A breakthrough season came to an end for the Calvary Day baseball team on Friday when the Cavaliers were swept by Harlem in two games in the Class 3A state championship series in Rome by scores of 13-5 and 7-0.
It was the second straight state title for Harlem, which finished the season with a 40-1 record as 71-year old coaching legend Jimmie Lewis won the seventh state championship in his career. Amerson Guy earned the win in Game 1 for the Bulldogs, and Caiden Coile was excellent in the second game ― throwing a shutout with seven strikeouts and no walks, while allowing eight hits.
It was a tough way for the season to end for Calvary Day, as the Cavaliers (27-8) made nine errors in the two-game series, but the squad has a lot to be proud of as they reached the state finals for the first time since 2007, when they won the Class A title under Kevin Farmer.
It was the end of a memorable run for a senior class led by Vanderbilt-bound Will Hampton, a first-baseman/outfielder and pitcher, and Caden Arnold, also a four-year starter at shortstop.
"We didn't play well at all in the series," said Hampton, who finished the season with a .454 batting average including 49 hits, 31 runs and 28 RBIs, while posting a 1.26 ERA on the mound. "Harlem is a really good team and they were hitting, bunting and pitching well ― we just couldn't stop them. But we weren't at the top tier of our game, and they took advantage of that."
But Hampton said his senior campaign was one he'll never forget.
"It was one of the most successful seasons we've had at Calvary in a long time," he said. "At the end of the day, we shocked a lot of people and had a chance to win a state championship. It didn't end like we wanted it to, but we had a great group this year and we are all really close. It was a great way to wrap up my high school career."
Arnold also had an impressive senior season as he hit .400 with 48 hits, 52 runs, 36 stolen bases and an OPS of .996.
"We didn't execute like we should have against Harlem ― we just weren't as sharp as we needed to be," said Arnold, who leaves at the end of the month for Statesboro, where he will be a preferred walk-on as a receiver with the Georgia Southern football team. "But it was a truly unforgettable senior year. I got to play with my brother, (junior centerfielder) Max, and saw him hit a home run at Grayson Stadium. And I set the school record for stolen bases and scored more than 50 runs.
"I accomplished everything I wanted to individually, and more importantly we almost accomplished everything we wanted to as a team. We won 27 games and reached the state championship. It was a season we'll always remember."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
Most Popular
Comments / 0