Deerfield-Windsor takes Game 1 from Valwood

MILLEDGEVILLE — The postgame high-fives were short and there wasn’t much celebration.

Deerfield-Windsor coach Jonathan Davis was short and to the point.

One may have never guessed the Knights run-ruled Valwood 10-0 in five innings Friday night in Game 1 of the best-of-three Georgia Independent Schools Association Class AAA state championship series at John Kurtz Field on the campus of Georgia College.

“It doesn’t matter because we’ve got to come back and do this again tomorrow,” Davis said.

But at least the Knights could have celebrated a little bit. With a one-game lead in the series, Deerfield-Windsor needs just one win to capture a second consecutive state baseball championship.

The second game will be played at 11 a.m. today with a third and deciding game to follow if needed.

Deerfield-Windsor pushed five runs across the plate in the bottom of the first, while left-hander Baylin Moore gave another strong pitching performance. He allowed just three hits and twice worked himself out of bases-loaded jams to keep the Valiants scoreless, including getting Valwood’s top hitter Maysoe Wiley on a called strike three for the final out.

“It was the mindset,” Moore said. “We came in here expecting big things. We practiced hard this week and carried it over. This is something we want.”

After Howell Logan was hit by pitch to start the bottom of the first and Steven Williams reached on an error, Deerfield-Windsor’s John Samuel Shenker, Charles Crosby and Moore put together consecutive RBI hits to help the Knights take an early lead. Crosby’s hit was a double.

The Knights added a pair of runs in the second on RBI singles from Crosby and Moore to take a commanding 7-0 advantage.

Moore took care of the rest.

“(Catcher) Steven Williams and I work well together,” he said. “Things haven’t changed for us since the scrimmage game. We get a lead, then we pound the zone and play hard.”

Williams and Bryce Northrop added RBIs during a three-run fourth inning. Then Moore sent the team to the hotel a little bit earlier than expected by pitching a scoreless fifth.

After splitting a pair of meetings this season during Region 3-AAA play, Davis remained cautious despite the Knights taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

“They are good enough to keep the pressure on us,” he said. “We got the leadoff man on in three of the four innings tonight. You can do a lot of things when you get the leadoff man on base.”

Deerfield-Windsor finished with just six hits. Crosby went 2 for 2 with a double and two RBIs, while Moore finished 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs.