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Sports

King's Ridge Splits Games in Class A Baseball Playoffs

Providence wins opener 27-18, King's Ridge takes second game 8-7.

The offense and drama that were on display in the Class A baseball quarterfinal series between Providence Christian and King's Ridge Tuesday in Lilburn continues today in a third game.

After the two schools combined for 45 and 39 hits in the first game won by Providence 27-18 (that's not a typo), King's Ridge scored in its last at-bat in the second game to win 8-7.

The split forces the deciding game in the best-of-three series, scheduled today, also at Providence.

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The opening game featured seven home runs–including back-to-back-to-back  shots by Providence in the second inning off Tigers pitcher Luke McCracken. Later in the inning, Christin Stewart hit his second homer of the inning, a grand slam, as the Stars scored 10 runs and took a 15-4 lead. Austin Loyd, Stewart and Austin Smith also homered in the inning.

King's Ridge battled back with eight runs in the top of the third, and actually took an 18-17 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

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However, Nick Stidham's three-run, bases-clearing double highlighted a six-run bottom half of the fifth and the Stars added four more in the bottom of the sixth to complete a 10-0 run over the last two innings.

In the second game, the Tigers broke a 3-3 tie to go up 7-3 with a run in the fifth inning and three in the sixth, but Providence again battled back in the top of the seventh to tie the game. Stewart connected on his second grand slam of the day to send the Tigers to their last at-bat in the bottom of the inning.

Kings Ridge's Patrick McClure doubled to the base of the wall in right-center field and came home after Jason McCoy singled between shortstop and third base. The throw to the plate was wide and Kings Ridge won 8-7.

"Game one was about as crazy as I've ever seen," said Kings Ridge coach Jason Couch. "But for us to come back and play the way we did, I am real proud of them. That is what these guys do, they fight to the end."

Providence coach Adam Cantrell was also proud of his team for the way it hit in game one and then coming back in game two after falling behind.

"I told them I was proud of the way they played in game one and had a lot of heart," said Cantrell. "I am proud of the way they finished and the way they challenged in game two. We challenged and made them make a play and they did."

Providence will be the home team for the third game, which begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

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