The baseball adage that it all starts on the mound certainly applies to the Pleasant Grove Hawks, who this week move into the area round of the state playoffs with a home-and-home, best-of-three series against Wills Point.
"A close game makes it more fun for the fans," joked PG coach Riley Fincher. "We knew Chapel Hill was good. They were very talented and started to pull it all together at the end of the season.
"The first playoff win is always tough, especially for our younger guys, who hadn't been there before," Fincher said."It was good to see our guys come through when they had to."
The road doesn't get any easier this week against Wills point, which swept Crandall in two games in the area round.
"Wills Point is traditionally a good baseball program," Fincher said. "They have good starting pitching, they put the ball in play and they're very aggressive on the base paths."
Which is to say, a lot like Pleasant Grove.
Ranked No. 5 this week in the coaches' poll. The Hawks this go about as far as pitchers Caleb Bolden, Will Hlavinka and Joe Pearlman can take them.
"We've got to get great starting pitching. Our guys are prepared, they're focused, they know what's in front of them," Fincher said.
Bolden will likely get the call tonight in tonight's home game, and Pearlman in game one tomorrow in Wills Point.
Pearlman, at short when not pitching, will lead off for the Hawks. He's followed by center fielder A.J. Snyder, first baseman Heath Ferguson, right fielder Carson Cox, catcher Mark Ashby, second baseman Jacob Smith, Bolden, Connor Ouellette or Tanner Cole at third, and left fielder Vashon Williams.
Wills Point, winner of four of its last five, features a strong infield, especially on the left side with shortstop Caden Bennett Jr. Senior pitchers Riley Ramsey and Hosea Carroll give the Tigers experience on the mound.
The winner will advance to face either Canton or Pittsburg. The Pirates, fourth-place finishers in 15-4A, the district that PG won last week knocked off 16-4A champion Bullard, 9-3, 3-1. The district's other two qualifiers, North Lamar and Paris, are also still playing this week.
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TEAMS: Pleasant Grove (22-2, 15-4A champion, No. 5 in coaches' poll) vs. Wills Point (16-9, 2nd Place 14-4A)
LAST WEEK: Pleasant Grove won a one-game playoff, defeating Tyler Chapel Hill, 3-2; Wills Point beat Crandall, 2-1, 13-3.
SITE, TIME: Friday, 7 p.m., Hawk Field. Saturday, 1 p.m., Wills Point High School. Game 3 to follow, if necessary.
AT STAKE: Class 4A Area Championship
NEXT ROUND: Winner of Pittsburg vs. Canton in regional quarterfinal
RADIO: KTRG 94.1 FM, 6:30 p.m., Saturday 12:30 p.m.