AHSAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: Auburn High headed to state title series

By: Robert Ladnier Special to the News | Opelika Auburn News
Published: May 10, 2009

SEMMES — Reid Carter threw a three-hitter with seven strikeouts as Auburn beat Mary Montgomery, 10-1, in Game 3 of the 6A semifinals at Leon Druckenmiller Field on Saturday.

“I think the key was us rallying and coming back in the first game and having a chance to win,” Auburn coach Matt Cimo said.“Reid is one of our three No. 1 pitchers, while our other senior, Chace Mitchell, did what he had to do and those two home runs in the first two innings were really big.”

The Vikings won, 9-6, in eight innings in the day’s opener to force the deciding game.

Auburn (34-8) advances to the state finals for the first time since 1986, while Mary Montgomery finished 29-12.

Mitchell hit a grand slam in the top of the first inning. He added a two-run shot, along with a solo homer by Todd Thompson, in a five-run second as the Tigers scored nine runs against three Viking pitchers. In the inning, Tanner Cimo and Grant Massey added two doubles apiece and Trey Gregg had two RBI.

Daniel McGiboney’s sacrifice scored Dustin Evans in the third and Chase Spivey had a double for MGM.

Chance Stanley took the loss after giving up four runs in the first, while Evans scattered five hits and one run with five strikeouts over the final five innings.

“We knew it was going to be a battle and our No. 3 starter (Evans) only had five innings left after pitching two innings in the first game,” MGM coach Terry Dixon said. “We decided to hold him for the last five, hoping we could hold it close early and we didn’t. We just couldn’t overcome that.”

In Game 1, MGM’s Matt Didier drove in a run and David Carter hit a three-run homer in the eighth. The Vikings also got an RBI single in the first, an RBI double by Justin Beck in the second and a three-run homer by McGiboney in the fourth for a 5-0 lead.

Dalton Edwards hit a sac fly and Massey a two-run double for the Tigers, who scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5.

McGiboney (7-1) scattered six hits with seven strikeouts over six innings for the win, while reliever James Ponder (2-1) gave up four hits in one inning for the loss.