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In just five years of varsity baseball, the Eagles of Vidalia Heritage Academy have been to the State Championship three times, and are now back-toback State Champions. The Eagles swept Horizon Christian Academy in a best-of-three series at home on Friday of last week to take home their second GAPPS Class A State Title in a row.

Head Coach Seth Stizman said after the games, “It was fun day. They kept us on our toes in the first game as we were a bit slow to start off. We battled back in that first game to win in the bottom of the seventh, and then we carried that momentum into the second game and came out on top. We have great kids, our seniors have really helped lead us, and I couldn’t be happier for all of these guys coming away with this win.”

Game 1

Neither team had scored over the first two innings of the game, but in the bottom of the third inning VHA loaded the bases. After two hit batters they had taken a 2-0 lead over Horizon. Heritage took that 2-0 lead into the top of the fourth inning.

Horizon answered with their first run of the game. They had a runner on second base, and he stole third. The ball got away allowing him to come in to score to close the lead to 2-1. Horizon then tied the game on an RBI single. Horizon scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead over the Eagles.

In the bottom of the sixth inning Trevor White came in to score on a single by Hardy Franklin, and then Jackson Franklin came across to tie the game at 4-4 on an error by Horizon. That was all VHA could get in the inning, but that sent the game to the seventh tied at 4-4.

In the top of the seventh inning the Eagles held, setting them up with the chance to pull out the win in the bottom of the last inning. Ledger Curl led off with a base hit, and that was followed by a walk-off hit by Dalton Price that went to the leftcenter field fence. Curl came all

State Champions – (L to R, Front): Pearson ONeal, Maddyx Herrin, Carson Sitzman, Jake Adams, Gray McNeal; (Back): Trevor White, Luke Moxley, A.C. Chad Cofield, R.J. Wells, J.T. Cofield, Greyson Price, Hardy Franklin, Greer Posey, Dalton Price, Jackson Franklin, Ledger Curl, and Head Coach Seth Sitzman.

Photo by Mike Branch continued from page

the way around to score to give the Eagles the 5-4 win in Game 1 of the State Championship series.

Greer Posey started the game on the mound for the Eagles with Franklin coming in late in relief to combine for the win.

Game 2

In the second game of the series the Eagles jumped out with two runs in the top of the first inning as Heritage were the visitors.

Price was on the mound for Game 2 and had a great performance not allowing a single run from Horizon.

In the top of the second inning Curl had a double to the fence, but that was all the Eagles could produce in the inning.

Heritage broke the game open in the top of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Curl came through with a base-clearing double to left-center to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead. Price drove in Curl for a 6-0 lead, and then Price crossed the plate on a hit by Posey. That gave VHA a 7-0 lead heading to the bottom of the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth inning a walk, a hit batter, and a single by Price loaded the bases for VHA. A bloop single by Franklin made it 8-0, and then a single up the middle by Luke Moxley drove in two more for a 10-0 lead. Heritage loaded the bases back up, and then Heritage plated two more runs on a ball hit by Jackson Franklin. One more run crossed to hold a 13-0 lead going to the bottom of the frame.

Price got a couple of strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth and a groundout as Heritage took the 13-0 win in Game 2 to earn the State Championship.

The Eagles finished the year with a record of 17-3, with their only losses coming to Thomas Jefferson, who is playing for the GIAA State A Championship, and to Gatewood, who is playing for the GIAA State AA Championship.