Pleasant Grove's seniors finished the game with style on Senior Night.
The Hawks survived a scare from a scrappy Atlanta team to win 4-3 in a District 14-4A clash at Hawk Field Tuesday.
In the top of the seventh, senior relief pitcher Will Hlavinka threw to senior Caleb Bolden, and Bolden threw to senior first baseman Heath Ferguson for a game-ending 1-6-3 double play for Pleasant Grove.
"I thought we came out early on, offensively, and played at a high level," Pleasant Grove head coach Riley Fincher said. "You have to give Atlanta's (Nick) Hale credit. He pitched them out of jams all night. We have to do better with scoring guys with two outs, but we'll get that corrected.
"We have 11 seniors, they are great guys, and have been part of the program for four years. They understand that a playoff run is ahead of us, and they want to play as long as they can in a Pleasant Grove uniform."
Hawk seniors Hlavinka, Bolden, Ferguson, Tyler Jeans, Connor Ouellette, Cade Thompson, Logan Overmyer, Nathan Brinkley, Layne Martindale, Allen Lambert, and trainer Collier Cordray were recognized before the game.
Jeans earned the win, struck out seven, had one earned run and scattered seven hits for Pleasant Grove.
Atlanta's Hale threw five innings, gave up 4 hits, four runs, and three earned runs.
Bolden hit a hard grounder past third base to advance Thompson, who reached on a walk, in the first frame for the Hawks. Heath Ferguson laid down a bunt and reached safely for a single to load the bases. Carson Cox hit a sacrifice fly to score Thompson.
Keaton Russo smacked a single to center field to score Bolden to make it 2-0 in favor of PG. Two more runs crossed on two consecutive Atlanta errors to put the Hawks up 4-0. It would be the only runs Pleasant Grove would need.
The Rabbits (12-13, 4-6) got on the board in the third when Leyton Henson hammered a solo shot to right field. Henson would fall a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and was 3 for 3. The game was played on even keel until the seventh stanza.
Jake Thompson, who came in relief for Hale in the sixth and struck out three, hit a single to center to lead off the Rabbits' seventh. Henson was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on an error, and stole third. Thompson scored on PG's throwing error to second base to make it 4-2.
Atlanta inched to within a run when Max Ebarb smacked a 1-run single to right center as Henson crossed to plate to make it 4-3 with one out. Pleasant Grove completed the 1-6-3 double play for the win.
The Rabbs stranded eight on base, and the Hawks left four on base.
The Rabbits are tied with Pittsburg for the fourth and final playoff spot. Atlanta will play the Pirates in a play-in game with date and location to be determined.
PG (25-3, 9-1) won the District 14-4A crown and are the No. 1 seed. North Lamar took second, and Paris third.
Atlanta 001 000 2 - 3 8 2
PG 400 000 x - 4 4 0
Nick Hale, Jake Thompson (6) and Jose Arredondo. Tyler Jeans, Will Hlavinka (7) and Keaton Russo. WP-Jeans. LP-Hale. HR: Atlanta, Leyton Henson, 3rd, none on.