SAVANNAH — Ike Ross just needed to put the ball in play, and Benedictine needed one more moment.
Both came through.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 1 and with runners on second and third, Ross singled up the middle, bringing in the walk-off tieing and winning runs and giving the Cadets a dramatic 6-5 victory.
In the decisive third game, Mason O’Neil entered in relief as Ware County pressured early, then delivered six dominant, scoreless innings, shutting down their offense and clinching a 6-1 win and the series for Benedictine.
It was a week that showed exactly who the Cadets are.
In game one, Benedictine (21-5/10-2) took the lead right away in the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead. Ware County (17-9/10-2) came back and scored four runs in innings six and seven to take a 5-4 lead headed into the bottom of the seventh.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Ross lined a single up the middle for the walk-off game-winner, giving the Cadets game one.
The Cadets backed the comeback with 10 hits. Kai Hernandez-Gambill drove in two runs, while Landen Harris and Noah Harris each added two hits to keep the offense moving.
“Our players showed tremendous resiliency coming back in the bottom of the seventh in Game 1,” Benedictine head coach Jason Pascual said. “They showed tremendous fight and focus this past week.”
Ware County answered in Game 2 with an 11-5 win, putting pressure back on Benedictine and forcing a decisive third game.
The response came quickly.
After two days off between game two and game three of the series, the Cadets returned with a different level of focus, and it showed immediately with a 2-1 lead they never relinquished, resulting in a 6-1 victory. Mason O’Neil came on in relief at the top of the second inning and controlled the game, allowing no runs, just three hits over six innings while keeping Ware County off balance.
At the plate, Omari Burse and Elliott Zeigler led the offense with three hits apiece, as the Cadets produced 10 hits.
“If our guys do what they’ve been doing all year, playing for one another and trusting one another, everything will take care of itself,” Pascual said. “If all three phases of the game are in place, we’ll be successful.”
The series win keeps Benedictine tied for first place, but more importantly, the Cadets now hold the tiebreaker with one week remaining over Ware.
They will face New Hampstead in a three-game series beginning Monday at New Hampstead, followed by a doubleheader on Wednesday at Benedictine. A sweep would secure the region title.
“One game at a time is a cliché, but it’s appropriate,” Pascual said. “They’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and they’ll continue to do so this week.”
It started with Ross in the final inning of the opening game.
It was finished by O’Neil on the mound in the final game of the series.
Now Benedictine has its chance to finish the drill and win a regular-season title.
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Photo credit: Courtesy of Dennis Knight Savannah Morning News
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Team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
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