Tattnall Square sweeps Mount Paran in first round
The Mount Paran baseball team traveled to Tattnall Square on Friday for the first round of the GHSA Class A Private School playoffs with an 18-8 record and a team batting average of well above .300.
It left Tattnall Square six hours later after losing a doubleheader to the Trojans 7-2 and 11-2. Cory Bartholomew shook off a shaky second inning to hold Mount Paran to only four hits in the first game, while Garrett Houston allowed only three hits in six innings in the second game to lead the way for Tattnall.
FOUR WHO MATTERED
Bartholomew: The senior right-hander battled through the heat in the second inning when he surrendered two runs. But as usual, the USC-Upstate signee continued to battle and was at his best at the end of the game. He struck out six and pitched shutout baseball after the second inning.
Houston: The junior was every bit as good as Bartholomew and set the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning. He also drove in four runs in the two games.
Luke Laskey: The No. 9 hitter in Tattnall’s order blasted a long two-run homer in the first game to give the Trojans a comfortable 7-2 lead.
Austin Marchman: The No. 8 hitter in Tattnall’s order hit a grand slam in the second game, which was the key blow in the Trojans’ six-run fourth inning.
OBSERVATIONS
Pitching wins games: Mount Paran’s leadoff hitter Taylor Trammell has signed with Georgia Tech, but he was hitless in five at-bats, although he did draw three walks.
THEY SAID IT
Tattnall head coach Joey Hiller on the team’s power: “It’s a confidence builder for everyone when our entire lineup is swinging the bat and those guys gave us a huge boost on Friday. When we are hitting all the way through the lineup we are a very dangerous team.”
Hiller on his pitchers: “Cory battled the entire game, and he is our senior leader, and we had faith that he would get things going. I really don’t worry about him too much because I know what he is going to give us every game he is on the mound. Garrett just throws strikes, and he gave us another great outing. Sooner or later someone is going to force us to a third game, but we have guys that we feel are ready to step up.”
Bartholomew on his outing: “I struggled early and my curve, and really everything else was just average. But I know this team is going to put runs in the board so I know how important it is for me to keep grinding and get the job done.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Tattnall Square hosts Eagle’s Landing starting Wednesday.
This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 11:57 PM with the headline "Tattnall Square sweeps Mount Paran in first round."