Alpharetta run-rules Packers, forces deciding game on Wednesday

Published 11:42 pm Tuesday, May 3, 2022

MOULTRIE- Alpharetta hit three home runs, including a grand slam by Cooper Medlinger, in a 14-2 victory over Colquitt County that forces a deciding game on Wednesday in their second round Class 7A baseball series at Packer Park.

The Packers got a pinch-hit double by Neko Fann that drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of 4-2 win in Game 1.

And Colquitt, playing as the visiting team, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Game 2.

But the visiting Raiders tied the game on a two-run homer by Hayden Gupton in the bottom of the first.

Alpharetta then exploded for seven runs in the second inning, highlighted by Medlinger’s base’s loaded blast over the left field fence that put the Raiders up 9-2.

After a scoreless third, the Raiders scored five more times in the fourth, with three of the runs coming on a home run by Logan Racine.

When the Packers were held scoreless in the top of the fifth, the game was called with Alpharetta leading by more than 10 runs after five innings.

The Raiders needed just six hits in their assault of the Packers.

They took advantage of seven walks and two hit batsmen provided by the first three Colquitt County pitchers.

Alpharetta appears to be trying to follow its first-round playoff series script in which it dropped its first game to Dunwoody then won Game 2 to force a deciding game, which it also won to advance to its second-round meeting with Colquitt County.

The Raiders, the No. 4 team from Region 5, scored a run in the top of the first inning of Game 1 on a single by Casual Kay that drove in Braydon Kersey, who had drawn a walk from Packer starter Cameron Summerlin.

The Packers took the lead in the third when Abraham Daniels singled and scored on a double by Cannon Whatley, who in turn scored on a single by Cam Cook.

Alpharetta tied the game with a run in fourth inning  and the game remained knotted until the bottom of the sixth.

Cook opened the inning with a single, but, one out later, was erased on a fielder’s choice hit into by Mason Moore.

Moore went to second on a wild pitch and scored the tie-breaking run on athe pinch-hit double down the line in left by Fann, who spent much of the season playing on the Packers junior varsity team.

Fann scored an insurance run on a wild pitch.

The 4-2 lead appeared in jeopardy in the top of seventh after Summerlin struck out his ninth and 10th Raiders to open the inning.

The senior right-hander had reached his 120-pitch limit when he got Kay to hit a towering popup between home and first base that appeared would end the game.

But first baseman Whatley was unable to find the ball, which fell just inside the foul line for a base hit.

Bryce Monk was summoned to get the final out, which he did after first issuing two walks.

In his second-straight outstanding playoff pitching performance, Summerlin went 6.2 innings and gave up eight hits, but allowed just the two runs. He walked four.

Game 1 was marred by a 1-hour, 24-minute weather delay in the bottom of the third inning.

The Packers will take a 17-15 record into today’s deciding game.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s winner will travel to play either Parkview or Lambert in the quarterfinals.