ROME, Ga. – Khalfani Coney delivered a bases-clearing double in a four-run eighth inning and two Trinity relievers allowed one run with nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work in a 6-4 victory against Oglethorpe in an elimination game in the SAA Baseball Championships here Friday at Advent Health Stadium.
In the second game of the day for both teams, Oglethorpe (22-21) scored three times in the fourth inning and another run in the sixth. Jace Armstrong drove in a run with a single and Aiden Hosford doubled home another before an RBI ground ball by Ben Chatham in the fourth inning. Trey Kinnan’s sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Stormy Petrels in front, 4-2.
Oglethorpe starting pitcher Parker Spring gave up just one hit in 4.2 innings. He walked four and struck out two but ran into trouble in the fifth, with a walk turning into a run and a three-base error leading to another.
Paul Gaeta and Dylan Quintilio (6-3) each pitched a scoreless frame and another error in the outfield started the four-run frame for the Tigers (25-18).
Will Baker reached on a line drive to leftfield that was dropped by Cade Eidam to leadoff the inning. Sawyer Haynes was hit with one out and Michael Lustina walked, loading the bases. Pinch-hitter Thomas Moss struck out, but Coney delivered the big blow, a bases-clearing double to leftcenter. John Ramsey followed with a soft single to left, driving home Coney for a 6-4 Trinity lead.
Trinity starter Joey Hagen gave up three runs on five hits in 3.1 innings. He did not walk or strikeout a batter. Tait Johnson got four hits, allowing no runs on one hit with one strikeout and Will Hellings (5-4) tossed the final 4.1 innings for the win, giving up one run on one hit with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Trinity managed just six hits in the game, two by leadoff hitter Kaleb Woodward but Coney drove in three runs and Ramsey added two RBIs. The Tigers also took advantage of six walks and four Oglethorpe errors.
Brick Conway, Armstrong and Hosford all posted two hits for Oglethorpe.
The Stormy Petrels broke through in the fourth inning when Evan Smallwood was hit to leadoff and Conway doubled to rightcenter with one out. Armstrong followed with an RBI single to rightcenter and Hosford doubled to right, plating a run, ending the day for Hagen.
Ben Chatham grounded sharply to second, with Armstrong scoring on the play, giving Oglethorpe a 3-0 advantage.
Trinity collected just one hit through the first four innings against Spring, who issued a leadoff wallk to Nicholas Jones in the fifth. Pinch-runner Evan Kuhl stole second and scored on a pair of fly balls to right, with Ramsey’s out plating the run.
With two outs Woodward’s line drive to center was misplayed, getting past Conway for a three-base error. He scored on Mattias Rytting’s single down the leftfield line, cutting the Oglethorpe lead to 3-2.
Hosford walked and Will Weaver beat out an infield chopper before a one-out walk to Eidam loaded the bases in the sixth for the Stormy Petrels. Kinnan’s fly ball to center pushed across a run, extending the Oglethorpe lead to 4-2.
Sawyer Haynes walked with one out in the bottom of the inning and Kuhl reached on an infield single with two outs for the Tigers. The throw got away, allowing the runners to move to second and third, but Coney struck out to end the inning with Trinity still trailing, 4-2. Coney more than made-up for that missed opportunity in the eighth.