Jonathan Brand turned out to be a bit of a one-man wrecking crew for Columbus. The senior and East Georgia commit, according to the school’s baseball website, hit a towering homerun in Game 1 of the team’s Class AAAA state tournament best two-out-of-three against Perry Friday. That proved to be the only run scored – it coming in the fifth – in the Blue Devils’ 1-0 win. He then pitched six strong innings in the nightcap as Columbus won 7-1, eliminated the Panthers and moved on to the second round.
Perhaps the worst part about that homerun was it was pretty much the only mistake the Panthers’ John Micah Law made in his six innings of work. Law gave up eight hits. Three innings – the first, fourth and fifth – he gave up two hits in an inning, but minus the long ball, worked out of all. He also didn’t walk a batter while striking out five.
The bottom line is he pitched good enough to win, and probably would have it not for the fact he was matched up against another good pitcher in Trent Grantham. Grantham, who according to their website is committed to Columbus State, pitched seven strong innings. He gave up four hits – set Perry down in order in the first and second – while striking out 12 and walking one.
The Panthers did put together a pair of singles in the fifth – the first time they managed to get a runner in scoring position – but a ground out eliminated that threat.
Grantham easily could have made his case for “one-man wrecking crew” as he also went 3-4 in game two (1-3 in Game 1), while driving in three.
Columbus, the “visiting” team in that game, scored three in the first. Perry answered that when Law (1-2) walked with an out in the books. Jacob Hunt (0-3) then reached on an error and Clayton Davis (1-2 with a walk) singled to load the bases.
Seth Creamer (1-3) then singled to bring in Law. The Panthers might have done more, but Hunt was thrown out at the plate on the same play and the next hitter was struck out.
Columbus put up two more runs in the third and two more in the seventh. Perry left one on in the second, but went in order in the third, fourth and fifth. It got the leadoff hitter on in the sixth – Law with his single – and with an out a second runner on via Davis’ walk, but a double play eliminated that threat.
Beau Bryant also walked with one out in the seventh, but another double play brought that to an abrupt end, as well as the game and the Panthers’ season – a productive 16-13 one under first year Head Coach Tim Hutchens.
[pt_view id=”0f5f4a1yl7″]
