The Citizens Christian Academy Patriots split two games with different GIAA Class 4A opponents on Monday, defeating the St. Anne-Pacelli Vikings 17-6 then falling to the Calvary Christian Knights 3-2 in extra innings.
The first game was typical of how many of the Patriots’ games have gone this year. CCA jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings then scored five in the fourth and eight in the sixth. The Vikings scored two in the fifth and three in the sixth but couldn’t get any closer. The game ended via run rule after six innings.
Several Patriots recorded two hits in the game: Gray McLean, Skyler Woods, Blake Bryant, Mason Spivey, and Jonah Hall. Bryant drove in three while Spivey and Hall drove in two each. McLean and Thomas Gentry scored three times.
Lefty Clay Phillips (4IP, 1H, 1R, 7BB, 6K) grabbed the win. Sam Ables and McLean each threw an inning in relief.
The second game didn’t follow game one’s template. Bryant started and threw a good game – he gave up two runs (both earned) on four hits, striking out 12 and walking none. He now has 107 strikeouts on the season and the two earned runs he gave up are the only two he has surrendered all year long. He came away with a no-decision.
CCA scored both of its runs in the third inning. A McLean double scored Spivey and moved Landon Williams, who had singled earlier in the inning, to third. Gentry followed with a groundout to second that allowed Williams to score.
The Knights answered with a run in the fourth and another in the sixth.
Both teams went down in order in the seventh. In the eighth inning, the Patriots managed to get runners base after Gentry walked and Woods singled. However, CCA couldn’t get a run across.
In the bottom of the inning, the Knights loaded the bases and won in the most gut-wrenching way possible. Two walks and two hit by pitches brought Jackson Kennedy in for the winning run.
McLean had two hits, one of which was a double. Woods and Williams had the only other hits for CCA.
The loss was the Patriots’ first since March 21. Since then, they had won 16 in a row. CCA is 23-2 on the season with two more non-region games remaining, all of which are against teams from higher classifications. Thursday, the Patriots travel to Milledgeville to face John Milledge Academy. Friday, they are at home for the season finale against Deerfield-Windsor at 6 p.m.
