ROCKMART — Rockmart, the No. 2 seed in the Class AA playoffs, received two complete game performances ending third-seed Pierce County’s season here Tuesday with a sweep in the semifinals.
The Region 7 champion Yellowjackets (31-5), winners of 15 in a row entering the matchup, scored the final five runs after PCHS (26-10) grabbed a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth en route to an 8-4 victory in the May 13 Game 1 series opener ending the Bears’ seven-game winning streak.
Rockmart scored a run in the top of the seventh inning breaking a scoreless pitching duel in Game 2 to win 1-0.
The Yellowjackets face 12thseed Franklin County, who finished fourth in Region 8, in the best-of-three championship series at AdventHealth Stadium in Rome Wednesday, May 21 in a doubleheader. An “if” game is scheduled for Thursday, May 22.
Franklin County (28-10) knocked off top-seed Morgan County (31-8) winning the final two games after dropping Game 1 10-7. The Lions forced an “if” game with a 2-1 victory and followed up with a 9-5 decision.
Rockmart has won 30 of its last 33 games. During their current 17-game winning streak, the Yellowjackets’ pitching staff has allowed 18 runs and twirled 10 shutouts.
PCHS, which lost for the second time in three years in the semifinals after winning in its first three such appearances (1994, 2012, 2017), was 6-0 through the first three rounds with five shutouts.
Game 1 No. 2 Rockmart ...............8 No. 3 Bears......................4
Rockmart responded to the Bears’ two-run top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead with a three-run rally in the bottom half of the frame en route to the win.
Yellowjacket starter Hunter Atkins (7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 7 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) retired six of PCHS’s final seven batters over the final two innings surrendering a two-out hit to Dylan Johnson (2-for-3) in the seventh inning.
Rockmart struck for a run in the first and two in the third inning to build a 3-0 lead against Emmitt Hall (6 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 3 HBP).
The Bears stranded two runners in the first getting a one-out single by Jones Herrin (3-for-4) and a walk to Jonathan Stone (1-for-3). Atkins got a pop up and a strikeout, the first of four straight, to wiggle out of the jam.
Hall hit the Yellowjackets leadoff batter and then surrendered a 10-pitch (six fouls) single. Consecutive fielder’s choices followed scoring the lead runner for a 1-0 lead.
After stranding a runner in the second, Rockmart opened the third with four consecutive singles, the last two plating a run apiece for a 3-0 lead.
Johnson opened Pierce County’s two-run fourth with a single. Jake McClellan was hit two pitches later followed by Dylan Figueroa’s first-pitch sacrifice bunt advancing both runners into scoring position.
Following a walk to Garrett Stevenson loading the bases, Beck Hodges’ ensuing grounder was booted allowing Johnson to score. Christian Osbourne (1for-3) dropped down a sacrifice bunt plating McClellan pulling the Bears to within 3-2.
Herrin and Stone began the PCHS fifth with base hits. Johnson’s ensuing sacrifice runner moved the runners up 90 feet. Both runners scored when Figueroa’s two-out grounder was thrown away giving the Bears their first lead at 4-3.
Rockmart tied the score in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out single. After a walk and hit batter loaded the bases, a run-scoring single with two outs gave the Yellowjackets a 6-4 lead.
They tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out, run-scoring triple and a passed ball for the final 84 margin.
Game 2 No. 2 Rockmart................1 No. 3 Bears......................0
The Yellowjackets broke up a scoreless pitching duel between Trey Luke and PCHS’s Jaxton Harris with one run in the top of the seventh inning.
Harris (6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 5 BB, 1 HBP) took a two-hit shutout into the last frame. He hit the first batter and gave up a sacrifice bunt.
Herrin (.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP) retired the next batter before three straight Rockmart batters reached. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases.
An infield hit off a 3-2 pitch plated the runner from third with the lone run of the game.
The Yellowjackets, who left 10 on base for the game, stranded five over the first three innings. They left five on during the last two innings.
PCHS left four of their five baserunners over the first two innings leaving the bases loaded in the second against Luke (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP). The Bears had one base runner over the last five innings.
Stone reached on a two-out error in the first inning. McClellan (1-for-3) singled with one out in the second, moved to second when Stevenson was hit by a two-out pitch. Hodges (1-for-1) followed with an eight-pitch walk after falling behind 0-2 to load the bases.
Hodges legged out an infield hit with one-out in the fifth.
