By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
Glencoe made a quick exit from the Class 3A state playoffs Friday at Piedmont, dropping a double header to the Bulldogs, 11-1 (six innings) and 9-4 (nine innings).
The Yellow Jackets (15-8) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Game 1. Houston Word reached base on an error and Daniel Otwell singled to set up an RBI double by Will Parker.
The Bulldogs (25-8), however, got going in the bottom of the third, as RBI singles by Collin Bradley and Matt Strott made it 2-1. An error allowed another run to score to make it a 3-1 Piedmont lead.
A grand slam by Chance McCord in the fourth put the game out of reach at 7-1.
Piedmont added three runs in the sixth off base hits by Matt Strott and Chance McCord and Collin Bradley’s sacrifice fly.
A groundout by Caleb Adams pushed the lead to 10-1, and Dillon Terry singled to left to make it 11-1 and end the game after six innings on the 10-run mercy rule.
Glencoe appeared to be in the driver’s seat in the nightcap, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Parker singled in a run and then got caught in a rundown that allowed Word to score. A sacrifice fly by Dalton Reid gave Glencoe a 3-0 lead.
Piedmont countered with Young’s two-run homer in the top of the second. Cade Bradley slammed an RBI single later in the inning to tie the game at 3-3.
Joseph Fails put the Yellow Jackets back up with an RBI single in the third inning, but an RBI double by Taylor Hayes in the fourth brought the Bulldogs back into a tie.
The Yellow Jackets had a shot to win it in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Parker, who had three hits in the game. However, McCord threw out Roberts at home on the play to force extra innings.
Dillon Terry went the distance to get the win, allowing seven hits. Piedmont had 12 hits off Roberts and starter Joseph Fails.
Although disappointed with the outcome, Glencoe head coach Charlie Robertson was proud of his team’s performance during the regular season and in last week’s first round win over White Plains.
“We are a young team and we played well at times, we just lost our composer in game 1 tonight. I am proud of the way we played together this season.”
