Lions' Season Ends in Quarter Finals

The Loganville Christian Academy Lions Varsity baseball team rolled into Perry on Friday hoping to keep winning and move on to the next round of the playoffs. Things started well on Friday with the Lions winning game one, but on Saturday the Hornets turned the tables and swept the double header to eliminate Loganville and end the season for the Lions.

Spencer Earle took the mound in game one on Friday and pitched a complete game to get a 9-8 win. The game stayed close through the first six innings with each team answering the call on offense. After six innings the Lions held a 4-3 lead.

In the top half of the seventh LCA scored five runs to take what looked like a commanding lead. The Lion attack was led by Marshall Dreyer and Matt Kirkland who hit two run homers in the inning to give the Lions a 9-3 lead.

Spencer Earle took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and got two quick outs. The Hornet bats went to work with two outs and proceeded to score five runs to bring the game to 9-8. With the bases loaded and two outs left fielder Tyler Browning hauled in the third out to preserve the win and send LCA into Saturday's action with a one game lead in the best of three series.

Saturday saw the Hornets of Westfield put on an offensive show that was just too much for the Lions to overcome. In the first game on the double header, LCA fell behind early and trailed 6-1 after two innings. The Lions tried to mount a comeback in the third inning, led by Marshall Dreyer's second homer of the weekend and after three the Lions trailed by two, 6-4. That was as close as it would get as Westfield scored five more runs and the game ended with LCA on the losing end of the score 11-5.

The deciding game three saw the LCA pitchers have trouble finding the strike zone and the Hornet offense took advantage early. Westfield scored seven runs in the first inning and gave up six more in the second. The LCA bats were unable to mount any kind of a comeback and the game ended with Westfield winning 16-1.

With the loss the Loganville Christian's season ended. Coach Vince Kirkland summed up the season after the game. 

"We moved to GISA AAA looking for a new challenge following our ICSGA state championship last year. It's always tough to lose, but I'm so proud of our team and what they accomplished this season," Kirkland said. "I want to recognize our senior class, Sam Cole, Spencer Earle, Brett Gealy, Matt Kirkland, Austin Latham, Thomas O'Neal, and Drew Sewell. They will be remembered as the most prolific class in our school's history having won 63 games over the past four season. They will be missed."