Athletics News
Season Recap: Baseball
It was donned the 'story that only God could write' by coach Justin Pollock. And it was truly remarkable. The Indians went 27-12, playing for a state title and finishing as Runner-Up in a record-setting season all the way around.
As well documented, Tallulah Falls adopted the mantra GROWTH, which stands for Gratitude, Respect, Ownership, We-Over-Me, Toughness, and Hunger. Combined with playing for former TFS teammate Jeremy Medina, who passed away tragically in December 2023, this team was unstoppable.
A quick 5-1 start to the season was met with the first of only a couple of bumps in the road. Back-to-back losses to Lumpkin and Elbert had to open March was a minor blip. From there, the team got hot. A double-header sweep of state-ranked Elbert followed, securing the season series and setting the stage for a major run through the region slate. Tallulah Falls won the next 12 straight region contests while claiming some non-region wins along with it. Twice during the season, TFS set a school record with six straight wins in total.
TFS was 18-7 overall and 12-1 in region play before hitting the second and final bump. Needing just one win in the final two games against state-ranked Athens Christian to claim the program's first-ever region title, TFS fell 4-3 in an 8-inning game and then 6-5 in the finale, both in heart-breaking fashion. Coach Pollock made sure the team had amnesia and put it behind them, still securing the first Region Runner-Up finish that came with the first home playoff series.
The playoff run began with dominant wins over Oglethorpe County of 10-0 and 7-2, as Chase Pollock, Andrew Skvarka, and Cole Bonitatibus became a dynamic pitching trio. The Sweet 16 meant hitting to road to Pepperell. A 4-2 opening loss had the Indians with their backs to the wall. Caden Walker had a walk-off hit in the 11th inning to even the series and force game three. He then earned the win in a 6-4 victory, getting TFS to the Elite 8.
It was back home to take on 3-seed Swainsboro, and the Indians won 5-0 behind a complete game gem courtesy of Pollock, and game two was required a 4-run comeback to win 7-6 on BJ Carver's clutch go-ahead hit in the final inning. Bonitatibus earned the win to lift TFS to the Final 4. Back on the road they went, and they'd take back-to-back wins over #2-ranked King's Ridge, 8-7 and 8-3. It took a 6-run comeback in the first game and a 7-run first in the second that did the trick, as Ashton Roache launched a pair of big-time homeruns. Pollock and Skvarka took the wins, and Bonitatibus took the save. The victories advanced TFS to the GHSA State Championship in Statesboro at Georgia Southern.
In the title series, the Indians held a 2-run lead heading into the final inning of game one, but Prince Avenue Christian rallied and eventually won 6-5 in extra innings. The Indians lost 9-4 in the finale to end the season as State Runner-Up. That carried a #2 state ranking for a program that set handfuls of team records, 10 individual single-season records, and nine individual career records.
Danny Grant was named the Region Player of the Year after hitting .424 with 2 HR and 32 RBI, setting single-season program marks in runs (46) and stolen bases (32). He is now the all-time hits leader as well as stolen bases and walks. Bonitatibus was Region Pitcher of the Year after going 8-2 with a 1.26 ERA and 3 saves along with 105 strikeouts. All of those are single-season records. Pollock was 7-3 with a 1.95 ERA and 74 K, and became the all-time wins leader while also batting .356 with 27 RBI. Skvarka went 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA and 41 K. Roache tied the single-season record with seven homers and hit .274 with 23 RBI. Walker (.327-2-32), Carver (.352-1-15), Chris Waldron (.370-2-17), Diego Gonzalez (.320, 28 RBI), and Gregory Mendez (.275-1-11) were all part of an offense that set team records with 294 runs scored. The lineup combined for 17 homeruns (2nd most in program history), and teh pitching threw seven shutouts (school record), while the team racked up nine wins over state-ranked teams.
The Indians were well-represented with five players named 1st Team All-Region (Grant, Bonitatibus, Pollock, Waldron, Walker), four named 2nd Team (Mendez, Gonzalez, Roache, Carver), and one Honorable Mention (Skvarka). It stands as easily the best season in TFS history, which will hopefully be rivaled in the future. Losing such talents as Walker, Waldron, Mendez, and David Dutary will be tough. However, Tallulah Falls will bring back a core that includes all the aforementioned talents headed by Grant, Carver, Pollock, Roache, and Gonzalez offensively, and Bonitatibus, Pollock, and Skvarka all returning as standout pitchers.
2024 Team Leaders
- AVG - Danny Grant - .424
- HITS - Danny Grant - 42
- HR - Ashton Roache - 7 (ties school record)
- RBI - Danny Grant - 32
- RUNS - Danny Grant - 46 (school record)
- SB - Danny Grant - 32 (school record)
- BB - Ashton Roache - 23 (school record)
- HBP - Caden Walker - 22 (school record)
- OBP - Danny Grant - .572
- WINS - Cole Bonitatibus - 8 (school record)
- ERA - Cole Bonitatibus - 1.26 (school record)
- SAVES - Cole Bonitatibus - 3 (school record)
- K - Cole Bonitatibus - 105 (school record)
- IP - Cole Bonitatibus - 66.2