Worth the wait – TFS wins in dramatic fashion to reach Final 4

It took a couple of days, but the Indians slipped past #8 Swainsboro 7-6 in an instant classic, clinching the Quarterfinals series and notching a first-ever Final 4.

#4-ranked TFS won the opening game 5-0 on Saturday before starting game two on Monday. Several lightning delays halted play, and the Indians were down 5-3 in the fourth inning when play was suspended to Tuesday. Andrew Skvarka had started the game and wound up giving up 5 unearned runs. Tallulah Falls had scored on a wild pitch in the first inning before the Tigers put up a 5-run third.

In the fourth, Chase Pollock collected a 2-run double to bridge the gap, but that ushered in the lightning delay that suspended the game another day. On Tuesday, it picked up with Pollock still on second. Dylan Brooks had a 2-out bunt RBI single to plate Pollock, and a Chris Waldron double brought home Brooks for the game-tying run.

A bases-loaded walk for Gregory Mendez provided the go-ahead run in the fifth. Skvarka pitched into the fifth before Cole Bonitatibus came in. He worked around a leadoff single in the fifth but was touched for an unearned run in the sixth as Swainsboro knotted the contest at six apiece.

In the top of the seventh and TFS up to bat, Ashton Roache worked a leadoff walk. A sac bunt moved him into scoring position, and BJ Carver came up with the eventual game-winner, lacing a 2-strike, 2-out pitch to right center for the go-ahead run.

Bonitatibus struck out the first two in the bottom half before inducing a fly ball to Carver to seal the series. Pollock had two doubles and two RBI, and Walker scored three runs for TFS, who is now 25-10 on the season and into their first-ever State Semifinals.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

W: Cole Bonitatibus (8-3)
RBI: 2 Chase Pollock, Chris Waldron, BJ Carver, Gregory Mendez, Dylan Brooks