The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 188

201.... GWINNETT EXTRA, MAY 29, 1986 Moseley 's clutch single in eighth sinks Forest Park; Brookwood in state finals By David Johnson Sports Editor 1 The Broncos came back no less than three times in this game be- -fore they were able to put the Panthers away. Forest Park jumped out 2-0 early before the Broncos tied things up in the bottom of the third as Tom Green drove in Moseley and Jeff Finch followed by singling home Green. But the Panthers scored a run in the fifth to regain the lead and it stayed that way until the seventh. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Brookwood picked up three hits and loaded the bases with one out.

Jeff Finch grounded out softly to first but Erickson scored tying run from third. Only a diving play by the Panthers shortstop kept David Dodd from driving in the winning run and sent the game into extra innings. Because of a preseason arrangement, all three games were played at Forest Park. But Brookwood won a pre-game coin toss and elected to act as the home team. That may have been crucial since a tiring Broncos starter Roger Landress didn't have to face the Panthers after going ahead in the eighth.

Landress (13-1), who suffered his first lost of the year in the opening game of the series, rebounded for his 13th win of the year by going the distance in the series finale, striking out four and giving up 10 hits. Game three was a pitching rematch of game one. In the first game, Davis held Brookwood to just three hits and no runs while Landress was pounded for fives runs after giving up only two in his previous four appearances. In most of their post-season games, Brookwood batters had been subjected to what Bronco Head Coach Rob English referred to as "junk curves." But in the third and deciding game of the North Georgia Championship series against defending state champion Forest Park last Thursday, Panther starter John Da-Vis decided to scrap the finesse game and go right at Brookwood with his fast ball. "It took us a while to adjust back to the fastball," English said.

"It had gotten to the point where we were trying to pull the ball too By the seventh inning the Broncos, as English put it, "started ting back to the basics of hitting. In the bottom of the eighth with the game tied 3-3, Brookwood's Scott Moseley demonstrated the type of hitting which had brought the Broncos to within a game of the state championship series with a 30-3 record. With two outs and the potential winning run at second in the form of pinch runner Brian Morani, Moseley reached out and punched an outside fastball over the first baseman's head and into right field, easily scoring Morani and giving Brookwood a 4-3 win and a date with Columbus for the state baseball title. "He just went with the pitch," English said of Moseley's game hit. "All year long this team has had to come back to win and this was just another time." JOHNNY CRAWFOROStafl ISO TRESPASSES: Brookwood catcher Britt Martin stops Forest Park's Andy Willoughby at the plate in game three of the North Georgia Championship series.

The Broncos won the game 4-3 to advance to the state finals. "Roger pitched both games sim-larly," English said. "They got some real hits off him in both games. In fact, I counted four leadoff doubles in the last game But we were able to hold them." The most Inspirational performance of the series came in game two as Brookwood righthander David Dodd (7-1) struck out 11 Forest Park batters and held the Panthers to just three runs in picking up his seventh win of the year. "Dodd just picked the whole team up," English said.

"I think we may have been a little intimidated going into that first game at their place with their fans. But Dodd just went in there and shut them up and I think it rubbed off on the other players." It definitely rubbed off on Bronco bats as they exploded for nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings to win 9-3 and knot the series at one game apiece. "We just went into that game real relaxed and confident," English said of game two. "We felt like we could play with them all along. English: 31 wins would have been a very unrealistic goal By David Johnson Sports Editor I IJ.JL!.UUJ..IH.JI J.JJ1II I II l.

I vvi.y.'y'' L-- TTrrnir-n --i-r '11nr est Park in that game and were pounded 23-9. "Even though we lost, I felt that far back that we'd have a real chance to go after the state championship," English said. To English in the Dugout Final, it wasn't whether his team won or lost, it was how they played the game. ''This may sound stupid, but during that 23-9 game, in my mind even when we were losing, I still thought we had a chance," English said. "We hit the ball well but they made some good plays to keep us out of it But we were pecking away at their lead all along" After the setback, which would prove to be the Broncos only loss during the regular season, English right ingredients to produce a powerhouse.

There was pitching in the form of Roger Landress and David Dodd, two solid, dependable starters, and hitting, from the top of the order to the bottom. What resulted was a 31-3 record and a chance to" host the state championship series, "I always start the year with a goal of winning the state championship," English said. "If I didn't, I'd get out of coaching. But if anyone had told me at the start of the year we'd win 31 games, I would have considered that very unrealistic." While English still can't fathom his teams incredible record, the fact that they had made it to the state finals wasn't so unbelievable The Bronco coach knew he had something brewing when Brookwood made it to the finals of the Atlanta Dugout Tournament in March. Ironically enough, the Broncos met For For third year Columbus head baseball coach Bobby Howard, this state championship business is old hat For fifth year Brookwood head baseball coach Rob English, it's a new experience.

Howard took over the baseball reigns at Columbus in 1984 and immediately directed his team to a state title. English has been the Broncos only coach since the school opened five years ago but has yet to take Brookwood all the way. But he has come close. In 1984, while playing in Class AAA, the Broncos met Marist in the North Georgia Championship, only to lose in three games. Last year, in their first year in Class AAAA, the Broncos were region runnerups to Parkview.

But a year later, English sud- "denty found himself with all the DAV'IO JOHNSONStaH CZLLY FLCP: Brookwood's David Dodd makes a diving effort for a ball down the first base line. Dodd was the starting pitcher in the second Forest Park game and inspired his team to a 9-3 win. See BRONCOS 22.