The HoCo Bears made the over two hour trip to NE Marietta to take on the Pope Greyhounds in the Elite Eight in a battle of the top two teams in class AAAAA. The result was a Black, Silver, and White sweep.. winning Game One 6-4 and winning Game Two 4-2 to advance to the Final Four.
Game One would be intense from start to finish as the visitors got the scoring started in the top of the first when Logan Elble hit a two-run jack to to center to drive in himself and Vick Gann to give HoCo a 2-0 lead. Pope would respond by plating two runs in the last of the first to tie the game at 2 a piece. The Greyhounds would take the lead in the last of the second on a balk by HoCo’s Will Allen.
The Bears would tie the game in the top of the fifth on an Ethan Buffone sac-groundout and the host would retake the lead in the last of the fifth and the score would read 4-3 Pope going into the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth with one out on the board.. Isaiah Galason would hit a clutch go-ahead two-rbi double to drive in Kendall Jackson and Vick Gann to give HoCo a 5-4 lead.
Galason would later score on an E2 to make the score 6-4 in favor of the Black, Silver, and White going into the last of the sixth. The visitors would shut the Greyhounds down the rest of the way to win Game One 6-4 to take a 1-0 series lead. Isaiah Galason and Logan Elble led HoCo in rbis with two a piece followed by Ethan Buffone with one.
SP Will Allen pitched a complete game.. surrendering four runs (three earned) on eight hits, walking none, and striking out three in the process on 96 pitches. The Bears snapped the Greyhounds’ 25-game win streak in Game One as the host lost for the first time since February 28th.
Game Two would be intense from start to finish as well as the first 2 1/2 innings would go scoreless. The designated host (HoCo) would get on the board in the last of the third when Kendall Jackson scored on a wild pitch to make the score 1-0 Bears and Logan Elble would hit a no-doubt 2-run jack to left to drive in himself and Isaiah Galason to make the score 3-0 HoCo and that would be the score through five innings of play.
Pope would make noise in the top of the sixth when they plated two runs off of two sac-flies to cut the gap down to 3-2 HoCo going into the last of the sixth. Noah Odom would get a run back for the Black, Silver, and White in the last of the sixth when he hit an rbi single to drive in Peyton Nauss to make the score 4-2 Bears after six innings of play.
The Greyhounds would bring the tying run to the plate but HoCo would get the strikeout to end the game to win Game Two 4-2 and get the series sweep over Pope 2-0. Logan Eble would once again lead the Bears in rbis with two followed by Noah Odom with one. SP Max Wilhide pitched for 5 2/3rds innings surrendering two earned runs on two hits, walking none, and striking out four in the process.
Reliever Tyson Ganas relief-pitched the final inning and a third and surrendered no runs on one hit, walking none, and striking out three in the process and recording the save. The Bears have won a playoff series at Pope’s Diamond for the first time ever in four tries and improves to 31-5 on the season and will host the Loganville Red Devils in the Final Four next Tuesday in a doubleheader. The Black, Silver, and White are currently on a 13-game win streak.
Pope sees it’s 2025 season come to a heartbreaking end at 31-5 overall. It is also the first time that the Greyhounds have failed to reach the Final Four since 2014.
