North Paulding Falls To Parkview In 7A Baseball State Finals

ATLANTA, GA —After a fine season and a memorable final day, the North Paulding baseball team came up a little short in Monday night's 2021 GHSA Class AAAAAAA State Baseball Championship, falling 4-0 and 3-2 to Parkview in the best-of-three series played at Truist Park.

The games drew Georgia State Baseball Championship attendance record of 6,124, a good portion of them supporting the Wolfpack, who finished 30-10.

"I don't really have the words to express how proud I am of our North baseball coaches and Players. What a ride!" Dr. Ryan Dyer, North Paulding's athletic director, wrote on Twitter. "Once again our community showed up. This community supports each other! This is the best community in the state!"

Parkview captured its third straight state title, after winning in 2018 and 2019. There was no state tournament last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Though the Panthers (30-10) have been known to dominate opponents, both contests were tight, well-pitched affairs.

The Wolfpack trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning of Game 2, when pitcher Mitchell Heer tied the score with an RBI double.

North Paulding fell behind again, only for catcher Grayson Taylor to tie the score 2-2 with a solo homer into the Chop House in the top of the sixth.

However, the Panthers took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on North Paulding's fourth error of the game.

With two outs in the seventh, DH Tysen Benford doubled to give the Wolfpack hope. However, the seventh-inning rally came to an end when Parkview catcher Bryson Stripling made a head's up play to throw out a pinch runner at third base.

Heer was solid on the mound, pitching all six innings, giving up three runs, none of them earned, six hits and striking out five. He walked three.

Benford went 2-for-4, including a triple in the third inning.

North Paulding centerfielder Chris Cole went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

In Game 1, North Paulding starting pitcher Jake Hembree had strong outing, going six innings, giving up five hits, two runs and striking out eight. But Parkview's Mason Brown was even better. Brown pitched six innings and gave up just two hits in the shutout.

Heer and Dylon Rhadans had the only two hits for North Paulding.