Amid the so-dubbed “912 Baseball” craze of 2017, Pierce County High School enjoyed one of the most magical postseason runs in school history. The Bears reached the state title game
for the second time in the past five years and for the third time ever. Ultimately, PCHS bowed to North Hall as the Trojans claimed their first-ever state title, but not before the Pierce diamond faithful were treated to another glorious postseason ride.
“There’s nothing like watching your hometown have a chance to make history,” said Kalyn Milton, PCHS alumna and longtime Bears baseball fan. “You see the players’ hard work and dedication to prepare for each game, and that makes you feel so proud of your team.”
PCHS posted a 20-7 regular-season mark and claimed the Region 2-AAA title in 2017 under first-year head coach Andrew Evans, whose staff included assistants Tyler Rogers, Jacob Evors, and Lynn Harris. Pierce then swept the first four rounds of the playoffs, dispatching Rutland, Hart County, Greater Atlanta Christian, and Coahulla Creek. That successful run earned the Bears the right to compete in the first-ever neutral site championship on May 25 at Savannah’s historic Grayson Stadium.
Hundreds of fans clad in blue and silver made the short trip to Savannah to support the Bears, whose playoff winning streak included four shutouts. PCHS leaned heavily on the one-two pitching punch of Cody Williams and Cody Grant, who posted a combined for seven complete games to that point. In 26 playoff innings pitched prior to the finals, Williams yielded just one run while striking out 48 batters with just 11 walks and an ERA of 0.27. Grant pitched 21 innings over that same stretch with battery mate Nick Golub, logging a 1.33 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just three walks. The Bears’ team postseason ERA heading into the finals was 0.92.
Equally thrilling over the first month of the postseason was the Bears’ hitting. PCHS arrived in Savannah at a .384 postseason clip led by second baseman Ben Tuten, who boasted a .548 playoff batting average. Grant, who logged a .500 average, also led the Bears in postseason homers (three) and RBIs (eight). Pitcher/left fielder/designated hitter Walker Reddish (.370, seven RBI); third baseman Klay Allen (.385, seven RBI); shortstop Stetson Bennett (.464, six RBI, eight stolen bases); and first baseman Blake Bishop (.360 on-base percentage) also served as spark plugs during the first four playoff rounds. Ben Baker, Bryce Bowen, Andrew Walsh, and Johnny Waters all played key roles sub roles during that stretch.
Four seniors played the title tilt as their prep swan song: Bennett, Grant, Reddish, and team captain Kris Wishall. Centerfielder Wishall (five runs, two doubles, two RBIs through the first eight playoff games) laced a pair of singles against North Hall and had an RBI for the finals. However, the hits were few and far between that day for PCHS.
Grant strode the hill for PCHS in Game 1, yielding three runs in the first inning. Then in the top of the second, Wishall laced a two-out single to score Walker Sinclair (.375 average heading into finals) for the Bears’ first run. The Trojans then scored two more runs in their half of the third. Trailing 5-1, PCHS broke through for another run in the top of the fifth courtesy of Bennett, who reached and subsequently scored on a pair of errors.
North Hall scored four insurance runs in the sixth en route to a 9-2 victory in the opener as top hurler Reese Olson limited the Bears to just six hits. Reddish was the only Bear in that game to tally multiple hits. Meanwhile, PCHS utilized three pitchers out of the bullpen: Allen, Tanner Bryant, and Reddish.
Staff ace Williams, with a 4-0 playoff record, got the ball for PCHS in Game 2 for the home-team designated Bears. He also posted a .320 playoff batting average through the first eight postseason games. Williams and right-handed counterpart Corbin Meeler of North Hall each pitched out of the first inning in one-two-three fashion in Game 2, but the stalemate didn’t last.
North Hall batted around the order in the third inning, scoring six runs as the first four hitters in the order all reached safety and subsequently scored. PCHS answered with three runs in the bottom of the third. With his second hit of Game 2, Allen drove home Wishall, who singled, and Williams, who walked. Allen subsequently scored when Sinclair reached on an error.
Bennett made it a 6-4 game in the fourth, plating Reddish, who singled. Then in the bottom of the seventh, the Bears mounted a near comeback as Sinclair laced a two-out double to score Andrew Walsh, making it 6-5. But North Hall drew the line at that point and retired the side to end the game and the dream season. Though PCHS came up short, the future of the program still looks bright to fans like Tommy Colley.
“This was my first year following our team,” Colley said. “It was so much fun to support them and to watch them not only grow as young men, but also come together as a force to be feared on the field.”
Southeast/Bonus /June 2017
State Baseball Championship Summary
Pierce County High School
Blackshear, Georgia
Story by John DuPont
Photography by Chandler Watson
Inaugural “Neutral Site” Series Featured Perennial Title Contender PCHS
