 | | | 5/28/2008 12:01:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | | STATE BASEBALL FINALS | Friday's doubleheaders
Class AAAAA
Walton at Brookwood, 5 p.m.
Class AA
Lovett at Wesleyan, 4 p.m.
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Broncos get Walton in finals
By Carlton D. White
Staff Correspondent
VALDOSTA - Walton didn't have any questions about its pitching staff entering the deciding contest of its best-of-three Class AAAAA state semifinal series against Valdosta, and the Raiders had plenty of answers for the Wildcats' aces.
Walton scored 10 runs off eight hits and capitalized on eight walks and two Valdosta errors to pull away for a 10-4 victory Tuesday at Bazemore Field.
The Raiders improved to 27-9 and begin the final step in defense of its 2007 state championship Friday at Brookwood. Game 1 of the series is set for 5 p.m. at the Dave Hunter Complex, followed by Game 2 later that evening. A third and deciding game, if necessary, would be at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The Broncos, ranked in the top 10 in the nation in three different national polls, swept North Cobb on Monday to advance to the finals. The Raiders fell 9-2 to Brookwood in their only meeting March 17 in Snellville.
"We played (Brookwood) at the beginning of the year when we didn't have all of our stuff together," said Walton's Ryan Mitzel, who finished 1-for-2 on the day with two RBIs. "We're a different team at the end of the year and we're playing a lot better now."
Spencer Kieboom went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Alex Sherrod was 1-for-3 with three RBIs, Billy Burns was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Cory Reed was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
"I like our chances in a three-game series," Walton coach Shane Amos said. "When we came out, the bats woke up and we took advantage of some of their mistakes. We got some runners on base and got some key hits when we needed them."
Things began to unravel in the third inning for Wildcats starting pitcher Taylor Prain, who faced eight batters in the frame and pitched a total of 31⁄3 innings, giving up four runs.
Prain issued two singles and three walks in the inning as the Raiders took a 2-0 lead behind a bases-loaded walk of Sherrod and RBI single from Kieboom. Prain would get out of the bases-loaded jam after forcing two straight outs.
Prain was chased from the game after Mitzel led off with a walk and Reed went to first after getting hit by a pitch. Both players would later score behind Sherrod's RBI double off reliever Earl Daniels, and Kieboom's sacrifice fly plated Burns to give Walton a 5-0 advantage.
"We knew they didn't have any pitching coming in (Tuesday)," Mitzel said. "So, we were really confident about that because our guys are solid and we knew we had a lot of relief pitchers. We just had to take advantage of our opportunities."
Valdosta finally got to starting pitcher Kyle Putkonen (8-1) in the sixth as the Raiders tallied four runs to close the gap to 7-4. Putkonen loaded the bases to start the inning before Daniels drew an RBI walk and Kyle Rowe hit a two-run double to make it 7-3. Reliever Josh Dew then came to the mound and allowed an RBI sacrifice fly to Turner before retiring the side.
Eight Walton batters came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and scored three more runs in the inning. Mitzel's RBI single plated Pete Signoretti and Evan Hendricks and Reed singled in Mark Pope to give the Raiders a 10-4 cushion heading into the top of the seventh.
After allowing Prain to reach base on an error, Sherrod induced a double play on Cameron Cain and struck out Galen Smith, setting up a celebration on the mound as the Raiders charged the field.
"I can't describe the feeling," Mitzel said about Walton playing for another state title. "Last year's state championship was incredible and this year we have a chance to defend our title. We came out last year and won it and this time we're going to come out there and try to win it again."
Walton's championship-round matchup against Brookwood should set up a much anticipated final as the defending state champion takes on the No. 1 team in the state. Amos is confident about his team's chances, but he also knows how talented Brookwood is.
"We're going to have to go down there, but now we're familiar with them," Amos said. "They're a good team and they're not sitting there ranked No. 1 in the nation for nothing. They do a lot of good things. We're going to have to go down there and be ready to play."
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Saturday, August 02, 2008 
