Thomasville’s YMCA 12-and-under All-Stars win state title
Brookwood students play on Thomasville's YMCA 12-and-under All-Star baseball team
The Thomasville YMCA 12-and-under All-Star baseball team, coached by Matt Godwin and Wes Nicholson, won the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state championship in Tifton over the weekend. Thomasville’s team defeated the Grady County All-Stars 10-4 in the championship game after battling its way out of the loser’s bracket in the double elimination tournament.
The championship game, held Saturday in Tifton, saw Grady and Thomasville square off for the third time in the state tournament. Grady opened scoring in the first, taking a 1-0 lead. Thomasville tied the game in the bottom of the first. Anderson Everett led off with a walk and came around to score on a passed ball. Grady reclaimed the lead in the second inning, scoring twice to go up 3-1. The All-Stars chipped away at the lead in the bottom half of the second. Max Godwin reached on a two-out single and scored on a double by Everett to make the score 3-2. Thomasville took the lead in the third inning and never looked back. After Ryan Renfroe reached on an error, he came around to score on a Jacob Jordan single to tie the game at 3-3.
Thomasville took a 4-3 lead on a Jack Gibbs double that plated Jordan. In the fourth, Jordan brought home Christopher May and Isaac Richardson with a base hit that extended Thomasville’s lead to 6-3. Grady tightened the lead to 6-4 on a solo home run in the fifth. The bottom of the fifth inning proved to be a big one for Thomasville. Consecutive walks to Rodge Waldrop, Godwin and Everett loaded the bases. Richardson stepped in and delivered the deciding play — a grand slam to make it 10-4.
Richardson started on the hill and pitched four solid innings, giving up three runs to record the win. May threw two innings of one-hit ball in relief to earn the save.
“It is an honor to be able to coach these kids,” head coach Matt Godwin said. “They are a dynamic group.”
Thomasville opened the tournament on July 11 with a 9-4 victory over Cartersville. Everett got the win for the all-stars, pitching four innings.
In Game 2, the Thomasville shut out Tift County 12-0 in four innings. May got the start, pitching two innings and earning the win. May and Renfroe paced the offensive attack for Thomasville.
Game 3 saw undefeated Thomasville face undefeated Grady in a winner’s bracket contest. Grady, the district champion, jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, winning 9-4. One of the lone bright spots for Thomasville was a solo home run by Renfroe in the second inning.
Grady’s pitching proved to be too tough, holding Thomasville to only three hits on the day.
Facing a must-win situation, Thomasville bounced back the next day to defeat the East Point All-Stars 9-3 behind the pitching of Waldrop.
The young southpaw pitched six strong innings, allowing three runs. Thomasville was led at the plate by two Renfroe hits, and by Richardson, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning. May contributed two hits and scored three runs for Thomasville.
On the heels of the victory, Thomasville had to turn right around and play Grady in a rematch. A loss for Thomasville would have meant the end of the season. In a tightly contested game, Thomasville held off their neighbors to the west with a 9-7 victory. Everett got the start for Thomasville, tossing 4 1/3 innings, giving up six earned runs on six hits, striking out three while earning the win.
Richardson finished the game on the mound for Thomasville, allowing no runs. At the plate, Thomasville was led by Richardson, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. His day included a first inning two-run home run. The All-Stars collected 11 hits in the victory, moving on to the title game.
“The growth this team showed from the district tournament to the state tournament is what I’m most proud of,” Matt Godwin said. “It’s fun getting to see these kids play who are the future of our local teams. It gives you a glimpse of the good things to come in the next four to six years.”
Brookwood School
Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.