Greenwood Christian Academy picked up its third consecutive Class A baseball sectional title by defeating Waldron 11-1 on Monday in the championship game of the Morristown Sectional.
Junior Nolan Check pitched a complete game for the Cougars, allowing two hits in six innings (game shortened by the 10-run rule) and striking out 12.
GCA will attempt to experience similar success at the same venue when it plays Saturday at the Morristown Regional.
Coach Doug Hagist’s squad (15-7) plays the 11 a.m. first game against the champion of the Shawe Memorial Sectional. Hauser and Jac-Cen-Del battled Monday night to determine which program comes out of that sectional.
Hagist said the Cougars have played as if on a mission since winning a regular-season game at Seton Catholic on May 13. Since that triumph, GCA has won six of eight and outscored the opposition, 93-42.
The program made its debut in 2012.
“We’ve kind of reinvented ourselves each year because we’re still such a young program,” Hagist said. “The key to this team is the players care about each other and don’t want to let each other down.
“I don’t necessarily think we’re the team to beat at regional, but confidence-wise, our players think we belong there.”
Hitting stars for Greenwood Christian in Monday’s sectional final were led by senior Krae Sparks, who contributed two hits, including a home run in the bottom of the third inning. Check and Nate Weems added two hits of their own; Josh Lovins and Bryce Walters came through with singles that drove in two runs.
