Pitching powers Piedmont
- Updated: April 24, 2021
Calhoun, Reedy pitch Bulldogs to sweep of Saks in opening round of Class 3A playoffs, next round opponent TBD
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
PIEDMONT — Jadon Calhoun struck out the side in order in the first inning on 10 straight strikes. He punched them out in order in the second on 13 pitches.
Saks got to him, eventually, but not until it was too late.
The senior right-handed was as good as could be for 6 1/3 innings Friday night, pitching the Bulldogs to an eventual 9-5 win in the first game of their Class 3A playoff doubleheader.
Not to be undone, Noah Reedy threw hard for six innings in the nightcap and threw a combined five-hit shutout 11-0 to complete the sweep.
The Bulldogs (29-4), riding a 13-game winning streak, will play either Elkmont or Sylvania in Round 2. Those teams split a pair of 8-3 games Friday and will play for the series weather permitting Saturday.
“I thought for every inning except one our pitching was outstanding,” Piedmont coach Matt Deerman said.“They did what we told them to do: Fill the zone up, get ahead in counts. We had that one bad inning where we hit a lull, but other than that I thought our pitching was outstanding.”
How sharp was Calhoun when he was fresh? He came within a foul ball of an immaculate inning in the first. He threw 21 of his first 23 pitches and 26 of his first 29 for strikes before yielding his first baserunner on a four-pitch walk. Then he struck out the next guy on three pitches.
He struck out 13 and faced only two batters over the minimum through 6 1/3 innings (71 pitches/54 strikes). He didn’t allow a ball to the outfield until the fourth inning.
“That’s the first game I’ve ever actually filled up the zone that well,” Calhoun said. “We went the whole day and were high on energy because it’s the first round of the playoffs. I kind of built off that.”
“I thought he did an excellent job of executing what our game plan was on the mound,” Deerman said.
“He was filling it up,” catcher Jack Hayes said. “I wouldn’t say he’s been struggling the last couple games, but he hadn’t been pitching his best. Today he really came out and filled the zone up good.”
But just like a meteor that enters the atmosphere white-hot, he flamed out in the sixth that he entered with a 9-0 lead.
He got the first out on another strikeout, then Saks put the next five batters on base. Deerman went after him after a bases-loaded walk forced in the second run of the inning.
Reliever Cassius Fairs walked the first two batters he faced forcing in runs and another scored when catcher Jack Hayes’ throw behind the runner at third sailed into left field. Calhoun was charged with all five runs that spoiled an otherwise brilliant performance.
“I was getting a little tired,” he said
Before Saks rallied in the sixth Piedmont was dangerously close to walking it off in the bottom of the fifth.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out and had the walk-off run at second, but Jeremy Waters relieved starter Mason Jairrels, gave up a sacrifice fly to make it 9-0 and nothing more the rest of the game.
Reedy was just as efficient early as well. He struck out the side in the first and second innings on 22 pitches. At one point he fanned six in a row and all his outs in the first 2 1/3 came via punch outs.
He, too, came within two pitches of an immaculate inning in the second and 22 of his first 27 pitches were strikes.
“Just getting out there and throwing strikes is the only thing I focus on,” Reedy said. “It’s win or go home now.”
He struck out 11 before yielding to Austin Estes in the seventh. Estes struck out two of the four batters he faced.
The Bulldogs gave Calhoun a big lead early, jumping out 6-0 after two innings and adding three more in the fifth. Estes had a two-run single in the fifth, Calhoun drove in two runs with a triple and double in his first two at-bats, Fairs had two hits and Hayes had two RBIs.
In the nightcap, Reedy and Saks starter Connor Martin were locked in a pitcher’s duel for the first three innings. The Bulldogs broke the ice when Max Hanson beat a wide throw to the plate on Hayes’ grounder to third, then put up four in each of the next two innings.
Reedy had four RBIs in his last three at-bats and Sean Smith knocked in three runs with a pair of hits.
“I thought we got off to a really good start in the first game and then sat on a lead,” Deerman said. “We’ve done that a lot this year. We’ve got to be more mature than that, finish them off.
“We let them hang around and it gave them life in the second game. I thought what we did on the mound, that helped control that when we didn’t get off to a good start on offense.”
Game One
Piedmont 9, Saks 5
Saks 000 005 0 – 5 3 2
Piedmont 420 030 x – 9 9 2
WP: Jadon Calhoun (6-2). LP: Mason Jairrels. 2B: Mason Jairrels (S). 3B: Jadon Calhoun (P), Noah Reedy (P).
Game Two
Piedmont 11, Saks 0
Piedmont 000 144 2 – 11 9 1
Saks 000 000 0 – 0 5 2
WP: Noah Reedy (6-1). LP: Connor Martin. 2B: Sean Smith (P).
Cover photo of Piedmont’s Jadon Calhoun delivering a pitch in the first game Friday by Bo Hudgins/SaksSportsPhotography.
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