Prep high school baseball players from the Savannah area had one more time to shine in front of a crowd of over 500 family members, teammates, schoolmates, and fans. It happened at the 6th Annual Savannah Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes Baseball All-Star Classic at historic Grayson Stadium on June 14, 2021. The all-star players were on two teams, the County schools who wore black jerseys versus City schools who wore red.
The County all-stars consisted of Bryan County High School, Effingham County High School, New Hampstead High School, Richmond Hill High School, Savannah Christian Preparatory School, and South Effingham players. The city all-star team consisted of Benedictine Military School, Islands High School, Jenkins High School, Memorial Day School, Savannah Country Day School, and Habersham School players.
Nine County pitchers held the City bats at bay, yielding just three hits while issuing four walks in a 12-2 victory. They struck out 11 along the way.
The City was struck with the error bug committing six on the night. Pitchers for the City gave up 14 hits, five walks, and nine strikeouts. Will Hampton of Calvary pitched a perfect third inning for the City team. However, while striking out the side, he gave up a base hit to Nick Milbrandt of South Effingham.
In the case of the County team in their respective innings on the mound, Luke Boone (Richmond Hill), Leighton Finley (Richmond Hill), Milbrandt, and Robbie Harper (Coastal Homeschool) all struck out two hitters. Cooper George of Savannah Christian in the sixth inning needed only four pitches to get three outs.
For the City team, Gabe Barnhill (St. Andrew's School) went one for two at the plate with a double. In addition, Patrick Blake (Jenkins) and Charles Pulaski (BC) both recorded base hits.
On the ledger's offensive side, Konnor Leggett (Bryan Co) and Mitch Cowan (Richmond Hill) each went 2 for 3 with a double, while Milbrandt went 2 for 2 with a double.
Amid the eighth inning, one lucky all-star made a grabbing catch of a $1000 academic scholarship sponsored by Freightmasters USA of Savannah. Thomas
Tift of the Habersham School was that ballplayer that received the Savannah Area FCA academic scholarship. "Being the scholarship winner was a huge surprise," Tift remarked. Thomas was a member of the city team, which lost the game, but he stated, "It made no difference that we lost the game. It was my final opportunity to play baseball with my teammates, and it was a fantastic experience, "Tift said. In the autumn, Thomas will begin his studies at Mercer University.
Optim Orthopedics supports Benedictine Military School, South Effingham High School, Richmond Hill High School, St. Vincent's and Savannah Country Day School athletics. Benedictine Military School's team doctor is Dr. David Sedory. The team doctor for Richmond Hill and South Effingham is Dr. David Palmer and Dr. Thomas Alexander is the team doctor for Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game!
