Wed., 4/23: DH, Game #1. The RHHS Wildcats (17-12) made the 5-hour road trip to Cherokee County, and took on the State's #1 ranked baseball team, the Etowah High School Eagles (28-2). The first pitch of game one in the doubleheader was weather delayed for about 3.5 to 4 hours. And as a visiting team, the ability to stay motivated and focused to come out in the top of the 1st and put 2 runs on the board. Well that's impressive. The fact that your starting pitcher had to get up, at least twice, and get mentally and physically prepared to pitch the biggest in his live, is comparable to a Herculean Feat. Pluff is to be commended. However, the Eagles won both games, 6-5 and 7-1, but not without a scare from the scrappy Cats! In game #1, Senior, Aiden Pluff, pitched another masterpiece and gave the Eagles all they wanted. Pluff struck out 12 and only gave up 3 earned runs, in 6.2 innings of work. Eli Howard came in and pitched the rest. The Cats jumped on the Eagles with 2 runs in the top the 1st, and the Eagles came right back with 2 in the bottom. In the top of the 2nd, the Cats struck again, with a 2-run blast from Junior, catcher, Grant Wagner, that traveled over the left-field fence, that is still going! Senior, centerfielder, Lee Johnson, followed with his own bomb over the fence, that is still yet to be found! In the next 4 innings the Eagles were shut out, however, the Cats missed a couple scoring opportunities, with 2 close calls at the plate, with one being a suicide squeeze bunt. In the bottom of the 7th, the Cats gave up a couple base on balls, coupled with a few errors, and spotted the Eagles 3 runs to tie it up, and send it to extra innings. The Eagles scored 1 in the 8th and it was over, 6-5. The Cats out hit the Eagles 11-7, but unfortunately, led in BB's, 4-0, and errors, 6-2. Johnson was 3-4, with a double, and 2 RBI's, Pluff was 2-4, with a double, and senior, Jaxson Wagner, was 2-3, with a double. The #1 starting pitcher for the Eagles, Mathew Sharman, is also acknowledged for hanging in there and pitching a complete game.
Wed., April 23:. DH, Game #2. The Wildcats were the home team in game #2, and the results were much the same. The Eagles added 5 runs in the 4th inning and ended with a win, 7-1. Much like game #1, the Cats outhit the opponent, 8-7, but also led in errors, 1-0, and BB's, 8-3. Seniors, Colby Tanner and Connor Gilkey, led the Wildcats at the plate. Tanner was 2-2, with the only run batted in, and Gilkey was, 2-2. Eli Howard, Noah Stone, Landon Walker, and Jeffrey Nielson each pitched for RHHS. Howard struck out 1, in 1.1 innings, Stone struck out 4, in 3.2, Walker struck out 3, in 1.2, and Nielson struck out 1, in 0.1 innings. The starting pitcher for Etowah HS, in game 2 of the doubleheader, Jackson Rose, did an outstanding job!
RHHS Head Baseball Coach, Hill Thomas, commented this morning, just after the DH ended: "Couldn't be prouder of this group. Their resiliency, composer, connection, and love for each other is special. Always tough when a season ends, especially with a good group, but our guys made sure to represent Richmond Hill to the highest standard and never stop competing. This senior class has solidified the foundation, in which, our program will reap benefits from for years to come.
I spoke to Legendary Etowah Head Coach, Greg Robinson, “G-Rob”, Friday, April 25, after practice, as the Eagles prepare for their round 2 opponent, Carrollton HS, April 29-30. Coach Robinson, a 30-year high school veteran baseball coach, with 2 GHSA State Championships, and over 450 high school wins, was very impressed with the team Coach Hill has put together in just 3 short years.
“Coach Hill had his team well prepared for us Wednesday, and in that first game, it could have easily gone their way. They earned it. Pluff pitched as well as anyone we’ve seen all year long. He has a future somewhere. And the bats that Hill has coached up are strong. Our #1 pitcher hasn’t been hit that hard all year.”
Coach “G-Rob”, asked me more than once, “where are Pluff and Wagner going to be playing next year?” I told him, “Not sure about Pluff, but we have Wagner one more year.” Coach Robinson has helped over 100 players move on to the next level to play in college and professionally.
Robinson continued: "Here’s my 2-cents from years of High School Athletics, specifically, Baseball. In especially playoff baseball, the little things can hurt you, or help you. And baseball is truly, "a game of inches". A pitched ball, an inch or two, outside/inside/low/high, a batted ball that goes just under/over the glove, or a throw to a base that is a nanosecond late, can ALL cost you a base, resulting into a run. And a good playoff team, "You just can't give, especially a playoff team, extra outs"!"
Allen Cox is a contributor for the Bryan County News.
