Deerfield-Windsor sweeps Valwood to win second straight title

MILLEDGEVILLE — Charles Crosby sprinted from the pitchers mound to the bag as he saw first baseman John Samuel Shenker spear a ground ball with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“Those plays can be kind of tricky,” Crosby said. “But I knew when my foot hit the bag, it was over.”

Shenker and Crosby teamed up for the game’s final out to preserve a 3-1 Deerfield-Windsor victory over Valwood Saturday afternoon in Game 2 of the best-of-three Class AAA Georgia Independent Schools Association state championship series to sweep a pair of games at John Kurtz Field at Georgia College.

After Friday’s 10-0 victory in five-innings in Game 1, Deerfield-Windsor’s Game 2 victory earned them back-to-back titles. It was the second straight year the Knights have beaten Valwood to win the state championship.

And much like Friday night’s victory, Deerfield-Windsor built an early lead, then its pitching rotation mowed down the Valiants’ offense.

Starter Tanner Ford earned the victory after going five and two thirds innings. He allowed just one run on six hits and struck out three. He left with the bases loaded in the sixth before Crosby came in and struck out the final batter.

Valwood got a pair of hits to start the seventh before Crosby got a pop fly, a strikeout and a groundout to earn the save.

Shenker said the Knights practice the 3-1 play a lot in practice where the pitcher covers first base on a ground ball hit to the first baseman. Shenker wanted to do his part.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking,” Shenker said. “You don’t want to make a mistake on the play with the state championship on the line. I knew once I had the ball, we had it in the bag.”

Unlike Friday where Baylin Moore shut down Valwood’s offense, Saturday’s game was a little more intense.

Howell Logan led off game by drawing a walk and later scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead. Jack Kimbrel drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning to make it 2-0.

Then Shenker’s RBI single in the top of the fourth scored Chandler Matthews who had singled to lead off the inning for a 3-0 advantage. That was as much as the Knights got off Valwood starter Maysoe Wiley.

The Valiants were able to get runners into scoring position in the second and third innings before Ford got a groundout in the second, then struck out Wiley in the third to keep the shutout going.

But Valwood cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth. They threatened to score in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but Deerfield-Windsor pitching escaped each time.

“Our starting pitching was outstanding,” DWS coach Jonathan Davis said. “In two games to give up just one run, it really stood out.”

The Knights managed just seven hits with Steven Williams, Shenker and Chandler Matthews collecting two hits apiece. Kimbrel also added a single.

After giving up two quick singles in the seventh, Crosby made setting down the final three batters look easy. After getting a strikeout for the second out, Crosby’s routine on the mound took a detour.

He stepped off and took a deep breath.

“I knew this was going to be the last time I was on the mound, I was just trying to take it all in,” the senior said. “I wanted to take a deep breath before focusing on the next pitch.

“Being state champs again is a pretty good feeling.”