VHA Eagles Win In Final 4

The Vidalia Heritage Academy Eagles baseball team are into the GAPPS State A Championship with their sweep of Horizon Christian Academy on Friday of last week at the Ed Smith Complex. Heritage had some first game heroics to take the win, and then came back with a run rule victory in the second game.

Game 1

Mason Beacham was on the mound for the Eagles and got the win in Game 1 as he threw a complete game, and allowed just four hits, with eight strikeouts.

The game was scoreless through continued from page

the first two and a half innings before the Eagles jumped in front in the bottom of the third inning. Beach and Ledger Curl went back-to-back with solo home runs to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead over the Warriors.

Horizon picked up a run in the top of the fourth inning to close it to 2-1, and in the top of the fifth they tied the game at 2-2. But in the bottom of the frame, the Eagles got an RBI hit from Curl to put them back on top.

Heritage got a couple of big defensive plays in the top of the sixth inning to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard. VHA couldn't get anything going in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead, sending the game to the top of the seventh with the Eagles still up by one.

After two outs, Beacham struck out the final batter to secure the win for the Eagles in Game 1, 3-2.

Game 2

VHA were the visitors in the second game, and in the top of the first inning with a runner on base Ethan Sikes got a hit to put runners at the corners. Sikes then stole second, and a hit by Jackson Williamson brought in two runs for a 2-0 lead. Williamson stole second and an infield hit by Hardy Franklin again put runners at the corners. Franklin stole second, and then a balk brought in another run for the Eagles, making it 3-0.

JT Cofield was on the mound in the second game for Heritage, and the sidearmer allowed just five hits in the game, with 12 strikeouts. Heritage held in the first inning, and then got back to work in the top of the second. RJ Wells got a single, and a walk to Beacham put two runners on base. Curl hit into a fielder's choice that got the lead runner, but up next was Cofield, who drove in Beacham for a 4-0 lead. On the throw into home on Cofield's hit the ball went through a hole in the fence, which brought in another run for the Eagles to put them on top 5- 0.

In the top of the the third inning, the Eagles put two more runs on the board to extend their lead to 7-0. The Eagles closed out the game in the sixth inning as they plated five runs, with two coming off an RBI hit by Luke Moxley. That gave the Eagles an 12-0 lead.

Cofield held in the bottom of the frame to give the Eagles the 12-0 win, and send them into the State Championship.

VHA will host that Championship Series with a double header on Friday of this week against Habersham School. The first pitch of Game 1 will be at 3:30 p.m. at the Ed Smith Complex. The second game will follow 30 minutes later. If they split, they will play the rubber match on Saturday with time TBD.