Gordo baseball falls in Class 3A championship series

Gordo baseball dropped a pair of one-run games to Houston Academy and lost its chance to win the Class 3A state championship.

The Greenwave won Game 1 of the championship series on Wednesday night and needed one win to bring home the ‘Blue Map’ plaque.

In Game 2, Gordo scored a pair of runs in the top of the 8th inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Greenwave was unable to get the final three outs as Houston Academy scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th. The Raiders Wade Shelley was hit-by-a-pitch with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in a 4-3 victory to force a final “winner-take-all” game for the title.

Gordo had leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in Game 3 but couldn’t finish. The game was tied 3-3 in the sixth inning when lightning struck again. Houston Academy’s JT Pitchford was hit-by-a-pitch with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run. The Greenwave was unable to rally in its final two at-bats as Houston Academy won Game 3, 4-3 to capture the Class 3A state baseball  championship.

“You have to give credit to Houston Academy for being down Game 1 and then fighting back and sweeping the day,” said Gordo head coach Jonathan Pate. “They’re all one run ball games. I think you can play them ten times and get ten different results. I’m proud of our kids and the resilience that they showed, not just today and yesterday but throughout the year. Hopefully it makes them better young men.”

Gordo’s Brax Garrison had RBIs in both games. In Game 2, Garrison’s hit in the 8th inning gave the Greenwave a 2-1 lead. In Game 3, Garrison delivered a 2-run double in the 2nd inning to get Gordo on the scoreboard.

The Greenwave’s Baylee Price and Landon Fike scored a run in both games.