Evans' playoff run ends in Loganville

Evans High's run through the Class AAAA baseball quarterfinals ended at Loganville.

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The Red Devils won 7-2, 11-2 and led for all but two innings during the series.

Loganville, which extended its hitting streak to 16 games, hit three homers in Game 1, including a two-out, three-run blast in the third. It scored six runs in its first at-bat of the second game, setting the tone for the night. The Knights clustered in front of their dugout after that, refusing to believe they were facing a deficit that meant the end of their season.

"You can score 11 runs with two outs in the bottom of the (last) inning," said senior Jeff Rice, who drove in a run in the second game with a double. "This team never gives up. That's not what we're about."

Said Beale, "The thing I'm most proud of is what these seniors did. They committed to the team. There was no selfishness. The bar has been raised. It's up to (the underclassmen) to answer the call."

Trailing 8-2, Evans left the bases loaded in the fourth, its last attempt to rally. Catcher Tyler Barden homered in Game 2, one of five hits for the Knights.

The homers were the difference in the first game. Evans out-hit the hosts 7-6 and didn't commit an error. Loganville never gave up command after its strong start in Game 2.

"We talked between games about coming out hard," Logan- ville coach Jeff Segars said. ... ''We told them if you're not ready to go, you're going to be in a Game 3, and you're going to be in trouble. Our guys know that; they have been in the fire."

Barden, who shut down Glynn Academy in the second round's decisive game, and Michael Farr, 2-0 in the postseason, started for the Knights.

Augusta Chronicle staff writer Matt Middleton contributed to this article.