BEARVILLE — Jonathan Stone drove in three runs to back the combined two-hit shutout of Christian Osbourne and Kolton Brogdon leading Pierce County to a 7-0 victory here Wednesday in taking Game 1 of the “Elite 8” best-of-three series with Callaway.
Stone (1-for-3) drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and added a two-run double in the second as the Bears jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
Osbourne twirled five innings, allowing both hits—a two-out single in the third and a one-out single in the fourth. He fanned one, walked four and hit two batters in his 68-pitch outing.
Brogdon worked two innings of hitless ball, retiring six of seven batters on 21 pitches. He recorded two strikeouts, walked one and uncorked a wild pitch.
The top-seeded Bears (30-3), making their third quarterfinals appearance in five years and 14th overall, stretched their record winning streak to 23 games while tying the school mark for victories. The 2012 team set the mark during a 30-9 run to the championship series vs. Appling County. The 2022 team tied the mark, going 30-6, falling in the semifinals to Redan.
Callaway (22-14) was making its seventh appearance in 11 years in the quarterfinals and first since 2022. The Cavaliers reached four consecutive quarterfinals from 2018-22.
Osbourne wiggled his way out of first inning trouble of his own doing. He walked the leadoff batter, hit the next batter on the ensuing pitch and issued a one-out walk loading the bases.
The right-hander got the fifth-place batter to hit a chopper to third baseman Chance Williams, who stepped on third and threw across the diamond for the inning-ending double play.
The Bears, who entered ranked No. 1 in MaxPreps, No. 2 in ScoreAtlanta and 11th overall for all classifications by MaxPreps, scored the only runs they would need in the bottom of the inning.
Williams (3-for-3) lined a leadoff single and stole second ahead of a walk to Beck Hodges (1for-3). Jack McClellan (3-for-4) dropped down a perfect bunt loading the bases with nobody out.
Stone’s ensuing walk plated Williams and ended the afternoon for the Cavs’ Jax Campbell just four batters in. Campbell was one of three pitchers Callaway used to record the first six outs of the game.
Reliever Brennan Swanson walked the first batter he faced, Dylan Johnson, forcing home Hodges for a 2-0 lead. A 5-2-3 double play grounder was followed by a groundout, limiting Pierce County’s damage.
PCHS broke the game open with a four-run second scoring after two outs and nobody on base.
Williams kept the inning alive with an infield hit and error, allowing him to slide safely into second. Hodges ripped a double to left-center, scoring Williams for a 30 advantage.
McClelland reached on an infield hit in the hole between short and third. Stone followed ripping a two-run double down the leftfield line. Stone continued onto third when the ball was mishandled in the infield and scored when the throw to third skipped away, doubling the advantage to 6-0.
The Bears left the bases loaded in the third inning. Osbourne (1-for-3) legged out an infield hit. After courtesy runner Garrett Stevenson advanced to second on Bryson Smith’s sacrifice bunt, consecutive walks to Grayson Arington and Williams loaded the bases.
Callaway escaped, turning its second double play of the game.
Osbourne worked his way out of a second bases loaded situation in the fourth. A one-out single and consecutive two-out walks loaded the bases for the Cavs before the third out was recorded.
PCHS scored its final run in the fourth. Johnson’s two-out walk kept the inning moving. Brantley Willis (1-for-4) followed with a firstpitch, run-scoring single with Johnson speeding around the bases to score for a 7-0 advantage.
Callaway didn’t threaten over the final three innings, leaving a runner at first in the fifth and another at first in the sixth. The Cavaliers went in order in the seventh.
