By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.co

LAGRANGE – It’s a one-game season.

The Troup Tigers split a Class AAAA state-playoff doubleheader with West Hall on Friday, and the two teams will play a winner-take-all game today at 1 p.m.

Troup won the first game on Friday 1-0 behind the latest in a long line of brilliant pitching performances from Colby Williams, and West Hall bounced back to win the second game 4-3.

Troup had a 3-0 lead in Game 2, but West Hall scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to get within one, and it added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to win it.

The Tigers had opportunities to break things open in Game 2, but they were limited to single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

“we’ve got to get some critical hits in some two-out situations,” Troup head coach Craig Garner said. “We had them on the verge of collapsing several times.”

In the first game, Troup scored a run in the bottom of the first inning, and that’s all Williams needed.

Williams has been lights out all season, and West Hall’s hitters had no chance against him.

Williams, the sophomore right-hander, limited West Hall to three hits, and he struck out 10 and didn’t walk anyone.

In his past two starts, dating back to a 4-0 win over East Coweta in the regular-season finale, Williams has thrown 14 shutout innings and allowed seven hits with 16 strikeouts.

In the first inning of Friday’s game, Jarred Helton singled and stole home for the game’s only run. After Helton reached on a one-out single, he moved to third on a base hit by Cooper Doughman before stealing home.

Helton had two of Troup’s hits, and Doughman had the other.

In the second game, the Tigers had more success at the plate with nine hits.

Ryan Bliss had three of those hits, Trent Bailey and Ken Truitt each had two hits, and Doughman and Kenly Bridwell each had a hit and an RBI.

Helton was Troup’s pitcher in Game 2, and he pitched 6 2/3 innings.

Charlie Cochran got the complete-game win.