Allatoona Swept from Baseball Playoffs

couldn’t hold a four-run lead in the second game of a doubleheader at Thomson on Tuesday night, losing the game and the AAA quarterfinal playoff series in extra innings to end the Buccaneers’ season.

Thomson’s Jesse Usry hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score at 4, according to the recap at GameChanger, then hit a two-out single off Lucas Brown in the eighth to give the second-ranked Bulldogs a 5-4 win and a spot in the Georgia High School Association semifinals next week against defending champion Columbus or West Laurens.

The Bucs, ranked fourth in the state, threatened to extend the game when AJ Hart led off the bottom of the eighth with a double, but he never got any farther, according to the Allatoona baseball website.

Isaiah Aluko’s RBI single and Nick Hall’s three-run homer gave Allatoona a 4-0 lead in the third inning, but Thomson scored two runs in the fifth and solo runs in the sixth and seventh against Bucs starting pitcher Michael Royal.

Royal had eight strikeouts and three walks in his seven innings of work, according to the GameChanger recap.

Bulldogs starter Phillip Anderson pitched a complete game, shutting down the Bucs over the final five innings, to prevent the Bucs from forcing a third game today in the best-of-three series, the Augusta Chronicle reported.

The high-scoring Bulldogs outhit the Bucs, 11-6, GameChanger reported. Juniors Hall and Marlon Melendez each had two hits for Allatoona.

It was the final game for Allatoona seniors Aluko, Elliot Blakes, Jason Johnston, Wes Joines, Jack Morris and Bryce Richey, who helped the team reached the state’s Elite Eight in its third year. The Bucs shared the Region 7-AAA title with Cartersville and Ringgold and finished the season 27-7.

The first game Tuesday lacked any of the excitement of the nightcap. Helped by five Allatoona errors, Thomson won 12-2, ending the game an inning early on the 10-run rule.

Thomson had 12 hits and scored in every inning except the fifth. After Allatoona cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the third inning, the Bulldogs blew open the game with three runs in the third off starting pitcher Clate Schmidt and five in the fourth off relievers Tyler Ayres and Jason Johnston, GameChanger reported.

The 27-2 Bulldogs got three-run home runs from Dontavis “Juicy” Brown and Nick Rau, the Chronicle said. The highlights for Allatoona were two hits each from Hall and Austin Rogers.