ACE gets clutch walk-off in Game 3 to win first round of playoffs

As ACE softball head coach Andrew Claxton stood on the field after his team’s walk-off win over Berrien County in the playoffs, he was a bit out of breath. So were many of his players, even if they still found the energy to swarm around him in celebration as he talked about the victory.

A three-game series with final scores of 10-9, 12-11 and 8-7 will do that to you.

“Well, I’m gonna have to go to the doctor for sure next week, I can tell you that,” Claxton said with a smile. “My blood pressure’s up.”

Claxton might have to postpone his doctor’s appointment, because the No. 7 Gryphons will play in the Sweet 16 next week after coming from behind for a walk-off victory over the No. 27 Berrien County Rebels in the first round of the GHSA Class A-Division I state tournament Thursday night.

ACE was down 6-1 at one point and had to overcome a 7-4 deficit in the final inning to get the victory, but the Gryphons used timely hitting and alert baserunning to come all the way back.

After a string of baserunners and a clutch hit from Avery Edalgo — an error by a Berrien County outfielder allowed two runners to score on her single to make it 7-6 — Ava Allen tied the game with a bunt before her sister Ella finished the job with a grounder to first that drove in the winning run from third.

“We talked about putting the nail in the coffin, but this team is clutch for sure,” Claxton said of the comeback. “As soon as we got that (first) hit … I was confident in us getting the win. That’s just how we’ve been all year. Right now, my brain’s a little going nuts. It was a great game.”

ACE, now 22-10 on the year and headed to the Sweet 16, won Game 3 after also winning Game 1 of the playoff series on a walk-off double by Reese Thames. The Gryphons also had a similarly dramatic walk-off win over East Laurens that eventually helped them secure the region title — it had been a clutch few weeks for the team.

Things looked dire for ACE in the late innings, though, region champions or not. The Rebels, who had been explosive all series long on offense, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and poured on four more in the fourth inning to go up 6-1.

ACE pitcher Giselle Giles was unphased. Even after pitching in Games 1 and 2, she went right back to the bump and held Berrien County to just one run over the final three frames, even notching a three-pitch inning in the fifth.

“She’s just a competitor, man. That’s what we’ve talked about — no matter how far behind you are, no matter how many runs, if it’s not your outing you just compete,” Claxton said of his pitcher. “You may give up three runs, but then the next inning you get out of it and then this happens. You just have to keep going.”

ACE got part of the comeback out of the way in the sixth inning, when Giles started a two-out rally with a walk before pinch runner Kinsley Lineberger scored on an Ava Allen single. Ella Allen followed with another hit before Avery Stone drove in a run to make it 6-4 heading to the seventh.

The top of the last inning was stressful for ACE and Giles, who loaded the bases before an error allowed a run to score to make it 7-4. She limited the damage, but a three-run deficit left the whole stadium on edge going to the last half-inning.

The seventh-inning rally was a slow burn, one that riled up the impressive ACE crowd that seemed as confident as Claxton as the comeback unfolded. Edalgo and the Allen sisters were key contributors with Sydney Collins, Kayleigh Kell and Sophie Denney all advancing runners. Even the pitcher Giles worked a walk in the final frame and scored the winning run to give herself the pitching win.

“You really can’t pick just one play or one player. In situations like that, every single spot was important, from the very first hit to the pinch running to the final hit. All of it,” Claxton said. “If one of those doesn’t happen, we may not be standing here right now. Definitely a team win.”

ACE’s crowd loved every second of it, staying loud even when the team was down and bringing the volume as the Gryphons pieced together the comeback.

“They kept us in it,” Claxton said of the fans. “They’re always bringing it. I have to give a huge shoutout to them.”

Every player in ACE’s lineup collected a hit, as the team tallied 12 total knocks. Avery Stone had three, while Ella Allen followed with a pair of hits. Giles pitched all seven innings to earn the win.

It was an incredibly thrilling series against a Berrien County team that played far above the 10-20 record it brought into the playoffs. The Rebels had a solid offense and came from a stacked region, bringing fans and plenty of cowbells with them from about two hours south of Macon.

“We just proved ourselves. They were a great team, and we proved we can do it no matter the deficit. Our saying is, ‘be a toilet.’ You gotta be able to flush it. Flush what happens and move on,” Claxton said. “That type of mindset has contributed to wins like this, both of the wins in the series.

The second round won’t be any easier, as ACE draws No. 10 Banks County after the Leopards obliterated No. 22 Chattooga in their first-round series. Banks County finished the year 24-4 and placed second in its region behind only powerhouse Elbert County.

“I’ll be honest, we haven’t scouted the next series. We take it one game at a time, and we knew this would be a really tough series,” Claxton said, commending Berrien County. “A lot of times when you look ahead, you might not have something to look ahead to.

“Tonight I’ll go home, grab a cup of coffee and start looking at Banks County.”

The Gryphons take the field in the Sweet 16 at home on Tuesday, according to the GHSA A-Division I bracket.