Redan Escapes Rockmart Scare To Sweep And Advance TO GHSA 2A Quarterfinals
The Redan Raiders are once again headed back to the Georgia High School Association Class 2A baseball state championship tournament quarterfinals, however the 2022 runner-ups had quite the battle on their hands as they faced a tough Rockmart Yellow Jackets team in a best of three series on Saturday. The Raiders got off to a solid start in game one as they led 10-1 in the top of the seventh inning. And despite a late rally by Rockmart, Redan would hold on to pick up the 10-5 win to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Raiders looked to be getting off to another good start in game two as Bernard Moon would put them on the scoreboard first with a solo homerun in the top of the first inning. However, fielding eras would hurt Redan early as the Yellow Jackets would pick up two runs in the bottom half of the first after a botched rundown would allow Rockmart’s Hunter Atkins and Jake Bailey to score giving them a 2-1 lead. The Yellow Jackets would eventually take a 3-1 lead, however the Raiders would battle back to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the third inning.
Determined to even the series, Rockmart would regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning going up 5-3 after a pass ball would allow a run to score from third. The Raiders would get one run back in the top of the sixth inning to trail 5-4. However in the top of the seventh inning, the fielding eras would strike Rockmart as a routine fly ball by Josh Westbrook would drop after a mishap in the outfield, allowing Redan to pick up another run to tie the game at 5-5. Then the next batter, Collin Bright well would connect for a two out RBI single to give the Raiders the 6-5 lead.
Rockmart would have an opportunity in the half of the frame to win as they would have runners in scoring position, but Redans’s Moon would strike out Nolan Clemons for the first out of the inning. Then Moon would get Calliyon Thompson to ground out followed by a ground out by Kason Zuker, thanks to a throw from a charging Tyrell Wright from third for the final out of the game. “I told the guys be accountable. All week we talked about accountability, being in the right place, trusting your guys, believing in each other,” Redan head coach, Delvin Jordan said after the game two win.
And with finding themselves trailing by two runs twice in the second game, Jordan said he had to “believe in the process and trust in my guys and they came through for me. That’s what it’s all about,” Jordan said. The Raiders will now get set to take on Appling County in the quarterfinals.
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