Lee's grand slam highlights Tiftarea rout

Apr. 25—CHULA — Hayden Murphy opened the game with a shot that likely drew attention from air traffic control. Logan Moore's blast hit the roof of the middle school locker room. Then, there was the inside the park grand slam by John Austin Lee.

All of these and much more featured Monday afternoon, as Tiftarea Academy took a 1-0 lead over Notre Dame in their first round series of the GISA Class AAA baseball tournament. It only took the Panthers two innings to accumulate 19 runs and the game ended 19-0 on the run rule after the top of the 3rd.

The two will be back on the field Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the best-of-three series. A third game, if necessary, would be immediately after.

Everyone had a chance to play for Tiftarea head coach Dusty Griffis, who was equally impressed by how well his younger players did.

"I think we got everybody in," he said. "That's huge, to get the playoff experience for all the kids."

All contributed in some way. "You get in a game like this," said Griffis. "You preach staying in the [strike] zone." Some have had only a couple of at-bats this season, but none were too eager and waited for good pitches.

Murphy's moonshot, which hit off a light pole in left field, came three pitches into the game. He hit again in the first inning, then came around a third time. Twenty men stepped to the plate in the 1st frame alone. Eleven hit in the 2nd.

Walks were the primary culprit for Notre Dame Academy. Fourteen Panthers walked and two more were hit by pitches.

Matthew Malone, John Jackson and Hershel Moore all stood on a base courtesy of a free pass when Lee stepped up to the dish.

Lee served the pitch into the right-centerfield gap. All three Panthers on base easily scored, but Lee, too, kept running. He slid headfirst into home safely, completing the rare inside-the-park grand slam.

"He's a good kid," said Griffis on Lee, praising his dedication to the program over the years.

"What was cool," said Griffis, "was that Murph led the game off with a home run, set the tone. Then we get the bases loaded and John Austin hits an inside-the-park grand slam. We started rolling from there with two home runs"

Tiftarea lead 5-0 at this point and it soon got much worse for the visitors from Duluth.

Wesley Malone and Lane Cole walked and the former scored on a single by Jam Presley. The lineup then rolled back around to Murphy, who walked.

Matthew Malone was hit by a pitch to fill the bases again. Jackson then earned an RBI by walking, then Hershel Moore drove in two runs on a single.

Lee was nicked a pitch to re-load the bags. Four consecutive walks to Wesley Malone, Cole, Presley and Murphy made it a 14-run inning before Dongkyu Park was able to end the inning for Notre Dame.

Logan Moore made quick work of the top of the 2nd. He was the first man up in its bottom half, blasting a pitch over the fence and off the roof of the outbuilding in right field.

Now ahead 15 and in mercy rule territory, Griffis involved his entire bench.

Eli Stevens scored on a single by Parks Parrott and Mason Tyler's sacrifice fly brought home Coleman Mangham. Parks Colwell drove in a run with the bases loaded, increasing the margin to 17-0.

William Garner singled in Parrott before Kameron Brown completed scoring by driving in Colwell.

The Irish Wolfhounds had a man aboard in each inning, but only in the 3rd did they make it as far as second, Mason Bickell moving up on a wild pitch.

Antonio Razon's 1st inning single was Notre Dame's only hit.

Murphy, Lee and Logan Moore all homered. The Panthers' nine hits were by nine different players. Lee led the way with four RBIs. Presley, Murphy and Hershel Moore drove in two each. Six players scored twice.

Logan Moore needed only 37 pitches over three frames. He struck out five. In comparison, Notre Dame pitchers threw 135 pitches.