Class 1A-3A Private Blog: Calvary Day Baseball with first championship in 18 years

Calvary Day remained perfect in the playoffs, defeating Savannah rival Savannah Christian en route to the program’s first championship in 18 years.

The Cavaliers have been a high-end program for years, but last year they got a taste of championship baseball, making the finals before losing to Harlem in the 3A championship. This year, they entered the playoffs as one of the contenders, though they were by no means the clear favorites to win the title.

Their most impressive series victory came in their sweep of two-time defending champions and title favorites, Prince Avenue Christian. Up to that point, the Wolverines had not lost back-to-back games since the 2022 playoffs. Game two of the series marked their only loss by more than three runs since last year’s playoffs and was their largest defeat since the 2022 season.

The championship round featured the two Savannah private school powers going head-to-head. The teams dominated all season, combining for 55 wins. Game one was controlled from start to finish by the Cavaliers, who took the lead with a massive six-run first inning and never looked back, not giving up a run after the first. They continued to add on, eventually winning 9–1.

Game two was a much more competitive matchup, largely controlled by Savannah Christian. Calvary Day struck first, with Max Arnold scoring on a passed ball with two outs in the first inning. The Raiders quickly answered with two runs, one from Athens Hudspeth and another by Brantley Bilenski, to take a 2–1 lead into the second. The second inning was quiet, with both teams getting through without allowing any runs. In the third, Calvary Day tied it on a Cutter Powell RBI groundout that scored Dalton Kelley.

Savannah Christian responded in the bottom half with a Weston Hughes RBI single that brought home Brantley Bilenski, reclaiming a 3–2 lead. Both teams went down in order in the fourth inning. In the fifth, the Cavaliers tied it again with a Quinn Johnson RBI single. The sixth was another scoreless frame, but in the seventh, Calvary Day took its first lead since the first inning on Johnson’s second RBI single of the day. The Raiders threatened in the bottom of the final inning, but their hopes were dashed when Harding Dennis was thrown out attempting to steal second, ending the game and securing the championship for Calvary Day.