Whether it was the pro ballpark dimensions, the bouncy infield surface or the three-hour weather delay between games, Gordon Lee coach Mike Dunfee didn’t recognize his baseball team during Friday’s doubleheader to start the best-of-three series that will determine the GHSA Class A Division I champion.
That the top-seeded Trojans, who are seeking to repeat, managed a split with the hungry Vidalia Indians at Synovus Park in Columbus is something the veteran coach was thankful for, despite Gordon Lee managing just five hits and committing seven errors.
“Today was just uncharacteristic for this team,” Dunfee said in a phone interview after the 3-2 win in 10 innings in game one and the 10-0 run-rule loss in five innings in game two. “If you don’t swing it, you can’t win it. It’s 400 (feet to) dead center, and our guys were taking daddy swings. They were chasing pitches all day. In this park, you have to hit line drives and just put it in play, which is what Vidalia did.
“Our defense wasn’t as good as it has been all year long, for whatever reason. You’ve got to make the plays, and we just didn’t.”
The decisive matchup between Gordon Lee (37-3) and Vidalia (31-12) is set for noon Saturday at the home of the Columbus Clingstones, who are a minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and compete in the Class AA Southern League that includes the Chattanooga Lookouts.
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The Indians jumped out to 2-0 leads in both games after the first inning. The difference was Maddox Millard and Kaden Ellis didn’t allow another run in the last nine innings of game one.
Millard gave up five hits in seven innings, two of them coming in the same first inning when an error led to one of the two runs. After that, the senior had just one more stressful inning, striking out two batters with runners at second and third with one out in the third.
Vidalia senior ace Veer Patel, who was handled by the Trojans in last year’s semifinal round that also was affected by bad weather, was dominant for seven of his eight innings. The right-hander allowed just three hits and struck out 16 batters.
Gordon Lee, though, managed to break through in the fifth when Colt Wood walked with one out, stole second and scored on Millard’s bloop single to right. Courtesy runner Landon Creswell stole second, and Peyton Groce singled him home to tie the game at two.
The Trojans, with Patel replaced by Henry Adams, had a chance to win in the ninth but left the bases loaded after getting three walks. The wildness caught up to Adams in the 10th, when his three walks loaded the bases and he hit Braxton Daniel with a pitch to bring home the winning run.
Moments later, the skies opened up, causing the lengthy delay ahead of the scheduled first pitch for the second game.
“I mean, it affected both teams,” Dunfee said. “But it gave them more time to recoup and forget about that first game. I wish it had started 30 minutes after. Their hitters did a great job adjusting, and our guys didn’t.”
Game two’s start was a nightmare for the Trojans, with three errors and another play that could have been made resulting in two early runs.
It was still 2-0 in the bottom of the third when the Indians erupted for eight runs on four hits — two when the Trojans could have made plays — two hit batters, three walks and one official error. The catalyst was a sacrifice bunt attempt with two on and no outs that went for a hit when no one covered first base.
That led to an RBI walk and Eion Ryals’ two-run single to make it 5-0, ending the day for Gordon Lee starter Dustin Day and leading to the quick ending of the game shortly thereafter.
(READ MORE: Confident, efficient Gordon Lee pitchers take aim at title repeat)
“It all comes down to one game, so this is bonus baseball,” Dunfee said. “I got them in the hallway after it was done, and I told them: ‘This is the last opportunity you get to play together. You’ve got one game. It’s not about the ring; you can throw it in the river. It’s about the memories. You get one more chance to play together, so give it all you’ve got.’
“It’s going to be a battle tomorrow.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.