Lowndes sweeps Etowah, determined to hold onto state title
Published 1:47 pm Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Coleman Lewis sprints to first base as Lowndes tries to mount a comeback against Etowah.
Viking pitcher Brinson Rountree winds up in Lowndes’ Final Four matchup against Etowah.
Cason Fletcher celebrates with teammates after crossing home plate.
Lowndes fans packed the stands to cheer on the Vikings in their high-stakes showdown with Etowah's Eagles.
Etowah’s Trevor Condon celebrates early after launching a solo home.
Lowndes’ Tyler Parker celebrates at second after ripping a double.
Etowah pitcher Matthew Sharman delivers a pitch as the Eagles battle Lowndes for a spot in the state championship.
Cason Fletcher stands at first base, preparing to make his way around.
VALDOSTA — With a pair of composed, complete efforts, the Lowndes Vikings swept Etowah in the Class 6A Final Four on Tuesday night, earning their return to the state championship series
Behind standout pitching from Brinson Rountree and Garrett Moon, smart running, and tight defense, Lowndes took game one in comeback fashion, 4-3, before closing the night and series with a 4-1 victory in game two.
Defending Class 6A champions, the Eagles came in ranked No. 1 in Georgia across all classifications by MaxPreps and No. 7 nationally. Etowah had only lost two games all year. Lowndes entered with a 26-11 record.
Game One
Game one saw the Vikings battle back from an early two-run deficit. Etowah opened the scoring with a first-inning burst, capitalizing on three straight singles and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead. They added another run in the second on a solo home run by Trevor Condon, putting the Vikings at a 3-1 hill after two innings.
But Lowndes refused to go away. After an early sacrifice fly from Cason Fletcher put them on the board, the Vikings chipped away with small ball. In the third, Coleman Lewis drove in a run on a single following two defensive errors by Etowah’s infield, making it 3-2.
Then in the fifth, Lowndes surged ahead. Westin Hancock and Matthew Kerrigan led off the frame with singles before Fletcher tied the game with an RBI single. Moments later, Noah Burnham placed a clean sacrifice bunt, plating Kerrigan to give the Vikings their first lead of the night at 4-3.
On the mound, Rountree recovered from the rocky start and turned in a gritty complete-game performance, throwing 117 pitches while striking out six.
Game Two
Game two was all about control, and Moon had plenty of it. The senior tossed a complete game, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out seven in a 97-pitch effort.
The Vikings were first to strike this time, scoring in the second inning when an error by Etowah allowed Tyler Parker to cross the plate. In the third, Hank Drew delivered an RBI single and was followed by a Parker double to put runners in scoring position. Though they did not score again in the frame, Etowah’s Eagles were on the back foot.
Lowndes added some cushion in the fourth when Lewis hit an RBI double to center field, plating Fletcher. Burnham’s RBI double in the sixth inning rounded out the Vikings’ scoring. Meanwhile, Etowah’s only offensive spark came from another solo homer, this time by Colin Anderson, but it was not enough to shake Moon.
The Vikings outhit Etowah 17-9 across the two games and played clean defense. While helped by errors on the visiting side, the Vikings are in impressive form as they move toward the end of the season.
With the sweep, Lowndes advances to the GHSA Class 6A state championship series, looking to defend a crown that they have grown fond of. Looking to take home a “three-peat” and cement themselves in school history, the Vikings now wait to see who their challenger will be in the upcoming finale.
