Games 105 & 106 - Salem HS at Forsyth Central HS

May 1 at Forsyth Central High School baseball field in Cumming, GA

Our first postseason games at 300 Game Season and the Georgia schools split the doubleheader in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs.

Kevin Barham: ace

As was the case on April 8, the Salem left-hander went up against a Division 1 signee on Friday and for the second time Barham picked up the victory. The Seminoles scored twice in the top of the eighth inning and the sophomore went the distance in a 3-1 victory. He walked six, but allowed just one hit - a sun-aided double by Taylor Bauman in the sixth - as the Seminoles defeated Western Carolina signee Reed Clark and won their first state playoff game since the 2008 team reached the final four.

Barham

Clark was also quite good - CG, 5 H, 2 ER - but the southpaw gave up a one-out double to Braxton Hogan and Cary Campbell's go-ahead single, then a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the difference.

All even

Forsyth Central won a difficult Region 7, so it was no surprise the Bulldogs were able to knock Jordan Johnson around (3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER) and win the nightcap 8-3. Six different players drove in runs and every starter reached base at least once for Central, which forced Saturday afternoon's rubber game.

Central made five errors, so none of the three runs allowed by Logan Howard were earned and the southpaw struck out nine in the complete game effort.

Silly ball

We've all heard the terms "small ball" and "smart ball" and "money ball" and "racquet ball", but Friday's doubleheader was about a new brand of ball: silly ball. Things got really silly:

* Five runners were picked off, though one runner - Yorel James - was caught off first, but made it to second when he was hit in the back by first baseman Wade Smith's throw.

* Eight wild pitches were thrown and the one passed ball allowed, by Central catcher Hunter Bauman, led to a run.

* Central finished the day with seven errors and only two of the six runs Salem scored in the two games were earned.

* The PA announcer was introducing the game one lineups and said: "Jordan Johnson doing the duties at shortstop." PA guy, don't say doing the duties.

Nicknames that aren't really nicknames

Salem

Hogan - "Brax"
Johnson - "J.J."

Forsyth Central

Jacob Phillips - "Philly"
Howard - "Logey"
Pierce Nufer - "Nufe"
Smith - "Wader"
Parker Morrison - "Parkey"
Josh Meese - "Meeser"