Crackers Survive Monster's Rally, Advance To Championship After 4–3 Thriller
BUFORD, GA — In a dramatic back-and-forth playoff matchup, the Atlanta Crackers clawed their way past the Choccolocco Monsters with a 4–3 win on Saturday night, fueled by a late-inning surge and a composed bullpen effort. What started as a pitcher’s duel quickly evolved into a game of momentum swings, with the Crackers delivering the final blow in the bottom of the eighth and holding off a ninth-inning Monsters rally to secure the victory. With the win, the Crackers move on to face the No. 3-seeded Cartersville Cannons for the championship game in the final round of the Sunbelt League playoffs.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 4 | 10 | 2 |
Pitchers Dominate Early
Both starting pitchers came out sharp and precise. Cracker's Brodie Baweja retired the Monsters in order to open the game, setting the tone for a steady six-inning outing. On the other side, Caleb Jatko matched him frame-for-frame, working around a single from Kaleb Huffman in the first. But the game's first big swing came in the bottom of the second. With one out, Connor Hilton jumped on a pitch and launched a solo home run to left, giving the Crackers a 1–0 lead and electrifying the dugout.
Brunner Answers Back with Big Fly
The Monsters didn't flinch. In the top of the third, Nolan McCord drew a leadoff walk, and two batters later, Aiden Brunner crushed a fastball over the center field wall for a two-run homer. The blast gave Choccolocco a 2–1 lead, one they would cling to for most of the night.
Later in the inning, Peyton Watts reached on an error and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Baweja worked out of the jam to limit the damage to two.
Middle Innings: Missed Chances and Strong Defense
Both teams had opportunities to break things open but couldn't capitalize, consistently leaving runners started for a bulk of the game. In the fourth, the Monster's Matt Blocker singled, and Jace Turner added another hit in the sixth, but base running miscues and weak contact kept them from extending their lead. The Crackers, meanwhile, put runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings thanks to hits from Jack Taylor, Davis Roesler, and Trevor Allan, who also swiped a base, but Jatko worked around it each time. The Monster's defense, including a clean double-play in the fifth, kept the Crackers off the board. In the top of the seventh, reliever Cullen Riel entered for Atlanta and was electric, striking out three and stranding a leadoff walk.
Crackers Explode in Eighth-Inning Turnaround
Still trailing 2–1, the Crackers flipped the script in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and two runners on, Tyler Jackson scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the game. Moments later, Davis Roesler ripped a two-run double to left field, scoring Jack Taylor and Connor Hilton and giving the Crackers a 4–2 advantage. The Monsters' bullpen, which had looked solid, suddenly unraveled. A walk, two wild pitches, and timely hitting put Atlanta in full control heading into the ninth.
Monsters Make It Interesting in the Ninth
Just when it looked like the Crackers had the game in hand, Choccolocco made one final push. A fielding error allowed McCord to reach, and a single by C. Linares brought the tying run to first. Roby Brooks then laced an RBI single to center to trim the lead to one. With two runners on and only one out, Trip Barron bore down. He got a strikeout and a pop-out to end the game. sealing a gutsy 4–3 win and sparking celebration in the Atlanta dugout.
Top Performers
Atlanta Crackers
Davis Roesler: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI: hit the game-winning double in the 8th.
Connor Hilton: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R: opened scoring, reached base twice in clutch times.
Tyler Jackson: 2-for-4, 2 R
Choccolocco Monsters
Aiden Brunner: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB: hit the two-run homer which gave the Monsters an early lead.
Jace Turner: 2-for-4, 2B, 1 SB: one of only two Monsters with multiple hits
Roby Brooks: 1-for-5, 1 RBI: delivered ninth-inning single to keep hopes alive
Pitching Breakdown
Atlanta Crackers
Brodie Baweja: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Cullen Riel: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Trip Barron: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (unearned), 2 K
Choccolocco Monsters
Caleb Jatko: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K
J. Hicks: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB
Next Up: Championship Series Begins Wednesday
The Crackers are officially headed to the Sunbelt League Championship Series, where they'll face off against the Cartersville Cannons. First pitch is set for Wednesday at Georgia Highlands College, the Cannons' home field. With momentum on their side after a gutsy playoff win, Atlanta will look to carry that energy into the championship opener and take an early lead in the best-of-three series. Any changes to our playoff schedule will be updated on our social media accounts, thank you.