By PATRICK CASEY
It wasn’t easy, but South Walton captured their first district championship in the sport of baseball in school history on Thursday with a 6-5 victory over the Chipley Tigers in Jay.
The Seahawks scored three insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning, then held on as Chipley plated three of their own in their final at-bat to pick up a one-run win.
South Walton scored three runs in both the first and seventh innings as Chase Miles drove in a pair with a double. Miles, Austin Garofalo and Dillon Bates each scored two runs in the contest as three errors in the field played a big part in the Tigers’ loss.
Adam Richards went the distance to earn the win for the Seahawks as he allowed only two hits but walked 10 batters and hit three. He did post eight strikeouts while Chipley starter Shelby Savell matched the eight strikeouts while walking five to go along with five hits for South Walton.
Richards got Tripp Hodges to pop out to end the game and trigger the celebration for capturing the District 3, Class A crown and a home playoff game, both firsts in the sport for the school.
The Seahawks got to the title contest after dispatching county rival Freeport 12-2 on April 19 in Jay as Dillon Bates went six innings to pick up the victory. South Walton won all three games with the Bulldogs on the season, scoring eight runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings to trigger the 10-run rule.
Head coach Nick Borthwick and the club will face off against Liberty County(15-11) on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at South Walton High School in an opening round Class A contest.
Team Notes: South Walton is 20-7 overall, marking their first 20-win season in the sport and most wins in one season in the program’s history. Chipley(18-6) has the unenviable task of playing at Region 2 favorite Bozeman(16-10) in the first round. Freeport finished the 2016 season with an 8-14 mark and the loss to the Seahawks marked the final contest for seniors Max Dyell and Cody Autrey.