2016 Rawlings Select Classic #3 Event Page
EMERSON, Ga. – The Championship game of the Rawlings Select Classic #3 started off at 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning with the Valdosta Wildcats taking on the T.L. Hanna Yellow Jackets. The Wildcats earned a bid to the game with a 6-3 win over Greenville, while the Yellow Jackets had a 3-1 win over Grandview.
Behind a four-run bottom of the second, T.L. Hanna was able to earn the win, and the Championship with a final score of 6-4. With the final swing and miss, they stormed out of the dugout to celebrate.
The game started off quietly with a first inning that came and went without issue. In the bottom of the fourth, T.L. Hanna jumped out to a big lead with Regan Reid delivering the first RBI of the game to break the scoreless tie. Bryce Cox knocked him in with a groundball single between the third basemen and the shortstop. With the bases loaded, Brent Reynolds slapped a groundball to bring home another run and then James Parker earned a bases loaded walk to make the score 4-0.
The Wildcats rallied to get a run up on the board after a pair of base hits from Jake Jaramillo and Wesley Veal, Cory McCann hit in to a double play that plated their first run of the day.
The Yellow Jackets did not wait long to get that run back up on the board. Gaines Yates ripped a home run on to a kiosk just over the left field fence to make the score 5-1. After another Reid double and a Tyler Kirkland walk, Cox delivered an RBI groundout to make the score 6-1 after three innings.
The back-and-fourth game continued in the fourth inning with Valdosta starting a rally after a one out walk and base hit. An error by the T.L. Hanna shortstop allowed their second run of the of the game to score and a wild pitch helped cut their deficit to three.
The Wildcats just kept chipping away and in the top of the sixth they picked up their fourth run of the game. Eastern Kentucky commit, Logan Stepehens, led off with a loud triple to the left-center field wall and then came around to score on a sac fly.
T.L. Hanna looked to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and Chase Kinsey put up a one-out double, but was stranded.
Jackson Kelley came on to close and tossed two innings allowing only one run and struck out two batters. He earned the save and worked around a pair of walks in the seventh to throw a clean frame.
The winning pitcher was Jackson Lindley who started the game and tossed five innings, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk, while recording four strikeouts. His fastball worked 78-83 mph and touched 84 mph with an upper-60s curveball and a mid-70s changeup.
Regan Reid earned MVP honors for his impressive offensive performance throughout the tournament, but especially in the championship game. He collected seven hits, a pair of doubles, two RBI, five runs scored and stole three bases.
Jacob McMillan earned MV-Pitcher honors for his dominant performance in the Wildcats’ quarterfinal game. He tossed seven no-hit innings and was perfect through the first 6 2/3 innings.
2016 Rawlings Select Classic #3 runner-up: Valdosta High School
