Strong Pitching, Good Hitting Helps Dragons Take Doubleheader From LaFayette

PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports

Yesterday, due to weather conditions from the storms this week, the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team hosted the LaFayette Ramblers in a 6-AAAA doubleheader. These games were originally scheduled for Friday & these two teams were scheduled to play a single game at LaFayette on Tuesday. Due to storms, those games were moved around. After a tough series against Northwest Whitfield last week, Pickens found themselves in a must win situation to keep pace in the region race as they were ahead of the Ramblers by 1 game in the standings coming into yesterday.

 

Senior Southern Union commit Travis Huffman got the start for the Dragons in game 1 & he pitched very well. He held the Ramblers to one hit, & collected a strikeout in the top of the 1st to send us to the bottom of the frame. The Dragons went in order in the bottom of the inning to send us to the 2nd, tied at 0. T. Huffman had a good 2nd inning as he only needed 10 pitches to get out of it. Pickens would strike first in this one as Dominic Stephens would reach on an error, then come in to score after a single by Wyatt Gooch to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead going to the 3rd.

 

In the top of the 3rd, T. Huffman added to his strikeout total by punching out two more Ramblers to send us to the bottom of the 3rd. The Dragons had a chance to add to their lead in the bottom of the frame, but left two stranded and we headed to the 4th, Pickens leading LaFayette, 1-0. The Dragons were able to get out of a mini jam in the top of the 4th to keep hold of their 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 4th, Jace Franklin gave T.Huffman & Pickens a little cushion as he hit a 2-RBI single,  driving in Gooch & Zack Moore. Franklin later came in on a sacrifice fly from T. Huffman, making it 4-0 Dragons going to the 5th.

 

The top of the 5th saw a 9-pitch inning from T. Huffman and the Pickens offense got right back to work in the bottom of the inning. Franklin added a 3rd RBI to his day as he drove in Stephens on a sacrifice fly. Z. Moore came in to score after Will Lawrence beat out a throw to 1st to make it 6-0 going to the 6th. The Dragons were able to get out of the top of the 6th without any damage done & added to their lead again in the bottom half of the inning after a 2-run home run by Stephens, making it 8-0 going to the 7th.

 

In the top of the 7th, T. Huffman needed only 4 pitches to close out the complete game 1-hit shutout as the Dragons took game 1 over LaFayette, 8-0.

 

Travis Huffman: 7IP, 1H, 0R, 6K on 84 pitches, & 1 RBI

Joseph Gossett: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored

Dominic Stephens: 1-3 with a home run, 3 runs scored, & 2 RBI

Wyatt Gooch: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, & 1 run scored

Zack Moore: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, & 2 runs scored

Jace Franklin: 1-2 with 1 single, 3 RBI, & 1 run scored

 

Game 2

 

For game 2, the Dragons sent out Senior St. Andrews University commit Dalton Sipsy to start. In the top of the 1st, Sipsy got off to a strong start, striking out two to send us to the bottom of the frame. The Dragons would get 4 straight hits and score 3 runs to take a 3-0 lead over the Ramblers going to the top of the 2nd. Sipsy again collected two strikeouts in the half inning and got himself & the Dragons out of a jam to keep the 3-0 lead in tact. In the bottom of the 2nd, Pickens continued it’s hot hitting scoring 6 runs on 5 hits, including a 2-run, inside the park home run from Joseph Gossett. Heading to the 3rd, the Dragons led LaFayette 9-0.

 

The top of the 3rd saw Sipsy continue his strong start and gather yet another strikeout, bringing his total to 5 after 3 innings. After a lead off double by Travis Huffman in the bottom of the 3rd, the Dragons were unable to bring him in as he was stranded at 3rd. Pickens still held a 9-0 lead over the Ramblers going to the 4th. In the top of the 4th, LaFayette would try to get something going, but Sipsy & the Dragons were able to get out of trouble as the inning would come to an end on Sipsy’s 6th K of the game. In the bottom of the 4th, Brady Moore drove Jace Franklin to make it 10-0 Dragons going to the 5th.

 

In the top of the 5th, with the 10 run rule in effect, Sipsy was able to end the ball game with his 7th K of the game to give the Dragons the sweep of the doubleheader, & the series win over LaFayette, 10-0.

 

Dalton Sipsy: 5IP, 1H, 0R, 7K on 89 pitches

Travis Huffman: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored

Joseph Gossett: 2-3 with 1 double, 1 home run, 2 RBI, & 2 runs scored

Dominic Stephens: 2-3 with 2 singles & 2 runs scored

Wyatt Gooch: 1-1 with 1 single, 1 walk, & 2 runs scored

Zack Moore: Zack Moore: 1-3 with 1 single & 1 RBI

Jace Franklin: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, & 1 run scored

Will Lawrence: 1-3 with 1 single, & 1 run scored

Colby James: 1-3 with 1 double

Brady Moore: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored

 

The series finale will be played at LaFayette tomorrow as the Dragons will look to get the sweep over the Ramblers. Pickens finds themselves 11-6 overall & 5-3 in region play.

 

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