GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Cherokee Bluff’s Ty Corbin was not shy about his team’s lineup that came in averaging a Class 4A-best 10.8 runs/game on the season.
“We have a really, really good lineup, and we just need to trust ourselves and not press,” the junior center fielder said after the Bears’ 9-4 come-from-behind win over North Hall on Wednesday at Cottrell Field.
However, press is what the No. 1-ranked Bears seemed to be doing against North Hall starter Mills Lothridge, who had limited them to just three hits and one run through five innings. But Corbin’s bunt single leading off the sixth woke the sleeping Bluff bats.
After a walk to Caleb Miele, senior Georgia Southern-signee Bryce England drilled a Lothridge pitch into the trees in left-center, his 11th of the season, to tie the game at 4. In the seventh, Corbin smacked his first varsity grand slam, and just his second-ever home run, to deep center for an 8-4 lead to highlight the comeback.
“Bryce’s home run was huge. He’s been doing that all year for us,” Cherokee Bluff coach Jeremy Kemp said. “Ty is just a battler. He was down two strikes, fouled off a couple of pitches, and then got the big hit. Just a huge hit for us.”
The late offensive surge complemented senior Brady Stephens, who battled his way to a complete-game win despite allowing six hits, walking one, and hitting five batters.
“Brady had good stuff but let his emotions get to him early on,” Kemp said. “He settled down there and threw really well as the game went on.”
Stephens closed out the game by retiring 10 of the last 11 North Hall batters and only allowed one hit over the final three innings.
The win for Bluff (21-1, 7-1 Region 8-4A North) gave them a three-game lead over the Trojans and a one-game lead over East Forsyth (15-9, 8-4 Region 8-4A North) in the subregion.
North Hall coach Trevor Flow feels his young squad is close to reaching playoff form despite the loss.
“We led them most of the way, and our guys are starting to see that they can compete against teams like (Cherokee Bluff) that are expected to make a deep playoff run,” Flow said. “I feel we’re closer to getting where we need to be. It came down to a few little things that allowed them to keep an inning going. We’ll come back at them tomorrow.”
Early on, it looked like both offenses were ready to put on a display. After getting two quick outs, Lothridge walked Caleb Miele, who scored on a two-out, RBI single from Bryce England for a 1-0. Brett House followed with another single, but England was caught in a rundown trying to score.
North Hall tied the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout from Charlie Wright. But the Trojans left the bases loaded with a chance for a big inning.
It stayed that until the bottom of the third when Stephens hit three consecutive North Hall batters to open the inning. Korbyn Sosebee followed with a two-run double, and Nathan Vermeer added an RBI single to give the Trojans a 4-1 lead.
Lothridge got into a groove for North Hall, retiring 12 of 14 batters through the fifth inning. But he ran into trouble in the sixth. Reliever Micah Jimerson ran into trouble in the seventh.
Bluff loaded the bases with no outs against Jimerson on a walk, a fielder’s choice, and a bunt single by Jacob Vokal. Corbin followed with his grand slam to center. Landon Kemp later added an RBI single for a 9-4 lead.
Stephens then set down the Trojans in order in the seventh.
