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Admin
 
GACS
1575 Indian Trail Road
Norcross, Georgia
30093
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 2002 Review |
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Thursday, February 14
THE 2002 SEASON IS NEAR!
The 2002 GAC baseball season is getting underway! The Spartans participated in tryouts/conditioning all this week. The varsity roster will be posted early next week, and practice will get underway after that. Opening day is March 5 vs. Meadowcreek!
Monday, February 18
GAC VARSITY ROSTER - 2002
Congratulations to the 2002 Varsity Spartans:
William Bond
Thomas Bush
Jason Cunningham
John Dobson
Jeff Fambrough
Matt Handley
Michael Handley
Micah Johnson
Jim Knauss
Matt Knauss
Ty Morris
Donnie Smith
Kyle Smith
Joseph Thomas
Brian Walker
Good luck to each of you during the upcoming season!
Tuesday, February 26
NEW LOOK AT SPARTAN FIELD FOR 2002
There is a fresh new look to Spartan field this year. New foul ball netting, landscaping, walkways, and fresh paint have improved the surrounding appearance significantly. Inside the fence, the field looks great as always, the grass is green, the windscreen is hung, and it's time to play ball!
Tuesday, February 26
PRACTICE UNDERWAY!!
Practice is underway for the 2002 Spartans, as they prepare for opening day on March 5th.
 | | Matt Handley on the Mound |
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Tuesday, March 5
SPARTANS WIN SEASON OPENER!!!
The 2002 Spartan varsity baseball season got off to a great start today with a 10-0 non-region win against the Meadowcreek Mustangs.
Ty Morris went 3-3 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI to pace the offense. Micah Johnson, Donnie Smith, and Joseph Thomas also added base hits for the Spartans.
On the mound, Matt Handley and Thomas Bush combined on a one-hit shutout. Matt struck out 7 batters in 3 innings and Thomas struck out 3 in 2 innings. The game was ended on the run rule after 5 innings.
Next up for GAC is a home double-header this Saturday at noon versus The Providence Stars.
 | | Ty Morris |
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Saturday, March 9
SPARTANS SWEEP PROVIDENCE 9-2 AND 18-0!
| |  | | William Bond Strikes Out 9 Stars |
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In Game 1, starting pitcher William Bond went 4 innings and struck out 9 batters to pick up the win. Jason Cunningham relieved and closed out the game, striking out 5 batters in 3 innings. Leading the offense for the Spartans was Matt Handley with 3 hits, and Micah Johnson and Ty Morris with 2 hits each. Jeff Fambrough, William Bond, Donnie Smith, Joseph Thomas, John Dobson, and Jim Knauss all added 1 hit each.
Game 2 was played through several rain delays and was ended after 3 innings due to the run rule. Starting pitcher Michael Handley went all 3 innings for the win, striking out 5 batters and allowing 1 hit. At the plate, Matt Handley had 5 RBI's, including a grand slam home run. Donnie Smith and Joseph Thomas also homered for the Spartans.
Thursday, March 14
SPARTANS EDGE WHITE CO. WARRIORS 2-1 IN REGION 8AA OPENER!
Jeff Fambrough's 7th inning solo homer brought GAC from behind to survive a tight pitcher's duel in the region opener at White County. Matt Handley picked up the complete game win, striking out 11 Warriors and allowing only 2 hits.
White County scored an early unearned run and led 1-0 for much of the game, as their starting pitcher allowed only 3 hits and 1 run in 6 1/3 innings.
With 1 out in the 7th, Jeff Fambrough's home run to left tied the game. Brian Walker was then hit by a pitch, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a passed ball, and scored the lead run on another passed ball. Matt Handley then shut down the Warriors in the home 7th to complete the win for the Spartans.
Next up for the Spartans is a Monday home game against Union County.
Monday, March 18
GAC 8, Union County 4
Micah Johnson hit a 3 run double and contributed several outstanding plays at shortstop as GAC (5-0, 2-0 Region 8AA), defeated the visiting Union County Panthers (4-1, 0-1), by an 8-4 score.
Ty Morris added a single and a triple with 2 RBI's for the Spartans. Matt Handley also knocked in a run with a base hit.
Thomas Bush started on the mound for GAC and picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings while allowing 6 hits and 4 runs and striking out 5 Panthers. Michael Handley closed out the contest, striking out 2 in the final 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Stephen Stover and Robert Aulet hit homeruns for Union County.
 | | Thomas Bush |
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Thursday, March 21
EAST HALL 7, GAC 4
|  | | Matt Handley Pitches Against East Hall |
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East Hall (4-3, 1-1), handed GAC (5-1, 2-1), their first loss of the season in the make-up of yesterday's rained out game.
GAC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but could not hold the Vikings off as East Hall fought back for a 7-4 win. Matt Handley started on the mound for GAC, going 4 innings and striking out 2 Vikings while allowing 3 runs. Michael Handley pitched the final 2 innings for GAC and took the hard luck loss.
At the plate for GAC, Donnie Smith singled and knocked in 2 runs, John Dobson was 2-2 with 2 runs scored, and Micah Johnson had 2 RBI's and a sacrifice bunt. Ty Morris and Joseph Thomas also had hits for GAC.
Wednesday, March 20
REGION 8AA ALIGNMENT
With region play now getting underway, here is a comparison of the current makeup of Region 8AA and the new membership for the next two years:
 | | Jason Cunningham Pitches Against Riverside |
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Saturday, March 23
SPARTANS 14, RIVERSIDE 0
GAC improved to 6-1 (3-1 Region 8AA), with a 14-0 shutout win against the Riverside Eagles.
Freshman Jason Cunningham picked up the win, allowing only 1 hit and striking out 5 Eagles in 4 innings of work. Fellow freshman David Shida closed out the game with 1 inning of hitless pitching.
The offense was paced by Micah Johnson, who was 4-4 with a double and 3 RBI's. Pitcher Jason Cunningham added a 2 run double, and Donnie Smith, Brian Walker, Ty Morris, Jeff Fambrough, Matt Handley, Michael Handley, Jim Knauss, and Matt Knauss also had hits for GAC.
Monday, March 25
GAC Wins at Banks County
The Spartans defeated the Banks County Leopards in a Region 8AA road game by a 12-1 score. GAC's record improves to 7-1, 4-1 region, while Banks County falls to 6-4, 3-2.
William Bond pitched a complete game for the Spartans, striking out 12 Leopards and allowing only 4 hits and 1 run to pick up the victory.
Offensively for GAC, catcher Kyle Smith had 2 hits, a sacrifice fly, and 3 RBI's and Matt Handley homered and singled with 2 RBI's. Matt Knauss, pinch running for the catcher, scored GAC's first run on a passed ball. Joseph Thomas added 2 hits and 3 RBI's, Micah Johnson went 2-3 and scored on another passed ball, pitcher William Bond had a double and a sacrifice fly for an RBI, Donnie Smith was 2-3 with an RBI, and Jeff Fambrough was 2-3 at the plate.
Next up for GAC is a home game against Rabun County on Wednesday.
 | | Micah Johnson Heads for Second |
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Thursday, March 28
GAC 7, BOWDON 2
GAC (8-1), defeated Class A state power Bowdon (7-3), in a non-region game played at GAC.
Thomas Bush got the win, pitching a complete game while allowing 6 hits and striking out 10 Red Devils.
Offensively for the Spartans, Matt Handley had 2 hits and 2 RBI's, John Dobson had 2 doubles and an RBI, Joseph Thomas had a double, a single, and an RBI, and William Bond had 2 hits and an RBI. Donnie Smith, Ty Morris, and Jeff Fambrough also delivered hits for GAC.
Friday, March 29
GAC BEATS LUMPKIN CO. 1-0 IN PITCHER'S DUEL!
|  | | Matt Handley Shuts Out Lumpkin County |
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Pitchers Matt Handley of GAC and David Richardson of Lumpkin County (6-2-1, 4-1) both threw complete games and each struck out 13 opposing batters, but Handley came away with the shutout win for GAC. Matt allowed only 3 hits in picking up the victory.
In the first inning, GAC centerfielder Joseph Thomas crashed into the outfield wall as he made a great catch on a deep fly ball at the top of the fence to help preserve the shutout.
GAC scored their run in the 1st inning, when pitcher Matt Handley singled to bring in Donnie Smith, who had 2 hits for the day. Kyle Smith had the only other hit for the Spartans, who are now 9-1 overall, 5-1 in Region 8AA.
Monday, April 1
GAC 13, Apalachee 5
|  | | Matt Handley - Grand Slam! |
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GAC improved its record to 10-1, 6-1 in Region 8AA, with a 13-5 road win at Apalachee.
Michael Handley went the distance on the mound to pick up the win, striking out 5 Wildcat batters over 7 innings.
Matt Handley led the offense with a Grand Slam, a triple, and 5 RBI's. Micah Johnson had a double and 3 RBI's, while Joseph Thomas, Jason Cunningham, William Bond, Thomas Bush, John Dobson, Matt Knauss, and Kyle Smith also had hits for GAC.
Tuesday, April 2
GAC 10, Rabun County 0
|  | | William Bond One-hits the Wildcats |
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William Bond threw a 1 hit shutout against the Rabun County Wildcats in a Region 8AA game played at GAC. The only Rabun County hit came on a bunt single in the 6th inning. William struck out 11 batters in a game shortened to 6 innings by the run rule.
Matt Handley continued his hot hitting at the plate, going 3-3 with a single, a double, and a triple, while driving in 3 runs. Micah Johnson, Donnie Smith, Ty Morris, Joseph Thomas, Jeff Fambrough, and William Bond all had hits for the Spartans.
GAC is now 11-1, 7-1 Region 8AA.
Wednesday, April 3
GAC 10, Towns County 0
Jason Cunningham threw the second Spartan shutout in as many days, as GAC defeated Towns County 10-0. Jason struck out 4 Indians in 5 innings in the run rule shortened game.
William Bond led the offense for GAC, with a single, a triple, and 5 RBI's. Matt Handley had a hit and 3 RBI's, and Donnie Smith and Matt Knauss also had hits for GAC.
The Spartans are now 12-1, 8-1 in Region 8AA.
Friday, April 5
SPARTANS WIN 9-1 AT DAWSON COUNTY!
Matt Handley improved his pitching record for the season to 5-0 with a complete game 9-1 victory at Region 8AA rival Dawson County. Matt allowed only two hits and struck out 8 Tigers in the contest.
The Spartan offense erupted for 6 runs in the 7th inning to break open a close game. John Dobson was 3-4 with a double and an RBI and Donnie Smith was 3-4 with a double and 2 RBIs. Joseph Thomas was 2-5 with an RBI, and Micah Johnson, Ty Morris, Jeff Fambrough, and William Bond also had hits for GAC.
The Spartans are now 13-1 overall and 9-1 through the first half of the Region 8AA schedule.
Sunday, April 7
SPARTAN ALUMNI PLAYING COLLEGE BASEBALL
Following is a list of recently graduated former GAC players now playing college baseball:
Michael Calano - Tusculum College
Doug Cunningham - Birmingham-Southern College
Scott Gaffney - Georgia Perimeter College
Richard Hightower - Middlebury College
Johann Schneider - Harvard University
Josh Walker - Samford University
I apologize if anyone has been omitted - if so, please forward the details to Spartan alumni and I will add them to the list.
Monday, April 8
Pace 2, GAC 1
Thomas Bush of GAC (13-2) and Andrew Goss of Pace Academy (13-1-1) faced off in a non-region pitcher's battle at GAC, with Goss finally coming out on the winning end by a 2-1 score.
The score was even at 1 when Pace took the lead with a pinch hit solo homer in the top of the 7th inning. Michael Handley closed down the inning for GAC, but the Spartans could not push across a run to tie in their half of the inning.
Thomas Bush struck out 6 Knights in 6 strong innings of work, and Michael Handley struck out 2 more Pace batters in relief.
Offensively for the Spartans, Ty Morris had 2 hits, Matt Handley was 2-3, and John Dobson was 1-3 with an RBI.
GAC resumes region play Wednesday with a home game against White County.
Wednesday, April 10
GAC 10, White Co. 0
Michael Handley picked up the win for GAC in Region 8AA play. Michael threw a 6 inning shutout, striking out 5 Warriors and allowing 6 hits.
Jeff Fambrough was 2-2 at the plate, with a home run and 3 RBI's. Kyle Smith added 2 hits and an RBI for GAC. Ty Morris, Donnie Smith (2 RBI), Jason Cunningham (1 RBI), Matt Handley, and Joseph Thomas (2 RBI) also had hits for the Spartans.
GAC is now 14-2, 10-1 for the season.
Thursday, April 11
COACH SHELTON REACHES 350 WINS!
Last weeks 10-0 win over Towns County marked the 350th victory in Coach Cliff Shelton's distinguished career at GAC. The 2002 Spartan seniors presented Coach Shelton with a commemorative plaque after the White County game.
Congratulations Coach, and many more!
Monday, April 15
SPARTANS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE WITH 4-3 WIN OVER E. HALL!
|  | | Another Strikeout for Matt Handley |
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Matt Handley out-dueled Blake Vandiver of East Hall in a dramatic 8 inning game at GAC for the Region 8AA lead. Each pitcher threw a complete game, with Matt striking out 13 Vikings and Vandiver setting down 10 Spartans.
East Hall scored 3 runs in the first to take the early lead, but Handley shut the Viking offense down for the remainder of the game, allowing only 1 hit after the 1st inning.
The Spartan offense clawed back with a run in the 2nd, another in the 4th, the tying run in the 6th, and the winner in the 8th. William Bond ended the game with a clutch 2 out RBI single over the Viking 2nd baseman, bringing home Joseph Thomas with the winning run.
For the game, Joseph Thomas was 2-4 with a home run, Matt Handley had 2 hits and an RBI, John Dobson had an RBI single, Jeff Fambrough had a single, and William Bond was 2-4 with the game winning hit.
The Spartans are now alone in 1st place in Region 8AA with an 11-1 record.
Wednesday, April 17
GAC 14, RIVERSIDE 0
| |  | | Jeff Fambrough - Grand Slam! |
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Jeff Fambrough was 3-3 with a triple, a grand slam, and 5 RBI's to lead the Spartan offense on the road at Riverside Military Academy. Joseph Thomas added a homerun, and Ty Morris, Jason Cunningham, Micah Johnson, Kyle Smith, John Dobson, William Bond, and Jim Knauss all had hits for GAC.
Jason Cunningham was the winning pitcher, holding the Eagles scoreless over 5 innings. Jason struck out 7 batters and allowed only 4 hits.
Next up for GAC is a make-up of last weeks Union County rain out. The Spartans play tomorrow at 5PM at Union County.
Friday, April 19
THOMAS BUSH NO-HITS BANKS COUNTY!
|  | | Thomas Bush No Hits the Leopards! |
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Senior right-hander Thomas Bush no-hit the Banks County Leopards in a 5 inning run rule shortened game at GAC. Thomas struck out 8 batters in the 10-0 GAC victory.
Senior Jeff Fambrough hit a 2 run home run to lead the Spartan offense. John Dobson added a 2 run double, Kyle Smith was 2-2 with an RBI, and Matt Handley, Joseph Thomas, Micah Johnson, and William Bond also had hits for GAC.
GAC's record improves to 17-2, 13-1.
Monday, April 22
SPARTANS OUTSLUG RABUN CO. 12-8!
| |  | | John Dobson Homers Against Rabun County |
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GAC posted a 12-8 victory in an offensive battle at Rabun County. Some uncharacteristically sloppy defensive play by the Spartans helped the Wildcat upset bid, but in the end GAC pulled away for the all-important region win.
The Spartans had 16 hits for the game, as senior Matt Handley again led the way. Matt was 2-4 with 5 RBI's and 2 homeruns. John Dobson was 3-4 with 2 solo homeruns and Joseph Thomas added a 2 run homer. Senior Donnie Smith was 4-4 and Ty Morris, William Bond, and Kyle Smith also had hits for GAC.
Michael Handley picked up the win for the Spartans, going 6 innings and striking out 4 Wildcats. William Bond closed out the game with a hitless 7th inning.
GAC is now 18-2, 14-1.
Wednesday, April 24
LUMPKIN COUNTY EDGES GAC 2-1
|  | | Matt Handley Threw a 2-Hitter at Lumpkin Co. |
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The Spartans and the Indians faced off in another pitchers duel in Dahlonega, as Matt Handley of GAC battled Lumpkin County's Ryan Turner. Matt allowed only 2 hits while striking out 6; Turner struck out 13 Spartans and gave up 4 hits.
Both teams scored a run in the 1st inning, and the Indians squeezed home the go ahead run in the 5th inning. GAC had the tying run at 2nd in the 7th but could not get him in.
Joseph Thomas had the RBI single for GAC. William Bond added 2 singles and Ty Morris had the other GAC hit.
GAC next plays at home against Apalachee this Friday.
Friday, April 26
GAC 12, Apalachee 2
|  | | Ty Morris Homered against Apalachee |
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Ty Morris led the Spartan offense to a 5 inning run rule shortened win at GAC. Ty went 3-4 with a solo homerun and 2 RBI's. Matt Handley was 3-3 with 3 RBI's and John Dobson was 3-3 with 2 RBI's. Joseph Thomas, Micah Johnson, and Kyle Smith also had hits for the Spartans.
Thomas Bush went the distance on the mound for GAC. Thomas struck out 4 Wildcats and allowed only 3 hits.
GAC continues region play Saturday with another rain make-up attempt at Union County.
 | | Donnie Smith Homered at Union County |
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Saturday, April 27
SPARTANS WIN 20th; BEAT UNION COUNTY 10-3!
| | | | William Bond Struck Out 15 Batters |
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GAC improved to 20-3 on the season and also clinched a State Tournament berth with a Region 8AA win at Union County.
William Bond struck out 15 Panthers in the complete game victory, allowing only 4 Union County hits.
Senior Donnie Smith hit a 2 run homer and Micah Johnson hit a 3 run homer to power the Spartan offense. Matt Handley, Joseph Thomas, John Dobson, William Bond, and Kyle Smith also contributed to the GAC 12 hit attack.
GAC will play at Towns County on Monday and will close out the regular season schedule at home against Dawson County on Wednesday.
 | | Micah Johnson Homers |
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Tuesday, April 30
SPARTANS BLANK TOWNS CO. 16-0
|  | | Senior Jeff Fambrough Homered at Towns Co. |
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Freshman Jason Cunningham allowed 1 hit in 2 innings of work and picked up the win at Hiawasee. Michael Handley followed with 2 innings of 1-hit shutout ball against the Indians in the run rule shortened game.
The Spartans, with 16 hits overall, were led offensively by Joseph Thomas. Joseph was 3-3 with a homerun and 6 RBI's. Donnie Smith went 3-4 with 2 RBI's and Jeff Fambrough was 2-2 with a homer and 2 RBI's for the Spartans.
GAC is now 21-3 with one regular season game remaining.
Thursday, May 2
REGION 8AA STANDINGS
1. GAC, 18-2
1. East Hall, 17-2
3. Lumpkin Co., 15-4
4. Dawson Co., 12-6
5. Union Co., 9-7
6. White Co., 4-8
7. Rabun Co., 6-9
7. Banks Co., 5-9
9. Apalachee, 4-13
10. Towns Co., 4-14
11. Riverside, 1-15
Thursday, May 2
SPARTANS CLINCH PIECE OF REGION 8AA TITLE ON SENIOR DAY!
|  | | 2002 Seniors Donnie Smith, Matt Handley, Jeff Fambrough, and Thomas Bush |
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GAC clinched at least a share of the region title today with an 11-1 win over Dawson County. The Spartans finish the region schedule with an 18-2 record, while East Hall is 17-2 with one game remaining.
Today was senior day at GAC, as Donnie Smith, Jeff Fambrough, Thomas Bush, and Matt Handley played their last regular season home game. These seniors have won or shared the region title all four years, finished as state runners-up in '99, were ranked #1 in Class AA for part of '01, set numerous GAC individual and team records, and still have the '02 state tournament coming up. Great job guys - it's been a great 4 years!
For the game today, senior Matt Handley picked up one more win for his stellar career. Matt threw a 6 inning complete game, allowed only 3 hits, and struck out 9 Tigers.
Offensively for the Spartans, senior Donnie Smith led the way with a 2-4 day. Donnie hit a walk off 3 run home run to give the Spartans a 10 run lead that ended the game in the home 6th inning. John Dobson added a 3 run homer, Joseph Thomas had 2 hits and 2 RBI's, Kyle Smith had a triple and an RBI, and Matt Handley went 1-2.
The Spartans next play in the State Tournament on Thursday, May 9 at home against a Region 6AA team to be determined.
Tuesday, May 7
STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS
The 2002 GHSA State Baseball Tournament brackets are shown here:
Class AA State Tournament
Thursday, May 9
GAC TAKES 1st GAME IN SERIES!
| |  | | The State Tournament is Underway |
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GAC (23-3), beat the Chapel Hill Panthers (19-8), by the score of 7-0 in a rain shortened game at GAC. The game was called in the 6th inning when heavy rains forced play to halt. Game 2 will be played tomorrow at 2:30PM at GAC, with Game 3 to follow if necessary.
Matt Handley picked up the victory for the Spartans, going 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, and striking out 5 Panthers. Jay Clower took the loss for Chapel Hill.
The Spartan offense was led by Jeff Fambrough, who went 2-3 with a triple and 4 RBI's. Kyle Smith was 1-2 with a sacrifice fly and 2 RBI's, William Bond was 2-3 with an RBI, and Donnie Smith, John Dobson, and Micah Johnson also added base hits for GAC.
Friday, May 10
GAC SWEEPS CHAPEL HILL!!
|  | | Joseph Thomas Homered vs Chapel Hill |
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GAC beat Chapel Hill 9-5 today to complete the opening round series sweep. William Bond picked up the win for GAC, throwing 6 innings, allowing 4 runs and striking out 13 Panthers. Thomas Bush pitched the 7th inning to close out the win.
Joseph Thomas had a home run, a triple, and 3 RBI's and Jeff Fambrough was 3-4 with a homer and 3 RBI's for the Spartans. John Dobson added a home run, Ty Morris went 3-4, William Bond went 3-4, and Donnie Smith, Matt Handley, and Micah Johnson all contributed to the 15 hit attack for GAC.
GAC advances to the 2nd Round of the State Tournament, where they will host Holy Innocents' this coming Wednesday, 5/15/02. Game time for the first game of the doubleheader is 4:00PM.
Wednesday, May 15
GAC AND HOLY INNOCENTS' SPLIT - DECISIVE GAME TOMORROW
| | | | Micah Johnson had 3 RBI's in Game 1 |
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GAC beat the Holy Innocents' Bears 7-3 in Game 1 and lost 2-1 in Game 2 in the 2nd Round of the AA State Tournament. The rubber game of the series will be played tomorrow at 3PM at GAC.
In Game 1, Matt Handley went the distance on the mound to pick up the win, striking out 9 batters and allowing 3 runs. Micah Johnson was 2-3 with a triple and 3 RBI's, Matt Handley was 2-4 with an RBI, John Dobson was 2-4 with an RBI, Jeff Fambrough had an RBI single, Ty Morris was 2-3, and Donnie Smith and William Bond also had hits for GAC. Harrison Boyd had a solo homer for Holy Innocents'.
Game 2 was a tight pitcher's battle, as William Bond of GAC and Harrison Boyd of Holy Innocents' dueled. William struck out 14 Bears in taking the hard luck loss, with the only HI runs coming off a David Horn 2 run homer in the 3rd inning. Likewise, the only run allowed by Boyd for HI was a solo homer by Matt Handley in the 4th inning. Matt went 2-2 for the game, with Ty Morris, Joseph Thomas, and William Bond collecting the other GAC hits.
Thursday, May 16
SPARTANS BEAT H. I. BEARS - ADVANCE TO ELITE EIGHT!!
| | | Thomas Bush Shut Out Holy Innocents' in Game 3 |
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Senior right-hander Thomas Bush shut down the Holy Innocents' Bears, sending the GAC Spartans into the 3rd round of the AA State Tournament. Thomas threw a complete game shutout, allowing only 3 hits while striking out 5 batters.
The Spartan bats came alive again after a slow start in the early innings. GAC put 10 hits on the board and ended the game on the run rule in the bottom of the 6th inning. GAC was led at the plate by Ty Morris (2-3 with 2 RBI's), Matt Handley (2-3 with an RBI), Joseph Thomas (double and 2 RBI's), Jeff Fambrough (2-3 and 2 RBI's), Kyle Smith (2-2 and 2 RBI's), and Donnie Smith (1-3 with an RBI).
The Spartans now advance to the state quarterfinals and a matchup with the Vidalia Indians. The series begins with a Monday doubleheader at GAC.
Monday, May 20
GAC and Vidalia Split 1st Two Games!
|  | | William Bond Struck Out 14 in Game 2 |
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Matt Stanley of the Vidalia Indians,(21-10), handcuffed the GAC Spartans, (27-5), by the score of 7-0 in Game 1, but William Bond of GAC returned the favor for a 6-1 Spartan victory in the nightcap.
GAC could manage only 2 hits off Stanley in Game 1, a single by Ty Morris and a double by Donnie Smith. Matt Handley pitched 6 innings for GAC, striking out 8 batters and allowing 6 hits. Brandon Low had 2 homeruns in the game for the Indians.
In Game 2, William Bond struck out 14 Indians in picking up the complete game victory. Jeff Fambrough tied the game at 1 each with an RBI triple in the 3rd inning, Matt Handley scored from 3rd on a wild pitch in the 5th, and Ty Morris added an insurance run with a long homerun to left in the 7th inning. Donnie Smith, Matt Handley, Joseph Thomas, and John Dobson also had hits for the Spartans.
The 3rd and deciding game of the series will be played tomorrow at GAC at 4PM.
Tuesday, May 21
GAC ADVANCES TO FINAL FOUR!!!
GAC, (28-5), defeated Vidalia, (21-11), by a 7-3 count today at GAC to send the Spartans into the AA State Final Four.
Vidalia threw ace Matt Stanley for the second consecutive day. Stanley shut out the Spartans in Game 1, and held a 3-0 lead going into the 6th inning today, when the Spartan bats finally got to him. John Dobson led off the inning with a single, Jeff Fambrough followed with a 2 out single, and Kyle Smith knocked in the 1st Spartan run with another single. Ty Morris then delivered a 2 run single to tie the game.
Vidalia coaches argued that GAC had celebrated on the field, and after the umpires rejected their argument, Vidalia played the remainder of the game under protest.
When the game resumed, Donnie Smith walked, and Matt Handley was intentionally walked to load the bases for Joseph Thomas. Joseph responded with a line drive over the scoreboard for a grand slam, and GAC had batted around and taken a 7-3 lead.
GAC starter Thomas Bush had held the Spartans in the game with another excellent outing, and he closed out the game with a 1 hit 7th inning. Thomas threw another complete game in picking up the series clinching win, allowing 8 hits and striking out 5 Indian batters.
GAC now moves on to host Brantley County in the AA semifinals.
Saturday, May 25
GAC AND BRANTLEY COUNTY GO TO GAME 3!!
GAC (29-6) and Brantley County (22-12) each won one game in today's doubleheader, sending the series to a third and deciding game on Monday at GAC.
In Game 1, Matt Handley threw a complete game for the Spartans, winning 9-4. Matt allowed 6 hits and struck out 8 Herons. Josh Carter picked up the loss for Brantley County, allowing 4 runs in the 1st 3 innings. Reliever Justin Coffee gave up 5 more GAC runs.
Offensively, GAC was led by seniors Donnie Smith and Jeff Fambrough. Donnie was 3-4 with 4 RBI's and Jeff was 2-2 with a double and a homerun. Ty Morris, Matt Handley, Joseph Thomas, William Bond, and Micah Johnson also contributed to GAC's 10 hits.
Game 2 was a pitcher's battle, with GAC's William Bond facing off with Paul Able of Brantley County. Able held the Spartans hitless until the 6th inning, and he allowed only 4 hits for the game. The Herons scratched out an unearned run in the second inning and held the 1-0 lead until GAC mustered a rally in the 7th inning. Joseph Thomas led off the Spartan's 7th with a double, John Dobson sacrificed him to 3rd, and pitcher William Bond drove in the tying run with a triple. Micah Johnson then followed with an RBI groundout to score William, giving GAC a 2-1 lead.
Brantley County struck back quickly with a lead off double in the bottom of the 7th. Derek Johns then homered to left, giving the Herons a 3-2 win and evening the series at 1 game apiece.
The decisive 3rd game will be played at GAC at 1:00PM on Monday.
Monday, May 27
BRANTLEY COUNTY ENDS SPARTAN SEASON
The Brantley County Herons ended GAC's 2002 season with a 9-3 win in today's Class AA State Semifinal Game. The Herons scored 5 runs in the 1st inning and kept the Spartans at bay for the remainder of the game. Brantley County moves on to face defending champ Cartersville in the State Finals.
The Spartans end the season as Region 8AA Co-Champions, State Semifinalists, and finish with a GAC season record 29 wins.
2002 GAC SPARTANS
The 2002 GAC Spartans finished with an overall record of 29-7. The Spartans were Region 8AA Co-Champions and State Semifinalists.
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