Eight walks and six hit batters gave the Coffee Trojans too many scoring opportunities in the opening game of a sweep against the Chamblee Bulldogs in Class 5A state baseball playoff action at Chamblee on Tuesday.

Coffee had five runs over the first two innings of the game and only one hit, a three-run triple by starting pitcher/leadoff hitter Ben Fussell in the second inning. A big catch and throw to the plate by right fielder Cian Khajavi gave the Bulldogs (17-12) an inning ending double-play as catcher Travis Sun got the tag at the plate on the Trojan base runner.

The Trojans (27-5) put up six more runs in the fourth after a walk and hit batter with one out opened the door to five hits out of the next six batters. Hunter Bennett drove in a run with an in field single, Fussell added another RBI double and Cannon Jones drove in two with a single to right as the lead ballooned to 11-0.

Coffee scored four two-out runs in the top of the fourth as two more walks and a hit batter led to a three-run double by Payton Bryant to up the advantage to 15-0.

Chamblee had two runners on and no outs in the bottom of the fourth only to have Coffee turn a double play and induce a game-ending fly ball to left to seal the 15-0 win for Coffee.

The second game also got off to a tough start for the Bulldogs as walks again became an issue as Coffee ran out to an 8-0 lead in the first three innings. Coffee got three runs in the first, four in the second and one in third to build the 8-0 advantage.

Chamblee managed a run in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Duke Nichols and another in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Leo Waasdorp to make the final of 9-2 in favor of the Trojans

In Class 5A baseball road series, Martin Luther King Jr. (10-10) was eliminated by Greenbrier (22-7) in a two-game sweep of 14-0 and 18-1 and Tucker (7-18) fell in two games to Ware County (21-9) by scores of 15-0 and 13-2.

Cedar Grove (5-14) went on the road to Hebron Christian (18-13) in Class 3A losing in two games by scores of 17-1 and 19-2.

Four other DeKalb teams go into playoff action on Thursday led by Redan (21-4) hosting Christian in a 2:00 pm Class 2A doubleheader.

The Dunwoody Wildcats (19-11) travel to Tift County (23-6) for a 4:30 pm doubleheader in Class 6A play.

Two DeKalb teams participate in the Class 4A state playoffs beginning on Thursday. The Druid Hills Red Devils (16-11) travel to Cedartown (13-16) for a 4:30 pm doubleheader and the Southwest DeKalb Panthers (10-12) head to Heritage-Catoosa (21-7) for a 3:00 pm start.

DCSD BASEBALL STATE PLAYOFFS RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, 4/23
CLASS 5A
Coffee (27-5) 15, Chamblee (17-12) 0
Coffee (27-5) 9, Chamblee (17-12) 2
Coffee wins series 2-0

Greenbrier (22-7) 14, M.L. King (10-10) 0
Greenbrier (22-7) 18, M.L. King (10-10) 1
Greenbrier wins series 2-0

Ware Co. (21-9) 15, Tucker (7-18) 0
Ware Co. (21-9) 13, Tucker (7-18) 2
Ware Co. wins series 2-0

CLASS 3A
Hebron Christian (18-13) 17, Cedar Grove (5-14) 1
Hebron Christian (18-13) 19, Cedar Grove (5-14) 2
Hebron Christian wins series 2-0

DCSD BASEBALL STATE PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
Thursday, 4/25
CLASS 6A
Dunwoody (19-11) at Tift Co. (23-6), 4:30 pm (DH)

CLASS 4A
Druid Hills (16-11) at Cedartown (13-16), 4:30 pm (DH)
SW DeKalb (10-12) at Heritage-Catoosa (21-7), 3:00 pm (DH)

CLASS 2A
Fellowship Christian (13-14) vs. Redan (21-4), 2:00 pm (DH)

Friday, 4/26
CLASS 6A (if necessary)
Dunwoody (19-11) at Tift Co. (23-6), 4:30 pm

CLASS 4A (if necessary)
Druid Hills (16-11) at Cedartown (13-16), 4:00 pm (DH)
SW DeKalb (10-12) at Heritage-Catoosa (21-7), 1:00 pm

CLASS 2A
Fellowship Christian (13-14) vs. Redan (21-4), 5:00 pm

(DH) — Doubleheader