[hardware] Baseball: GCA clinches district title, eyes more hardware

[#Drennn.]

MURFREESBORO – Not satisfied. 

That’s what three Game Christian Academy seniors echoed after the Lions captured their first Division II-A Middle Region District 3 championship on Wednesday in a familiar setting at Middle Tennessee Christian School. 

GCA clinched the district title with a 5-3 win over MTCS and will host Davidson Academy in the region tournament Friday. 

Wednesday’s field was also the same place the Lions last played with fallen teammate Grant Solomon in the state semifinals in 2019. His No. 11 jersey remains in the dugout at each game and the team – and opponents – have honored Solomon all year. 

Baseball Photo Gallery – Grace Christian Academy at Middle Tennessee Christian School
The Grace Christian Academy baseball team claimed the Division II-A Middle Region District 3 championship on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at Middle Tennessee Christian School in Murfreesboro with a 5-3 victory. 

“After last year’s canceled season, losing one of our best friends, well, more than a best friend – a brother of ours – winning this district is emotional, but it's just the start,” said GCA senior catcher Blake Barton. “This is honoring (Grant) in the best way we can and I’m proud of these guys for that.” 

“We’re not satisfied just winning the district,” added fellow senior Luke Gill. “We’re completely dedicated to going all the way. We will get right back at it on Friday.”

Brock Arender went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs for GCA, whose deep bullpen worked through several jams. Freshman Hudson Barton was credited with the win, pitching two innings and surrendering just one hit, while Parker Wyatt entered on the mound in the bottom of the seventh and needed just nine pitches to pick up the save.  

The Lions broke a 3-3 tie when Wyatt drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth. Jordan Carter took a high ball to the helmet to load the bases after a Gill single and Trace Phillips walk prior. However, MTCS right fielder Brock Culpepper closed the top of the frame with a double play by snagging a fly out and rocketing a throw to home. 

As GCA coach Brad Myers said, Wednesday “wasn’t the prettiest game” for his team, but the Lions still were able to persevere. 

“We found a way to win,” said Myers, who was named the district co-Coach of the Year. The veteran coach said his team has been building confidence in tight games this year, and despite a couple plays not going their way, the Lions didn’t fall into the pressure Wednesday. MTCS was gifted several free bases on two balks and reached on two errors as well as a catcher’s interference, but GCA limited the damage. 

“It’s been a process to get to this point and kind of overcame those plays when they happen,” said Myers, whose team opened 3-6-1 but has won 22 of 24 games. “It comes with the environment these guys have created.” 

The Lions ended the sixth with a double play of their own when Carter snagged a line drive to center and hit Wyatt at second base to force the out with a Cougar base running error. Arender smacked a double after a fly out to open the seventh and scored on a grounder from Jackson Sleeper, who reached on an error for the 5-3 advantage. 

“We knew we were going to have to play perfect baseball to come out on top and there were a couple plays that didn’t go our way,” said Cougars coach Jamie Carver. "Credit to GCA, but that was two good baseball teams out there today."

MTCS will host Clarksville Academy Friday. 

Arender drove in two runs in the first with a single to right. The senior said the Lions have been working on attacking early, especially on the heels of a 5-3 win over Columbia Academy on Monday. They tipped Battle Ground Academy twice in a double-header last week to open the postseason, including scoring four runs in each of the second and third innings. 

“We wanted to get on that fastball early,” Arender said. “Being a pitcher myself, I know how it feels to have guys come out and score runs on you, so we kind of understand how we want and need to come out early and pound some runs in.” 

The Cougars strung together three consecutive two-out singles in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1 before Phillips laid down a bunt to score Sleeper in the third and extend the GCA lead to 3-1. However, MTCS scored on a dropped third strike in the fourth and tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. 

The elder Barton said GCA turned to its “two-tap” mentality to overcome the Cougars as they chipped away. 

“We do the same thing, it’s just two taps, two taps anywhere on your body to help you refocus,” Barton said. “I think we kind of did that as a team to finish the game out.”

Gill, Arender, Wyatt, Carter and Blake Barton all earned All-District nods. When the team was presented with the district championship trophy, there was little celebration beyond team photos. 

“That’s these guys,” Myers said. “They’re not celebrating and are ready to just get back to work ... They want to get back to that state tournament."  

Grace Christian Academy 5, Middle Tennessee Christian School 3, DII-A Middle Region District 3 Championship 

GCA 201 001 1 – 5 7 3 

MTCS 100 110 0 – 3 8 1 

WP – Hudson Barton. LP – Tyler Casserly. SV – Parker Wyatt. 

GCA – Jordan Carter 0-2, Parker Wyatt 1-2, Blake Barton 0-4, Gunner Haskins 0-3, Brock Arender 2-3, Jackson Sleeper 1-4, Cade Fuller 1-2, Trace Phillips 1-3, Luke Gill 1-4. 

MTCS – Harrison Gant 0-3, Cade Carr 1-4, JD McCracken 2-3, Ross Prosser 2-4, Adam Jamison 1-3, Brock Jones 0-3, Blayne Highfill 1-3, Bryan England 0-1, Hayden Tuggle 1-1, Sam Dugger 0-2. 

2B – Arender, Fuller, McCracken, Carr. RBI – Arender 2, Phillips, Wyatt, Jamison 2. Team LOB – GCA 10, MTCS 8. 

2021 All-District Team 
GCA – Luke Gill, Brock Arender, Parker Wyatt, Jordan Carter, Blake Barton; MTCS – Harrison Gant, Cade Carr, Ross Prosser, Adam Jamison; BGA – Holt Adams, Blake Rowe; FRA – Ty Lively, Brax Templin; PCA – Eli Wilson; Zion Christian – Luke Perko; CPA – Cade Ław, Drew Aiken, JJ Williams, Langston Patterson, Zee Thompson; Columbia Academy – Kavares Tears, Max Ballard, Tanner Ham, Landon Prentice. 

Pitcher(s) of the Year – Bryant Beranek, Columbia Academy; Ethan Harden, BGA. 

Player of the Year – JD McCracken, MTCS. 

Coach(s) of the Year – Richie Estep, Columbia Academy; Brad Myers, GCA.