By Lee Trawick Riverbend News
The Hamilton County Trojans travelled to Union County on Thursday, April 29, to take on the Union County Tigers for the Class 1A District 6 Championship. The Tigers would score one run in the bottom of the first inning; an early lead was familiar territory for the number one ranked team in the state.
But, the Trojans would not be intimidated by the Tigers and with good reason, as the Trojans had handed the Tigers their only loss of the season earlier in the year, at Hamilton's home field.
Thursday was different, as they were on the Tigers' home field and this was for the championship; still, the Trojans would not back down. The Trojans and Tigers would both remain scoreless through the next two innings, as the lefty sophomore Trayson Rogers kept the Tigers off balance all night. The Tigers would manage seven hits throughout the night to the Trojans six, the difference being if the Trojans' got on base, someone was there behind them to drive them in. As two Trojans reached base, Temo Paul went up to the plate looking to do damage. Knowing he was ahead in the count with one ball, no strikes, the Tigers tried to throw a fastball by the big slugger who did not miss and belted a long high fly ball, sending the Tigers’ left fielder to the wall, looking up as the ball cleared the fence for the three run homerun, erupting the Trojans in the dugout and the fans in the stands. Paul remembers "I had to just put the ball in play, my teammates had done their job and got on base, so it was my turn to come through for them."
Rogers would battle for the Trojans through five and a third innings, striking out four and allowing only one run in the first inning. The Tigers would threaten throughout the game, but that is when Rogers was at his best. Every time the Trojans needed him to get out the inning he would do just that; the Tigers would strand runners all night.
Rogers would hand the ball off to senior Caleb Deas to finish off the Tigers and capture the elusive District Championship. Deas would come in as the power pitcher as Rogers was more of a finesse pitcher who outsmarted his opponents.
The Tigers could not adjust through the fifth or the sixth inning. Deas took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and could breathe a little easier, riding the momentum set in place at the end of the sixth inning. The Trojans were on defense, trying to hold the Tigers yet again. With two outs and a runner on second, the Tigers hit a base hit to leftfielder David Gause. When the Tigers' coach sent the runner from second to score, Gause would fire a strike to Howard who was waiting at home plate to tag out the base runner, crushing the Tigers hopes at any attempt to rally.
The Trojans would then score three more insurance runs as Jaxson Smith drove in a run and Julian Garcia would double scoring two for the Trojans. The Tigers would finally cross the plate one final time in the seventh, but that would not be enough, as Deas closed the game in fitting fashion by striking out the last of the Tigers.
Coach Howard reflected on the night, "Our guys bought into the idea of playing as a team and playing for each other. I couldn't be any prouder of our guys."
The Hamilton County Trojans were named the District Champions, with the final score 6-2. They will advance to State Regionals as they travel to Blountstown on Friday, May 7, for their game at 7 p.m.