Just five days after surviving a 12-inning battle in a series sweep of Morgan County, the Calvary Day baseball team played in another marathon doubleheader on Saturday against visiting Dawson County at Grayson Stadium.
A storm delayed the first game for a few hours before the Cavs won 7-3, they then poured it on in an 11-3 victory in the second game for their third sweep of the playoffs.
Calvary Day improved to 23-5 on the season and reached the state semifinals for the first time since 2016. The Cavs are set to host Mary Persons (21-12) in a doubleheader Friday at Grayson Stadium, with a third game, if needed, set for Saturday. Game times are to be announced.
"We've faced a lot of adversity and different situations, but we've handled it well," Calvary Day coach Phillip Lee said. "But I think we're built for that kind of stuff and we rise to the challenge every time."
In the first game, junior Ryan Wallace improved to 10-0 on the season with three shutout innings. He gave up three hits. Vanderbilt-bound senior Will Hampton closed things out with 2⅓ scoreless innings.
Sam Renshaw went 2 for 2 with two RBIs, and leadoff man Caden Arnold was 2 for 4 with two runs and three stolen bases to pace the offense.
In the second game, junior lefthander Quinn Johnson threw a complete game, fanning seven batters and allowing two earned runs on three hits as the sophomore improved to 5-2 on the year.
Hampton led the offense — going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and ripping a solo homer deep into the right field bleachers at Grayson. Caden Arnold scored three runs and his younger brother Max drove in a pair. Brooks Phillips was 3 for 5 with a pair of RBIs and Wallace, Renshaw and Brody Dawson each had two hits.
"Ryan (Wallace) gives us that shutdown arm we've been missing for a while," Lee said. "He's a tough kid who can go out and win those big games. And Quinn (Johnson) has also been pitching well."
Caden Arnold is hitting .400 with 35 stolen bases and 49 runs.
"Caden has been doing that leadoff guy for us for the last four years," Lee said of the senior, who has signed as a preferred walk on as a receiver with the Georgia Southern football team. "He's so dynamic, the same way he is with the football team. He's a guy who just makes things happen for us."
It was the second homer Hampton has hit out at the cavernous Grayson Stadium, and first since the playoffs last season.
"When you hit one like that, it's hard to describe," Hampton said. "I knew it was gone right away — it felt perfect."
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: How Calvary Day won another marathon doubleheader to advance to state baseball semifinals
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