If Gordon Lee is to win its third GHSA baseball championship in four years, the Trojans will have to – for the second series in a row – prevail in a winner-take-all game three.
Gordon Lee, the top-ranked team in Class A public, split with Metter on Friday at Grayson Stadium in Savannah in a doubleheader start to a best-of-three title series, with the Trojans winning the opener 7-4 before losing 2-1. Game three is at noon Saturday.
“We just couldn’t put anything together in that second game,” Gordon Lee coach Mike Dunfee said. “We scratched one in the first inning, but their pitcher beared down. He’s their senior pitcher and ace.
“It’s fun. You get one more game with this group. It’s a bonus game, you know. The way I look at it, it gives me one more game with this group.“
The Trojans (36-4), who won titles in 2018 (in Savannah) and 2019 and were ranked No. 1 in 2020 when the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, used a two-run home run from Blake Rodgers and two RBIs from Jacob Neal and Brody Cobb to take game one. Senior ace Jake Poindexter won his last start as a high school player after allowing two runs through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh.
Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Gordon Lee senior Jake Poindexter (27) was the winning pitcher as the Trojans opened their GHSA Class A public school state title series against Metter with a 7-4 victory Friday in Savannah. However, Metter won the second game of the doubleheader 2-1 to force a deciding third game that is set for noon Saturday.The Tigers (28-9), after two quick outs, loaded the bases and scored a run on a walk, forcing Dunfee to bring in sophomore Brodie Genter with the tying run at the plate. Genter, after uncorking a wild pitch to make it 7-4, ended the game by getting Kaliq Jordan to fly out to center.
“He was getting tired, and his pitch count was getting up,” Dunfee said. “It gave another kid experience in a crazy atmosphere, and it wasn’t too much for Genter and he was able to close the game.”
Game two started well for Gordon Lee as leadoff hitter Nate Dunfee singled and stole second before Cobb’s two-out single plated the Trojans’ lone run. Metter pitcher Brian Crooms did not allow a hit the rest of the way in a complete game, striking out 10 batters while working around six walks.
“We had one bad inning,” Coach Dunfee said. “Bo pitched well. He left a pitch up on a kid, and we had an error. Jake and Bo did their jobs today. We just couldn’t put much together offensively.”
Metter managed only four hits against Gordon Lee starter Bo Rhudy, but an error and some aggressive baserunning by the Tigers in the third inning cost the sophomore right-hander. Reese Hadden singled with one out, and after Rhudy recorded a strikeout, he stole second base.
John Glanton stroked an RBI single to center to tie the game and took second on the throw to home. Ruston Rigdon then reached on an error, scoring pinch-runner Randon Rigdon with the go-ahead run.
Rhudy, who struck out nine and did not walk a batter, allowed only two baserunners the rest of the way.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.