The Savannah Christian Raiders will play in the Georgia High School Association Class 3A-A Private semifinals after winning the decisive Game 3 against Greater Atlanta Christian, 9-7. The game was supposed to start at 3 p.m., but due to Mother Nature, the first pitch did not take place until 7:30 p.m.
"I think they handled it well," said head coach Matt Oglesby. "Obviously, being at Savannah Christian helps. They weren't stuck in one small area all day—they got to stay loose, hit at 1 p.m., eat again, and keep their minds right. I wasn't worried—they were locked in."
The Raiders built a commanding lead, scoring three runs in the second and fourth innings and adding key insurance runs late. A big hit from senior Dawson Kelly in the second inning helped SCPS get on the board, and Kelly would later finish the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Senior Harding Dennis didn't record an at-bat but made a considerable impact, drawing three walks and closing out the win with a save on the mound.
Kelly came through in every phase of the game.
"Dawson's not the biggest guy on the team, but he's a grinder. He didn't have his best stuff, but when we needed strikeouts, he delivered," Oglesby said. "At the plate, he dropped a perfect drag bunt with two outs to keep a rally going, then flipped a bases-loaded single later in the game. It was his last game at Carter Field as a senior, and he showed out."
PHOTO: SCPS senior Dawson Kelly delivers one of his key hits in the Raiders’ Game 3 win over GAC. Courtesy Savannah Christian Athletic Department
Despite a late scare, GAC scored three in the top of the seventh, including a home run, and Savannah Christian held firm. Kelly won after tossing five innings, striking out eight and allowing just one earned run.
"It was kind of a weird game," Oglesby said. "At one point, we had seven runs on two hits with four errors when I looked at the scoreboard. That usually doesn't give you a lead, but we executed a small ball early, and they threw it around a bit. Going into the seventh up five, all I could think was—last week GAC scored six in the seventh to beat Mount Paran. I knew they wouldn't give up." He further said Harding Dennis pitched well, even though the box score didn't show that.
"Harding threw well—the pitch hit out was just a fastball up in the zone. But the key thing is that we answered in the bottom half every time they scored. That was the difference."
The Raiders showed discipline at the plate with eight walks and were aggressive on the bases with five stolen bases.
"That's been our style all year," said Oglesby. "We've got good team speed and guys who aren't scared to hit with two strikes. We challenged them before the game to compete deep into at-bats, and we executed. Our plan was to crowd the plate and take away the outside corner from a kid who threw a heavy slider. That gave us some free bases, and we took advantage."
With the 9-7 win, Savannah Christian moves one step closer to a state title and will compete in next week's Final Four. The Raiders will be on the road at Wesleyan (23-8) in a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 13. The first pitch of the first game will be at 4 p.m., followed by the second game half an hour later. If necessary, the game on Wednesday, the 14th, will begin at 3 p.m.
"We know Wesleyan is a powerhouse. They've got good arms and play the game the right way," Oglesby said. "But we're focused on playing our game. The only team that can beat us is us. We'll take it one pitch at a time and go in confident."
| GAME 3 | |||||||||||
| SCPS 9, GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN 7 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
| GAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | |
| SCPS | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | x | 9 | 4 | 4 | |
| RECORDS: SCPS 22-12; GAC 21-11 |
Photo Credits: Courtesy SCPS Athletic Department
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