It’s next man up for the Bayside Academy baseball team.

Despite being riddled with injuries to key players, the third-ranked Admirals moved on to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs Thursday with a 15-0, 9-3 sweep of visiting Handley.

Bayside (20-8) will play second-ranked Bibb County or Slocomb next week.

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“We are still trying to get better every day as cliché as that sounds,” Admirals coach Matt Limbaugh said. “Josh (Gunther) came into Game 1 throwing strikes and letting our defense work, which is what you want to do obviously. Our bats came alive.

“Credit Handley in Game 2. They came out and made us work. They are a well-coached group. We just got some big hits here and there, which kept the lead going. Anytime you can pitch with the lead, it’s a lot easier on your pitchers.”

Gunther, a Wake Forest signee, needed just 55 pitches to give his team a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. He struck out nine, allowed just two hits and didn’t walk a batter.

“I felt a little off honestly,” he said. “But the stuff was good enough to get by them. It is what it is. We were swinging the bats really good.”

Bayside scored four runs in the first, five in the third and six more in the fourth to end the first game in five innings. Gatlin Pitts was 2-for-3 with a triple, three runs scored and four RBIs. Carson Joyner doubled and drove in four. Teague Broadhead drove in three and Miller Stokes two. Coye Potts, the first of three Handley pitchers took the loss.

The second game went seven innings, but Bayside seemed to be in control throughout. The Admirals scored one in the second, three in the third, four in the fifth and one in the sixth. Handley scored once in the third and two more times in the sixth.

Jake DeValk, Cade Morris and Tait Moore all had two hits. DeValk drove in two runs. Garrett Calhoun had a double and two RBIs for the Tigers.

“We hit the ball hard,” Limbaugh said. “Handley played good defense in that second game and pushed us.”

Freshman Sammy Dunn got the win in relief of starter Carson Joyner. He pitched out of two-on, no-out jams in the fourth and fifth innings. Tait Moore and Broadhead pitched an inning each.

“Sammy came in today, a freshman, and got us out of some jams,” Limbaugh said. “He is also the varsity quarterback, so he’s been in clutch situations before.”

Limbaugh continues to shuffle his lineup and pitching rotation due to injuries. Pitts and DeValk have been unable to take the mound due to injuries. Jack Woods is playing centerfield but can’t hit because of a wrist injury. Catcher Weston Hannaman suffered a torn meniscus earlier this week.

“We are happy to get to Round 2, but we have a long way to go,” Limbaugh said.

Gunther said the key to Bayside’s continued to success is all about pitching.

“We have to trust our arms,” he said. “We need our guys to come in and throw strikes. Sometimes we get behind and, when you get behind, guys start to see the ball better. We have to get ahead and stay ahead.”