Rabbits win regional quarterfinals title over Harmony

Atlanta’s baseball team has been on quite a run.

The Rabbits (22-9, 11-2) finished up the regular season as district champions, and followed that title with a bi-district championship after outscoring Winnsboro 18-6 in two games.

Atlanta cemented an area championship by sweeping White Oak in two games, and met up with Harmony in the regional quarterfinals last week.

Harmony won game one, 4-2, after scoring late in the contest.

Game two was one for the ages and a must-win for the Rabbs.

Tied at 9-all with two outs in extra innings freshman standout Will Woodruff delivered a walk-off single and game winner which forced a decisive game three.

Game three was tense as neither team scored until the sixth frame. The Rabbs put up three runs in the sixth and held the Eagles to just one run over the final two innings to take the series.

Jackson Warren went the distance on the mound as he scattered seven hits and struck out three batters.

Warren was 2-for-3 from the dish and Randall Mason added a single.

Atlanta 2, Harmony 4

Game one of the series was a close affair throughout.

The Rabbs finally broke the 0-0 tie in the fourth after Ty Graf’s infield pop-up was misplayed by Harmony’s second baseman and Kameron Dickerson scored.

The Eagles plated two runs in the fifth which gave them a, 2-1, lead.

Atlanta scored on a passed ball in the sixth to knot the game up at 2-all, but Harmony scored two runs in the bottom half of the sixth to take game one.

Atlanta 10, Harmony 9

Game two had all the makings of a classic.

The Eagles took a, 1-0, lead after the first frame but Atlanta plated two runs in the bottom half to go up, 2-1.

Harmony tied the game up in the second only to watch the Rabbs take a, 6-2, lead after Atlanta plated four runs in the bottom half of the second inning.

The Eagles scored five runs in two innings and regained a narrow, 7-6, lead.

Atlanta went up, 8-7, going into the fifth and by the time the sixth inning was finished the score was tied up at 9-all.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the eighth inning.

In that inning Kelby Smith started off with a groundout followed by Ty Graf being hit by a pitch.

Graf advanced to third when Nick Burden singled to left field.

Burden stole second with Randall Mason at the plate and Graf was taken out for pinch runner Kameron Dickerson.

Mason struck out but Dex Ebarb walked in the next at bat to load the bases for freshman Will Woodruff.

Woodruff took a 1-1 offering and singled into center field which scored the winning, walk-off run.

Atlanta outhit Harmony 15-13 in the contest.

Cooper McClure scattered five hits and struck out five, and Mason gave up eight hits and sat down a batter.

Burden went off from the dish as he was 4-for-5 with two RBIs, Woodruff was 2-for-4 with the winning RBI, McClure was 2-for-5 with an RBI, Jackson Warren was 2-for-5 with a double and two ribbies, Kelby Smith was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Ty Graf hit an RBI double, Ebarb hit an RBI single, Kale Carpenter added a single and Kameron Dickerson accounted for two runs.

Atlanta 3, Harmony 1

The final and decisive game was a scoreless affair through five frames.

Atlanta broke the 0-0 tie by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning.

In that inning Cooper McClure swung on the first pitch and doubled to right field. McClure advanced to third after a nice bunt off the bat of Jackson Warren.

Warren ended up with a single after making it to first base safely.

Kelby Smith brought in McClure with an infield hit and Warren advanced to second base.

Kameron Dickerson was brought in to run for Smith as Ty Graf stepped into the batter’s box.

The runners moved up a base each on a passed ball.

Graf hit a sac fly to the right fielder which brought in Warren and moved Dickerson to third.

The final run came in as Nick Burden singled to left field scoring Dickerson from third.

Harmony scored run in the sixth inning but Kelby Smith didn’t allow any more runs to cross the plate.

Smith went the distance as he gave up four hits in seven innings of work and struck out two.

Smith was also 2-for-3 from the dish with an RBI, McClure hit a double, Warren hit a single, Burden hit an RBI single, Will Woodruff added a single and Graf hit a single and had an RBI.

Next up for the Rabbits is a match-up with the Grandview Zebras.

The regional semi-final round will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, at Mike Carter Field in Tyler.

Grandview will be the home team for game one.

The second game is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 27, at Whitehouse ISD outside of Tyler.

Atlanta will be the home team for game two.

If necessary game three will take place at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Mike Carter Stadium in Tyler.

As always keep a watch on the school’s Facebook page for any changes due to weather or other circumstances.