Piedmont, AL – Bulldogs break a six-run rally to lead; eight-run rally take the lead back for good in Game 3 win against Decatur Heritage; Gordo up in the following game
After a poor inning, Piedmont summoned its best Saturday performance and was able to win the next playoff match.
Max Hanson’s two-run homer was the biggest blow the Bulldogs came up with an eight-run seventh inning to win and Piedmont defeated Decatur Heritage 16-8 in Saturday’s Game 3 of their best-of-3 Class 3A second-round series.
The Bulldogs (25-8) will take on Gordo in the quarterfinals next week. series. The game starts at 5 and 7 p.m. at the time of Friday, and at 1 p.m. Saturday If it is necessary.
Piedmont head coach Matt Deerman called Saturday’s Game 3 “an emotional rollercoaster.”
“We were in a good position and then had one bad inning, and a half in which we surrendered an impressive lead, but to our players’ credit they did not give up and kept finding ways to make them feel pressure in the defensive department,” Deerman said. “We had eight runs scored in the seventh inning’s final frame with just two outs.
“Proud of them!” We survived and ascended. It’s what you must do at this time of the year.”
The biggest rally of Piedmont’s occurred following Decatur Heritage hit four times in the 5th and two more in the sixth inning to tie up the game at 8-8.
The Piedmont seventh was highlighted by Cole Wilson’s one-out solo, Cole Austin fielder’s choice Sloan Smith’s single Trevor Pike’s fielder’s choice that scored Austin along with McClane Mohon’s RBI single that scored Smith.
In the throw, runners advanced to reach Smith at the plate Then, Hanson hit a two-run homer. Kale Austin then followed Jack Hayes’ single with an RBI single.
Piedmont scored by balking and a wild pitch, before Cole Wilson delivered his second hit of the rally which was the RBI single.
It wasn’t the sole offensive moment of the game. They scored six runs in the top of the 4th. Bulldogs hit six in the middle of the fourth to secure 7-2 in the advantage.
The rally included Hayes’ RBI single, Austin’s RBI on fielder’s decision, Smith’s RBI single in a squeeze play Pike’s bunt single Mohon’s run-scoring fielder’s decision as well as a balk that was thrown on the bat Smith in Hanson’s RBI single.
All of the 10 Piedmont players who played at least one bat hit at the least. Smith was able to score three, while Mohon, Hanson, Hayes, Wilson and Pike had two hits each. Smith had three. find more sports news stories…]
