The CCA Patriots are off to the second round of the state playoffs after defeating the Augusta Prep Cavaliers Monday in Douglas 3-2 (game one) and 17-0 (game two).
Jonathan Rutland threw a two-hit, 89-pitch complete game to keep the Cavaliers on their heels. He walked four and struck out 10.
Offensively, Rutland helped his own cause quite a bit. The Patriots scored all three of their runs in the first inning — and Rutland was responsible for each one. He drove in Gray McLean and Blake Bryant when he singled with one out in the inning. Tyson Crosby came in to run for Rutland and he stole home for the third run of the inning.
As it turned out, that’s all the cushion Rutland would need. The Cavaliers had scored one in the first then added another run in the fifth. That’s all either team would get and CCA slipped away with a 3-2 win. Bryant and Case Snipes each had a pair of hits.
Game two unfolded a little differently. The Patriots never gave the Cavaliers a chance. They scored two in the first, two in the third, and two in the fourth to build a 6-0 advantage. The the CCA bats blew the game wide open with a 10-run fifth inning to go up 16-0. The Patriots scored once more an inning later to end the game in six innings.
Gray McLean was 3-3 with three runs scored, a walk, and an RBI, Thomas Gentry was 3-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, and Landon Williams went 3-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
McLean started and was the pitcher of record for CCA. He lasted five innings and gave up three hits, no walks, and he struck out seven. Crosby threw an inning of relief and struck out all three batters he faced.
Round two for the Patriots takes place Friday afternoon. CCA will face region foe Southwest Georgia Academy. However, the game will take place in Damascus because Southwest Georgia Academy has a higher MaxPreps rating even though the Patriots defeated the Warriors twice during the season.