets in six games, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 111-87 victory Friday night. Kyle Korver added 20 points and hit three of his six 3-pointers during a series-deciding run to open the third quarter as the Hawks turned a six-point lead into the only blowout of the series. The East’s No. 1 seed has a quick turnaround before facing Washington on Sunday in its second-round opener. The Wizards, the No. 5 seed, swept Toronto in the first round.
Kevin Eckleberry photos | Daily News
Troup’s Tyler Bunn slides in safely to first base on a pickoff attempt during Game 2 of Friday’s state-playoff series against Marist. Troup won both games to advance to the second round.
Tigers take the first step Troup sweeps Marist in state opener By Donny Karr
[email protected]
They’re moving on. The Troup Tigers have advanced to the second round of the state playoffs after sweeping the Marist War Eagles in a home double-header on Friday. The Tigers defeated Marist 2-1 in the first game and they finished the sweep with a 4-1 win. Troup (24-4) stifled Marist’s offensive production with junior pitchers Winston Turner and Bo Halcomb both pitching complete games. “I can’t say enough good things about Winston and Bo,” Troup head coach Craig Garner. “They did a great job pitching out of some crucial situations and tight spots. They made quality pitches when they had to.” In Game 1, Turner worked around eight hits and two walks to give up just one run in seven innings. The Tigers scored their first run of the opening game on a second-inning suicide squeeze bunt by Tyler Bunn, and Jonathan Foster added an RBI single in the inning to give his team a 2-0 lead. The War Eagles closed the gap with a run in the fifth inning. Marist appeared poised to even the score in the sixth inning, but with runners on second and third base, Turner got
Troup’s Winston Turner is met in the dugout between innings during Game 2 on Friday. Turner was the winning pitcher in the first game.
out of the jam without any runs scoring, and the Tigers still had the lead. Turner also got out of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning without allowing any runs. “I thought we would score more runs,” said Turner. “I didn’t have my best stuff tonight, but I knew I just had to keep throwing strikes and we managed to get the win.” Troup wasted no time in taking the lead in the second game. In the first inning, Miles Cameron, who went 3-for-3 in the first game, drove in two runs with a double.
The Tigers added another run in the second inning on a Curtis Grant RBI single. Marist had runners on second and third base in the bottom of the fourth inning with only one out, and a sacrifice fly plated a run. A loud Marist dugout had little effect on Halcomb’s pitching performance as he struck out the next two batters to end the inning with his team ahead 3-1. Bunn extended the Tigers’ lead in the sixth inning with an RBI single. Halcomb finished the
game with no walks and five strikeouts, while allowing only one run on three hits. “It gives us alot of confidence to win both games,” Halcomb said. “I think we got alot of the jitters out tonight and we’re ready for the next round. We’re going to do big things this year.” Troup, the number two teams from Region 5-AAAA, will be on the road for the next round of the playoffs. On Wednesday, Troup will visit Wayne County, which won the Region 3-AAAA title and beat Eastside in a first-round series.
