Gray Collegiate’s Brent Stukes went 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs including a bases clearing double in the fourth that scored three runs. Photos by Mike Maddock
The Gray Collegiate War Eagles staved off elimination by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to come away with a 6-4 win over the Andrew Jackson Volunteers Tuesday, May 24 in Game 2 of the 2A baseball state championship series.
“A lot of times it’s been us coming back in the fifth, sixth, or seventh innings,” Gray Collegiate head coach Charlie Assey Sr. said. “We haven’t had to come back a lot of times the way we had to tonight. I was trying to mess up their timing by throwing a slow lefty to start the game. That strategy didn’t work very well. Austin Lloyd did a phenomenal job. The best part is we have him coming back for another year.”
Andrew Jackson struck quickly in the top of the first beginning with a single by Bryce Helms. Landon Peavy followed with a two-run home run over the left field fence for a 2-0 Volunteers lead.
Gray responded in the bottom of the inning when Savion Smith led off with a single. Three batters later, Gavin Creede singled scoring Smith to trim the deficit to 2-1.
Gray Collegiate’s Austin Lloyd pitched 5- and-1/3 innings giving up two runs on two hits while striking out six batters.
The score held until the bottom of the fourth when Blaine Redmond tied the game blasted a solo home run over the left field fence. Austin Lloyd and Bryce Williamson drew walks, and Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Then Brent Stukes hit a double to right center field scoring all three runners to give Gray a 5-2 lead.
“I was trying to do some damage,” Stukes said. “I was trying to score some runs. With the bases loaded, it was a good situation.”
Peyton Starkey followed by slicing a double to left center field scoring Stukes and increasing the lead to 6-2.
“For one time it came around and we put together back-to-back-to-back hits, and we haven’t done that in a long time,” Assey Sr. said. “It just came at the right time. I don’t know if their pitcher got tired. Stukes’s double into the gap was huge. It all just came together.”
Andrew Jackson answered in the top of the sixth. Skyler Hegler and Fuller Sims drew walks and Jackson Madden was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Brady Williams was then hit by a pitch, scoring pinch runner Joaquin Espinoza and shrinking the deficit to 6-3.
Two batters later Helms drew a walk scoring Sims to close the gap to 6-4, but that was as close as the Vounteers would get.
After falling into a 2-0 hole, Assey Sr. brought in Austin Lloyd in the first inning in to relieve Gavin Creede. Lloyd steadied the ship for the War Eagles pitching 5-and-1/3 innings giving up two runs on two hits while striking out six batters.
“Coach Assey told me to do my job and get through as many as I could,” Lloyd said. “I came out and threw strikes. My curve ball was hitting the corners, and my fast ball was working too.”
“I told him to hold things where they were,” Assey Sr. said. “At that time there weren’t any outs. We still had to play 21 outs. That’s been another motto for our guys: ‘the other team has to have more runs and get us out 21 times to win a game.’ Tonight we had to get 21 outs and we did.”
London Spires pitched the final 1-and-1/3 innings giving up no runs or hits while striking out two batters.
Brent Stukes led the War Eagles at the plate going 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Blaine Redmond went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a home run. Gavin Creede went 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Peyton Starkey went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
With the win, Gray Collegiate has forced a deciding Game 3 which will be played Saturday, May 28 at Francis Marion University beginning at 6 p.m.
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