ROME, Ga. - They were just three of the 14 innings played in Thursday's GHSA Class A public school baseball championship series - the first three, in fact - but they played a very large part in Gordon Lee's demise.
The Trojans, who at times struggled to score runs during the season, missed out on three early opportunities against top-ranked Schley County at State Mutual Stadium, and it cost them dearly. The Wildcats, on the other hand, recorded several timely hits in a 6-0 win in game one.
Game two had very little drama as Schley capitalized on an infield error and errant Gordon Lee pitching to complete the sweep, 12-3, winning the program's second title in three years.
"The first three innings we had six baserunners on and couldn't get the big hit, but they did," Gordon Lee coach Mike Dunfee said. "Scoring is contagious, you know. If we had gotten a couple of hits and scored some runs it could have changed the whole day, but we didn't. Their pitchers bore down and their defense made some plays when they had to."
Gordon Lee (27-8) started quickly, getting a leadoff single from Mason Pettigrew and an out later having runners on third and first when Noah Peterson reached on an error. Peterson then stole second, but leading hitter Dylan Minghini struck out looking on a breaking pitch from Schley's Will Barry that appeared to hit the dirt behind home plate. Barry then struck out Caleb Hopkins on a high fastball to end the first threat.
The Trojans had runners on second and first with two out in the second, but Pettigrew's line drive was hit right at center fielder Reid Ragsdale.
Schley (34-2) did not miss out in the third inning against Gordon Lee starter Austin Thompson. After the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out, Chase Patrick's hard ground ball was muffed, with two runs scoring.
The Trojans again threatened in the third, getting a leadoff single by Ethan Clark and eventually having runners on third and second with one out. However, Barry induced Hopkins to pop out and retired Thompson on a grounder, sending the frustrated players back to the dugout shaking their heads.
"It definitely didn't come out the way we wanted it," junior catcher Minghini said. "In the first game we had runners on, but we just didn't do our jobs. We got behind, and it's tough to come back against a good team. We just didn't execute like we needed to, and that's very frustrating."
Schley still led 2-0 into the fifth, when the Wildcats broke the game open after a leadoff single and outfield error. Barry and Clint Sellars had back-to-back doubles to bring in three runs, with Sellars scoring the fourth on another Gordon Lee error.
Barry, a converted outfielder who had never pitched before this season, stranded two runners again in the fifth and sixth innings before giving way to Sellars, who retired the Trojans in order in the seventh.
"We had three guys pitch for us last year that have moved onto college ball this year, so everybody believed that was where we would be weak this year," Schley coach Chuck Cheek said. "Will had never pitched for us, so to do what he's done is tremendous, and today he was great again and battled through some tough innings."
The Wildcats exploited Gordon Lee mistakes again in game two. Senior pitcher Ethan Clark struggled with command and it cost him, as did a third-inning error.
Clark allowed a one-out single, hit a batter and walked one to load the bases in the first inning before Wade Law's single quickly had Schley up 2-0. In the second inning, a two-out dropped popup extended the inning and allowed Barry to drill a two-run double to center for a 4-0 lead.
Gordon Lee finally got untracked in the third, with Peterson and Minghini lining RBI doubles off Schley ace Patrick, but the bottom half became too much to overcome.
Clark hit the leadoff batter and walked two to load the bases with one out, bringing the top of the Schley lineup back around. Ragsdale drove home one with a single and Patrick another with a groundout. Barry and Sellars walked, ending Clark's day, and things got worse when Law greeted reliever Jake Wright with a two-run double.
Six runs had scored, and the Trojans' hopes of ending a three-decade championship drought were nearly over.
"I'm super proud of the kids, and to just make it here is outstanding," Dunfee said. "I know they wanted it badly, but they gritted it out through some tough times to make it here. It's a blessing to me to be a part of this community and this baseball team."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.