Redan baseball falls in state championship

Redan High School finished as the runner up in the GHSA Baseball 3A State Championship that was played May 23-24 at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, after Pike County high School beat the Redan Raiders 6-4, 0-2, 5-4 in a best of three series.  

The series was a back-and-forth affair with both teams stealing momentum and going on runs in each game. Despite the loss, head coach Alexander Wyche said the season was a success for the players and the program.

“It was really a hell of a season for the guys. They fought until the end,” said Wyche. “It’s great. I think the last 20 or 30 years, they’ve only been there twice. Won it in 2013 and made it this year. It’s a blessing to get here and took a lot of luck and a lot of hard playing.”

The first game saw a high scoring fourth inning from Pike County put the game out of reach for Redan, the second game saw a dominant pitching performance from Redan’s Anthony Mateo, and the third game was neck-and-neck from start to finish.

“You can’t really ask for anything better than ending in game three at Coolray for the state championship. We didn’t win it, but it was a hell of a season,” added Wyche.

In the third game, Redan was first to score after a wild pitch from Pike County gave way to Jason Avila crossing home plate for his first run of the day. However, Pike County stranded two Redan runners on base – leaving points on the board for the Raiders. The Raiders repeated the mistake in the third inning.

“It was a tough game,” said Wyche. “The first game and the third game we had a lot of runners on and left a lot of runners stranded. We had some self-inflicted wounds in both of those games [Pike] won. We feel like we were the better team and played better, but the game of baseball is tough. We didn’t capitalize when we had opportunities.”

In the fourth inning, a hectic sequence gave way to a 2-0 lead for Redan after Bernard Moon beat a throw out to third base. The close call caused an argument between Pike County’s coaching staff and the officiating crew that got a Pike County coach ejected.

Shortly after the ejection, Moon crossed home to extend Redan’s lead to 2-0.

Redan didn’t hang onto its lead for much longer, as the Pike Pirates also scored its first run on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly then tied the game for Pike County, and the Pirates followed with a double that scored a run and gave Pike County a 3-2 lead.

Deniel Ortiz tied the game for Redan during the Raiders’ next at bat when Ortiz hit a ground ball single that scored Avila.

Moon then took over for Ortiz on the mound during Pike County’s next at bat — Ortiz went the first six innings only giving up three runs on three hits.

Redan couldn’t haul in a fly ball and Pike County took a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning after runners on first and third scored. Moon caught a line drive to end the inning on his second batter.

To start the seventh inning, Redan got Ortiz on with a walk and Moon sent him to third with a double. Ortiz scored on a sacrifice from Manolo Parcel, but the Raiders couldn’t score another runner after. Mateo, who ended his pitching performance in game two by forcing a fly ball, was the last out of the game on a pop fly in foul territory. 

Game Two: Redan 2, Pike County 0

In game two, Mateo pitched a two-hit shutout to power Redan to a 2-0 win that forced game three.

“Mateo had a hell of a year. Undefeated though the regular season and the though the playoffs as well. You can’t ask for anything better,” said Wyche.

Mateo pitched all seven innings for the Raiders and—if not for a bad call at first base—the Redan pitcher would have thrown a no-hitter through the first seven innings. He set the Pirates’ batters down in order three times — coming in the third, fifth and sixth innings. 

Mateo gave up his only hit before the seventh inning on a bunt by Pike County’s Braden Osbolt in the top of the fourth inning. He would not allow another hit until the seventh inning on a two-out hit by Kaleb Hammond. Mateo finished the game with nine strikeouts.

Mateo ended the game with a high fly ball to center field that was hauled in by Avila to close out the win. 

The Raiders gave Mateo the only two runs he needed in the bottom of the third when Pike County’s Osbolt–who was on the way to a 10-strikeout night on the mound–hit a bump in the road. 

Avila hit a short pop over the infield that ended up as a double after both infielders left second uncovered. Then, Redan slugger Eyon Everett hit a ball into center field to score Avila and put the Raiders up 1-0. 

Two batters later, Moon hit a bullet over the Pirates’ center fielder for an RBI double to make it 2-0. 

Game One: Pike County 6, Redan 4 

Pike County beat Redan in game one behind a fourth inning that saw the Pirates score five runs, despite Redan only surrendered four hits in the game.

Redan took an early 2-0 lead in game after a bunt single from Adriel Martinez scored both runs thanks to a throwing error from Pike County. 

Two of Pike County’s hits came in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the two hits scored five runs to give Pike County its first lead of the series. 

The five runs came after Redan walked two batters and hit two batters with Moon on the mound. Ortiz relieved Moon and a run-scoring ground out completed the five-run streak from Pike County. 

Avila then led off for Redan in the fifth inning with a single and a stolen base. Parcels followed with a two-out single into left field to cut the advantage to 5-3 before Pike County got out of the inning on a pop up with the bases loaded. 

Ortiz struck out Pike County in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Raiders were threatening in the sixth on a one-out triple by D’Anthony Marks. Pike County reliever Kole Hammond shut the door by catching a line drive off Avila’s bat and delivering a strikeout to end the threat. 

During Pike County’s next at bat, Redan caught a pop up, but none of the Raiders covered home and allowed Coleman Johnson to score from third base. Ortiz finished the inning with a strikeout to prevent further damage with the score at 6-3. 

Ortiz came to the plate to lead off the final at bat for the Raiders. Ortiz lifted a deep fly down the right field line that stayed fair into the Raiders’ bullpen for a solo shot to close the gap to 6-4. 

Redan had Parcels and Tionne Witherspoon on base with two outs, but Martinez drove a ball to deep left field, and it was hauled in to end the game.