WARNER ROBINS -- Jacob Giles was in control throughout Wednesday’s semifinal game against West Virginia in the Little League Southeastern Regional tournament.
The entire Georgia team was in control, really.
Behind Giles’ 11 strikeouts and his four-hit effort on the mound, Georgia won 7-0 to advance to Friday’s championship game.
“I was just throwing strikes and hitting my spots,” Giles said. “I felt good out there the whole game with the way I was pitching.”
He had to feel good after his teammates got him two runs in the first inning to get out to an early lead.
In the inning, Georgia had a hit and was helped by two West Virginia errors. The first run came home when Jordan Hampton walked to score Logan Arnett, and then Austin Burnette came up with a fielder’s choice to score Jake Fromm to make it 2-0.
“That really helps to have some runs on the board behind you when you got out there on the mound,” Giles said. “It helps you settle down and be comfortable.”
Georgia added two more runs in the fourth to expand its lead.
Burnette was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and he moved to second base on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Evan Lasseter. Logan Williams had a single to center field to score Burnette to make it 3-0, and Fromm added a single to center field to score Logan Morris.
In the sixth, Georgia blew open the game with three more runs.
Dillon Toms reached on an error to start the inning and scored when Fromm ripped a ground shot to the right-center field fence for a triple. Trey Odom made it 6-0 with a ground-rule double to right-center to score Fromm. And Hampton completed the scoring when he reached on an error that allowed Odom to score from second base.
Georgia finished with seven hits and was helped by four West Virginia errors.
“Coach Philip (Johnson) is always saying to jump on them early and get an early lead,” Fromm said. “We were able to do that, and that made us a lot more comfortable. We’re playing great, and we’re playing with a lot of confidence.”
That started Wednesday with Giles.
He had a strikeout to start the game and finished it without another one. In between, he had two in the second and struck out the side in the fourth.
“We feel great (about being in the championship game),” Fromm said. “We just have to go out there and continue to play good baseball.”
