Dragons split doubleheader, win series against Heritage
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports March 12, 2020Originally scheduled for Friday, the doubleheader between the Pickens Dragons and the Heritage Generals got bumped up to Wednesday night due to uncertainty around the weather. After playing their first 13 games of the season at home due to the weather, this doubleheader would mark the first true road games for the Dragons baseball team in 2020. Pickens picked up the win in the first game 11-1, while the Generals came back to take the second game, 4-0.
Game One:
After both teams were held scoreless in the first inning, the Dragons were first on the board in the top of the second as starting pitcher Chad Pacas sent a 1-0 pitch deep over the fence in left center and designated hitter Drake Sutton brought in the RBI to make it 2-0 Pickens. In the bottom of the inning, Pacas collected his first strikeout and needed nine pitches to send us to the third with the Dragons ahead 2-0.
In the top of the third, the Dragons took advantage of some timely hitting and a couple of miscues made by the Generals. Pickens plated three runs in the frame to make it 5-0. In the bottom half of the inning, Pacas picked up his second strikeout and needed eight pitches to send us to the fourth with the Dragons on top, 5-0.
After the Dragons went down quietly in the top of the fourth, Heritage picked up their first hit and first run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-1 as we headed to the top of the fifth.
After third baseman Tyler Vreeland led off the top of the fifth with a walk, catcher Austin Chester brought him in with an RBI single to make it 6-1 Dragons. A weather delay that lasted around 50 minutes or so followed the top of the fifth. After the weather had cleared and they were ready to get the bottom of the fifth started, Pacas looked rejuvenated. Pacas picked up his third strikeout and again needed an eight pitch inning to send us to the sixth with Pickens ahead, 6-1.
In the top of the sisth, the Dragons plated five runs as Vreeland walked in a run for the RBI, Pacas picked up his second RBI with a single, Chester knocked in two with a two RBI single, and Sutton walked in another run for his second RBI of the game to make it 11-1. In the bottom of the sisth, Pacas capped it off with his fourth strikeout to give the Dragons the 11-1 win in six innings in game two (game one of the day) to give Pickens the series win.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-4 with a single and two runs scored
Hunter White: 1-4 with a single and one run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 2-3 with one single, two walks, one RBI, and two runs scored
Chad Pacas: 2-3 with a home run, a single, a walk, two RBI, and one run scored and 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K, 65 pitches
Austin Chester: 3-4 with three singles, and three RBI
Seth Densmore: two walks:
Colby James: one sacrifice bunt, one single
Drake Sutton:two walks, and two RBI
Alex Snelgrove: one hit by pitch
Game Two:
After about a 15 minute break, game two of the day and game three of the series was ready to get underway. In the top of the first, Brady Moore led off with a single. That would be all the Dragons were able to get in their half of the first. In the bottom of the inning, the Generals plated one run on two hits. Dragons starter Alex Snelgrove did a good job of limiting the damage to just the one run and getting out of a bases loaded jam. Going to the second, Heritage led Pickens 1-0.
After catcher Austin Chester led off the top of the second by getting hit with a pitch, and Drake Sutton drew a 1-out walk, the Dragons were unable to push across a run as the Generals got out of the jam. After giving up a single in the bottom of the second, Snelgrove settled down and got out of the bottom of the frame with no harm done. Going to the third, Heritage still led the Dragons 1-0.
In the top of the third, third baseman Tyler Vreeland drew a 2-out walk, but would be left stranded at second to end the top half of the frame. Snelgrove collected his third strikeout in the bottom of the inning as he continued to limit the Generals bats. Going to the fourth, Heritage still led Pickens 1-0.
Chester led off the top of the fourth by reaching on an error, Colby James followed with a single as the Dragons had runners on first and third with no outs. James then made his way to second after a passed ball. No runs came across to score however as the Generals somehow got out of that jam to keep their lead at 1-0. Snelgrove kept rolling in the bottom of the fourth as he picked up strikeout number four and five in the frame. Going to the fifth, the Dragons still trailed Heritage 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, Moore led off with a single, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Hunter White would then bunt him over to third as the Dragons once again had the game tying runner in scoring position. The Generals, again got out of the pickle with a strikeout and a fly out to send us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, despite hitting two batters, Snelgrove kept his composure and got out the frame with no damage done and send us to the sixth, still 1-0 Heritage.
In the top of the sixth, the Dragons went down in order as they were running out of chances to tie the game up. In the bottom of the sixth, the Generals plated three runs to make it 4-0 Heritage as we would head to the top of the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Snelgrove nearly hit one over the fence but would end up with a 1-out triple. Missed opportunities was the story in game three of the series for the Dragons as Snelgrove would be left stranded at third and the Generals took game three, 4-0.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 2-4 with two singles
Hunter White: sacrifice bunt
Tyler Vreeland: one walk
Austin Chester: one hit by pitch
Colby James: 1-3 with a single
Drake Sutton: one walk
Alex Snelgrove: 1-3 with a triple and 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K on 86 pitches
6-AAAA Standings:
(These are not the final standings for the week as Northwest Whitfield and Lafayette have one more game and Ridgeland and Southeast Whitfield have two more games in their series)
Pickens: 13-2 (5-1)
Northwest Whitfield: 5-7 (4-1)
Heritage: 4-10 (3-3)
Ridgeland: 5-4 (2-2)
Lafayette: 5-6 (1-1)
Gilmer: 3-10 (0-3)
Southeast Whitfield: 6-6 (0-4)
Next week, the Dragons will continue their region schedule as they begin as series with their neighbors to the north, the Gilmer Bobcats. This will be the final series of games between the two schools as region opponents for quite some time. Game one is set for Tuesday at Pickens with a first pitch time of 5:30.
Dragons pick up win in series opener with Heritage
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports March 11, 2020After an impressive series against Southeast Whitfield to start region play last week, the Pickens Dragons baseball team began a series with the Heritage Generals on Tuesday at home. The Generals, came into the game 3-8 overall and 2-1 in 6-AAAA play while the Dragons came in 11-1 overall and 3-0 in region play. After a big first inning, and a solid pitching performance, Pickens took game one of the 3-game set 13-3 in six innings.
It looked apparent early on that the Generals were going to be swinging early and often last night as Dragons starter Colby James got out of the top of the first with just four pitches thrown. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons showed patience and it payed off. The Heritage starter threw 46 first inning pitches as Pickens scored six runs on two hits. Pickens got an RBI from Chad Pacas, drew two walks, got hit by a pitch, and scored on two errors during the frame. Going to the second, the Dragons were out front, 6-0.
In the top of the second, the Generals were able to cut the lead in half as they scored three runs on four hits. The Inning may have been bigger had it not been determined that a potential fourth run did not touch third base on his way to the plate. The Dragons got a one out single in the bottom of the inning by Tyler Vreeland, but Heritage was able to turn a double play to send us to the third, Pickens now up 6-3.
The top of the third saw James work around a base hit and get out of the inning on just six pitches. The Generals pitcher settled down in his own right with a one, two, three bottom of the third to send us to the fourth, still 6-3 Dragons.
In the top half of the fourth inning, James worked around an error and got out of the frame on only four pitches. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons added two runs to their lead when Pacas drove in Alex Snelgrove and Brady Moore with a 2-RBI single to make it 8-3 Pickens going to the top of the 5th.
In the top of the fifth, James collected his second strikeout of the game and needed just 10 pitches to get out of the inning. After a two-out single by Drake Sutton and Snelgrove was hit by a pitch, Moore smacked a 3-run home run over the left field fence to give the Dragons an 11-3 lead over the Generals going to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, James continued his surgical like outing needing just three pitches to send us to the bottom of the frame. Vreeland led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, consecutive walks by Austin Chester, Seth Densmore, and James scored Vreeland, and Sutton ended the game by drawing a fourth consecutive walk scoring courtesy runner Jarod Whitmore to give the Dragons a 13-3 win over the Generals in game one.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 2-3 with a single, a home run, a walk, three RBI, and three runs scored
Hunter White: one walk, and one run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 2-3 with two singles, and two runs scored
Chad Pacas: 2-4 with two singles, 3 RBI, and one run scored
Austin Chester: one hit-by-pitch, and one walk
Seth Densmore: one walk
Colby James: one walk, one RBI, and 6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 45 pitches
Drake Sutton: 2-3 with two singles, one walk, one RBI, and one run scored
Alex Snelgrove: 2-2 with two singles, one hit-by-pitch, and two runs scored
Jarod Whitmore: two runs scored
Colby Brooks: one run scored
This 3-game series will continue this afternoon as the Dragons head up to Catoosa County to take on the Generals at Heritage for a doubleheader. This was originally scheduled for Friday, but with the uncertainty surrounding the weather this week, the decision was made to move it up to today. The first game will start at 5:30. The second game will follow afterward.
Dragons sweep Raiders in region series
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports March 7, 2020After the scheduled game for Thursday was rained out, the decision was made to turn games two and three into a doubleheader between the Pickens Dragons and the Southeast Whitfield Raiders at PHS. The Dragons, took game one of the series on Tuesday by a score of 13-2 in five innings and looked to continue the roll they’ve been on lately. In cold and windy weather, Pickens took game two 13-1, and game three 14-4 to earn the series sweep.
Game One:
For the first game of the doubleheader, the Southeast Whitfield Raiders were the designated home team. In the top of the first, Brady Moore and Hunter White led off the game with back to back walks. After a double play turned by the Raiders, Chad Pacas drove in White with an RBI double to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead going to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the first, Southeast Whitfield scored a run on two hits to tie things up 1-1 going to the top of the second.
In the top of the second, Jarod Whitmore led off with a double, starting pitcher Alex Snelgrove and Moore were hit by pitches, Tyler Vreeland knocked in Whitmore with an RBI single, Pacas drove in Snelgrove after a fly out, and Moore and Vreeland scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1 Pickens. In the bottom of the second, Snelgrove collected his first strikeout of the game and held the Raiders scoreless to send us to the third, Dragons ahead, 5-1.
In the top of the third, Colby James got things going with a 1-out single, Whitmore followed with a single, Snelgrove helped himself out with an RBI single to bring in James, Moore drew another walk, then Vreeland came through with a 2-out, 3-RBI single scoring Whitmore, Snelgrove, and Moore to make it 9-1 Dragons. In the bottom of the inning, the Raiders did pick up their third and fourth hit of the game, but Snelgrove was able to keep any runs from scoring to send us to the fourth, Pickens up on Southeast Whitfield 9-1.
In the top of the fourth, Austin Chester hit a 1-out double, and his courtesy runner Colby Brooks would eventually come around to score to make it 10-1. The bottom of the fourth saw Snelgrove pick up his second strikeout as he continued his solid outing. Going to the top of the fifth, Pickens led the Raiders, 10-1.
In the top of the fifth, after a 1-out single by White, and a walk by Vreeland, Pacas would send one over the fence for a 3-run home run to make it 13-1 Dragons. In the bottom of the fifth, Snelgrove picked up strikeout number three and closed things out as the Dragons took game one of the doubleheader and game two of the series, 13-1 in five innings.
Stats:
Brady Moore: two walks, one hit-by-pitch, and two runs scored
Hunter White: 1-3 with a single, a walk, and one run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 2-3 with two singles, one walk, three RBI, and two runs scored
Chad Pacas: 2-4 with a double, a home run, five RBI, and one run scored
Austin Chester: 1-1 with a double, two walks, and one hit-by-pitch
Seth Densmore: one walk
Colby James: 1-3 with a single, and one run scored
Jarod Whitmore: 3-3 with a double, two singles, and two runs scored
Alex Snelgrove: 1-2 with a single, one hit-by-pitch, one RBI, two runs scored and 5 IP, 6 H, 3 K, 1 R, 1 ER on 68 pitches
Game Two:
In the top of the first of game three, the Raiders had one of their more productive innings of the series as they strung together two runs on four hits to take a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the inning. After a lead off single by Brady Moore to lead off the bottom of the first, Hunter White got on base after a fielder’s choice. White eventually came around to score on a passed ball to cut the Southeast Whitfield lead down to 2-1 going to the top of the second.
Starting pitcher Seth Densmore had an easier time of it in the top of the second as he picked up a strikeout and needed just five pitches to send us to the bottom of the frame. Densmore came up with one out in the bottom of the second and hit a double, Colby James would be hit by a pitch, then Alex Snelgrove came up and hit a 2-out, 2-RBI triple to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead over the Raiders heading to the third.
In the top of the third, the Raiders answered the Dragons with two runs on three hits to retake the lead 4-3 going to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, White led off with a single, and Pacas drove him in with an RBI double. Austin Chester got on with a single, then Densmore knocked in two with a 2-RBI double to make it 6-4 Pickens over Southeast Whitfield going to the fourth.
In the top of the fourth, Densmore needed 19 pitches, but kept the Raiders off the board to send the Dragons bats back up to the plate. In the bottom of the inning, getting an RBI single from Pacas, a 3-RBI double by Chester, an RBI single by James, and an RBI ground out by Moore. All together, the Dragons scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 13-4 going to the top of the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Pacas came on in relief of Densmore and looked good in his only inning of work. Pacas collected a strikeout on 16 pitches to send us to the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom half of the inning, Pacas reached on an error, Chester walked, and courtesy runner Colby Brooks came around to score the game winning run on a passed ball as the Dragons took game three 14-4 in five innings.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 2-4 with two singles, one RBI, and one run scored
Hunter White: 1-4 with one single and two runs scored
Chad Pacas: 2-4 with a double, a single, two RBI, and two runs scored
Austin Chester: 2-3 with a single, a double, one walk, and three RBI
Seth Densmore: 2-2 with two doubles, one hit-by-pitch, and two RBI
Colby James: 1-2 with a single, a hit-by-pitch, one RBI, and two runs scored
Jarod Whitmore: 1-2 with a single, and a walk
Alex Snelgrove: 1-1 with a triple, one walk, one hit-by-pitch, two RBI, and one run scored
6-AAAA Standings:
Pickens: 11-1 (3-0)
Northwest Whitfield: 4-6 (3-0)
Heritage: 3-8 (2-1)
Lafayette: 4-4 (0-0)
Ridgeland: 4-4 (1-2)
Southeast Whitfield: 6-4 (0-3)
Gilmer: 2-9 (0-3)
Next week, the Dragons will continue region play as they will begin a series with the Heritage Generals. Game one of the series will be at home on Tuesday with a first pitch time of 5:30 pm.
Dragons run-rule Raiders in region opener
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports March 4, 2020On a day where not many teams around not just 6-4A but north Georgia got to play due to rain, the Pickens Dragons baseball team were thankful to have their new all-turf field as they got their game in with the Southeast Whitfield Raiders to begin region play Tuesday, March 3. During region play, teams play three-game sets. For the Dragons, the series got off on the right foot as they were able to defeat the Raiders 13-2 in five innings.
In the top of the first, Oglethorpe commit Colby James picked up his first strikeout and needed just 11 pitches in a scoreless half of an inning. In the bottom of the inning. the Dragons scored four runs on one hit. Brady Moore and Hunter White started the half inning with back-to-back walks, Tyler Vreeland reached on a fielder’s choice, Chad Pacas walked, Austin Chester got hit by a pitch that brought in Moore, Vreeland came in after Seth Densmore walked, Pacas came in after James hit into a fielder’s choice, finally, Drake Sutton knocked in courtesy runner Jarod Whitmore. Going to the second inning, Pickens held an early 4-0 lead over Southeast Whitfield.
In the top of the second, James did give up one hit, but struck out one more Raider to bring the Dragons bats up to the plate. Much like the bottom of the first, the bottom of the second saw Pickens be patient and reap the rewards. Vreeland hit a one-out single, Pacas walked, Chester got hit by another pitch, Vreeland came in after Densmore was hit by a pitch, and Pacas came in after James was plunked by a pitch. Courtesy runner Whitmore and Densmore also came in to score during the frame to give the Dragons an 8-0 lead over the Raiders going to the third inning.
In the top of the third, James went to work on the mound. He needed just nine pitches to get three outs, which included two more strikeouts. In the bottom of the inning, Moore started it off with a lead off double, White moved him over to third, Vreeland brought him in with a sacrifice fly, Pacas then singled, Chester singled, and Densmore brought in Pacas with an RBI single to make it 10-0 Dragons going to the top of the fourth.
In the top of the fourth, the Raiders took advantage of several miscues by the Dragons defense and plated two to make it 10-2. In the bottom of the fourth, Alex Snelgrove led off with a double, Moore then drew a walk, and Vreeland brought both of them in with a two-RBI single. Pacas brought in Vreeland with an RBI single to make it 13-2 Dragons going to the top of the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, starting second baseman Drake Sutton came on in relief of starter Colby James. Sutton needed eight pitches to collect two strikeouts and to close the game out as the Dragons took Game 1 of the three-game series with Southeast Whitfield 13-2 in five innings.
Stats:
- Brady Moore: 1-for-2 with one double, two walks, and three runs scored.
- Tyler Vreeland: 2-for-3 with two singles, three RBIs, and three runs scored.
- Chad Pacas: 2-for-2 with two singles, one RBI, and three runs scored.
- Austin Chester: 1-for-1 with one single, and two hit-by-pitch.
- Seth Densmore: 1-for-1 with one single, one walk, one hit-by-pitch, and one RBI.
- Colby James: 1-for-2 with one single, one hit-by-pitch, one RBI. Four innings pitched with one hit, no earned runs, and four strikeouts on 51 pitches.
- Drake Sutton: 1-for-2 with one single, one walk, and two RBIs. One inning pitched, zero hits, no earned runs, and two strikeouts on eight pitches.
- Alex Snelgrove: 1-for-2 with one double, one walk, and one run scored.
- Jarod Whitmore: Two runs scored.
With the win, the Dragons are now 9-1 on the season and 1-0 in 6-4A play. Game 2 of the series is set for Thursday, March 5, at Southeast Whitfield. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m.
Dragons shutout Indians to move to 4-0
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 26, 2020In a game that was pushed back to Wednesday due to weather, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Lumpkin County Indians to PHS for some baseball action. In a game that only featured six combined hits between the two teams, it was the pitching performance by the Dragons that helped lead to a 6-0 victory.
Nothing was doing for either team in the first inning as both teams went down in order to start the game. In the top of the second, Lumpkin got a two-out hit, but the runner was left stranded. In the bottom half of the inning, back to back walks would come into score for the Dragons as they took a 2-0 lead going to the third.
Senior Colby James collected his second and third strikeouts in the top of the third to keep the Indians offense at bay. Pickens, had a potential threat going in the bottom of the third after first baseman Chad Pacas was hit by a pitch and catcher Austin Chester drew a walk with two outs. Lumpkin was able to get out of it to send us to the fourth with the Dragons still on top, 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, the Indians were looking to cut into the Dragons lead after Nick Turner got hit by a pitch and was able to swipe second base. After going to his first full count of the game, James ended the threat with his fourth strikeout of the game. James then led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, the first hit of the game for Pickens. The Dragons added to their lead when Alex Snelgrove drove in Colby Brooks to make it 3-0 going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Lumpkin again was looking to cut into the Dragons lead after a walk and a single with two outs. James was able to get the ground out he needed to end the scoring chance and send us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Seth Densmore added to the lead for Pickens as he was able to bring in Tyler Vreeland. Going to the sixth, the Dragons led the Indians 4-0.
In the sixth, Snelgrove came on in relief of James and he would strikeout two of the three batters he faced as he sat them down in order to send us to the bottom of the inning. After a lead off single and a steal of second by Parker Rhodes, Snelgrove would drive him in with his second RBI of the game to make it 5-0. Snelgrove would also come into score as Hunter White would drive him in to make it 6-0 Dragons going to the seventh.
Drake Sutton came in for the Dragons in the top of the seventh to try and close this one out. A two-out walk is all Sutton would surrender as Pickens held on to defeat Lumpkin, 6-0.
Stats:
Brady Moore: two walks drawn
Hunter White: one RBI
Tyler Vreeland: one run scored
Chad Pacas: one walk, one hit-by-pitch, and one run scored
Austin Chester: three walks drawn
Seth Densmore: one RBI
Colby James: 1-3 with a single and five innings pitched, four K’s, one walk, one HBP, zero earned runs on 69 pitches
Drake Sutton: one walk drawn and one inning pitched with one walk, zero hits or runs on 22 pitches
Parker Rhodes: 1-1 with a single, one stolen base, and one run scored
Alex Snelgrove: 2-3 with two singles and 2 RBI and one inning pitched with two K’s, zero hits, runs, or walks on 12 pitches
Colby Brooks: one run scored
Jarod Whitmore: one run scored
Pickens Dragons walk-off against Sonoraville
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 26, 2020It was a nice day for high school baseball on Tuesday as the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team welcomed the Phoenix of Sonoraville to Dragons Field for a non-region contest. Coming into the game, Pickens held a record of 6-1 while the Phoenix held a record of 2-1. Those two wins came against the only team to beat the Dragons so far, Dalton. After a classic pitchers duel for the entirety of the game, the Dragons were able to walk off with a 2-1 win.
Oglethorpe signee Colby James started off strong in the top of the first with his first strikeout of the game and sitting down Sonoraville on just 11 pitches. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons had an early chance to put a run on the board after a two-out walk by Tyler Vreeland and a single by Chad Pacas. The Phoenix, were able to get out of the early jam and send us to the second, tied a zero.
We’ll take things to the fifth inning as this is where things picked up. James, picked up his ninth strikeout on the day in the fifth, but the Phoenix were able to pus across one run on two hits to make it 1-0 Sonoraville. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons had a runner on second base with two outs, but couldn’t bring him home as Pickens trailed Sonoraville 1-0 going to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, James notched strikeout number 10 and 11 as his masterful performance kept rolling. In the bottom of the frame, Hunter White led off with a single, Vreeland followed him with a single, Pacas got the runners over on a fly ball, Austin Chester drew a walk, and then James helped himself out by driving in White on an RBI fly out to tie things up at 1-1 going to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, James was still going strong. After a renewed sense of energy after tying the game up in the bottom of the sixth, James came out and struck out the side on 13 pitches giving him 14 for the game. In the bottom of the seventh, second baseman Drake Sutton led off with a walk, designated hitter Jarod Whitmore followed suit with a walk of his own. With a one ball, one strike count, Coastal Carolina signee Brady Moore said let’s go home as he smacked a walk off double into the left field corner to score Sutton and give the Dragons the 2-1 win.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-4 with a double and one RBI
Hunter White: 1-3 with a single and one run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 1-2 with a single and a walk
Chad pacas: 1-3 with a single
Austin Chester: one walk drawn
Colby James: seven innings, three hits, one run, 14 strikeouts on 103 pitches and one hit-by-pitch and one RBI
Alex Snelgrove: 1-3 with a single
Drake Sutton: one walk drawn and one run scored
Jarod Whitmore: one walk drawn
With the win, the Dragons are now 7-1 on the season. This win will mean a little more to head coach Adam Williams as last nights win was his 100th. These two teams are scheduled to meet on Thursday at Sonoraville with a first pitch time of 5:30 pm.
Dragons split doubleheader with Dalton
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 23, 2020After defeating the Lumpkin County Indians on Friday 5-2, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Dalton Catamounts, a 6A school to Pickens High School for a doubleheader. This was originally scheduled to be a four game day with Dominion Christian joining in but they had to drop out due to a sporting conflict. In a great afternoon of baseball, Dalton took game one, 6-1, and the Dragons took game two, 8-5.
Game one:
In the top of the 1st inning, Dalton looked to get on the board early with two hits and runners on first and third. Dragons starter Alex Snelgrove was able to work around the jam and send the Dragons up in the bottom of the frame. Coastal Carolina signee Brady Moore led off with a triple and Hunter White drove him in. After a two-out double by Chad Pacas and a walk by Austin Chester, the Catamounts were able to get out of a jam themselves and send us to the second, Dragons up, 1-0.
Pickens held that 1-0 lead till the top of the fourth inning as Dalton would hit a 2-run home run to take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Seth Densmore picked up a 2-out single, but that would be all as we would head to the fifth, Catamounts now on top, 2-1.
In the top of the sixth inning, Dalton added to their lead with four runs. Half of those runs came on another 2-run home run. Chester drew his second walk of the game in the bottom of the inning, but again, Dalton got out of it and we headed to the seventh, Catamounts up 6-1.
In the top of the seventh, Dalton looked to really blow it open as they had the bases loaded. Pacas, making his season debut on the mound, got out of the huge jam without giving up anything to send us to the bottom of the frame. Snelgrove drew a walk to start the bottom of the seventh and Moore drew a 2-out walk, but that would be it as the Catamounts took game one, 6-1.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-2 with a double, two walks, and one run scored
Hunter White: one RBI
Chad Pacas: 1-3 with a double
Austin Chester: two walks
Seth Densmore: 1-3 with a single
Alex Snelgrove: one walk
Game two:
Much like the Dragons in game one, Dalton started off the top of the first in game two with a triple. The Catamounts cashed in that lead off triple and took a 1-0 lead going to the bottom of the inning. Brady Moore led off with a walk, Hunter White followed with a walk, Moore advanced to third on a wild pitch, Chad Pacas got hit by a pitch, and Austin Chester drove in Moore with an RBI single to tie things up at 1-1 going to the second.
In the bottom of the third, Pickens added to their lead after both White and Tyler Vreeland scored on a pair of wild pitches to make it 3-1. Seth Densmore drove in Pacas with a 2-out RBI single to make it 4-1 Dragons going to the fourth.
In the top of the fourth, Dragons starting pitcher Colby James continued his great outing with a 9-pitch fourth inning. In the bottom of the frame, Pickens had four straight 1-out hits as White drove in Moore with an RBI single, and Pacas plated White and Vreeland with a 2-RBI double. Going to the top of the fifth, the Dragons led Dalton 7-1.
After nothing doing for either team in the fifth, the Catamounts cut into the Dragons lead with a three run inning including a solo home run to make it 7-4 Pickens. The Dragons got one run back in the bottom of the frame as Pacas drove in Vreeland with an RBI single to make it 8-4 going to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Dalton again was threatening as they had already plated one run to make it 8-5, and had runners at first and third with the potential tying run up. Moore came in and closed it out with a strikeout to give the Dragons the win in game two, 8-5.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored
Hunter White: 1-1 with a single, three walks, and two runs scored
Tyler Vreeland: 3-4 with two singles, one double, one RBI, and three runs scored
Chad Pacas: 2-2 with one double, one single, one hit-by-pitch, three RBI, and one run scored
Austin Chester: 1-1 with one single, two walks, one hit-by-pitch, and one RBI
Seth Densmore: 1-3 with a single and a walk
The Dragons are now 6-1 on the season after this week’s set of games. They have another full slate of games coming up next week as they will host the Sonoraville Phoenix on Tuesday, travel to Sonoraville on Thursday, and head to Murray County to take on the Indians on Saturday. Both games against Sonoraville will have a 5:30 first pitch time. The game against Murray County has a 1 pm first pitch time.
Dragons shutout Indians to move to 4-0
Sports, Team FYN Sports February 21, 2020In a game that was pushed back to Wednesday due to weather, the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Lumpkin County Indians to PHS for some baseball action. In a game that only featured six combined hits between the two teams, it was the pitching performance by the Dragons that helped lead to a 6-0 victory.
Nothing was doing for either team in the first inning as both teams went down in order to start the game. In the top of the second, Lumpkin got a two-out hit, but the runner was left stranded. In the bottom half of the inning, back to back walks would come into score for the Dragons as they took a 2-0 lead going to the third.
Senior Colby James collected his second and third strikeouts in the top of the third to keep the Indians offense at bay. Pickens, had a potential threat going in the bottom of the third after first baseman Chad Pacas was hit by a pitch and catcher Austin Chester drew a walk with two outs. Lumpkin was able to get out of it to send us to the fourth with the Dragons still on top, 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, the Indians were looking to cut into the Dragons lead after Nick Turner got hit by a pitch and was able to swipe second base. After going to his first full count of the game, James ended the threat with his fourth strikeout of the game. James then led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, the first hit of the game for Pickens. The Dragons added to their lead when Alex Snelgrove drove in Colby Brooks to make it 3-0 going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Lumpkin again was looking to cut into the Dragons lead after a walk and a single with two outs. James was able to get the ground out he needed to end the scoring chance and send us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Seth Densmore added to the lead for Pickens as he was able to bring in Tyler Vreeland. Going to the sixth, the Dragons led the Indians 4-0.
In the sixth, Snelgrove came on in relief of James and he would strikeout two of the three batters he faced as he sat them down in order to send us to the bottom of the inning. After a lead off single and a steal of second by Parker Rhodes, Snelgrove would drive him in with his second RBI of the game to make it 5-0. Snelgrove would also come into score as Hunter White would drive him in to make it 6-0 Dragons going to the seventh.
Drake Sutton came in for the Dragons in the top of the seventh to try and close this one out. A two-out walk is all Sutton would surrender as Pickens held on to defeat Lumpkin, 6-0.
Stats:
Brady Moore: two walks drawn
Hunter White: one RBI
Tyler Vreeland: one run scored
Chad Pacas: one walk, one hit-by-pitch, and one run scored
Austin Chester: three walks drawn
Seth Densmore: one RBI
Colby James: 1-3 with a single and five innings pitched, four K’s, one walk, one HBP, zero earned runs on 69 pitches
Drake Sutton: one walk drawn and one inning pitched with one walk, zero hits or runs on 22 pitches
Parker Rhodes: 1-1 with a single, one stolen base, and one run scored
Alex Snelgrove: 2-3 with two singles and 2 RBI and one inning pitched with two K’s, zero hits, runs, or walks on 12 pitches
Colby Brooks: one run scored
Jarod Whitmore: one run scored
Dragons Battle In State Tournament Against Num. 2 Team In 4A
PHS Baseball April 25, 2019Yesterday, the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team headed down to Atlanta to take on the Marist War Eagles in the 1st round of the GHSA 4A State Baseball Tournament. Coming into the game, the Dragons were the #3 seed out of region 6-AAAA, while Marist, came in as the #2 seed out of region 7-AAAA. Marist was also ranked as the 2nd best team in 4A coming into the state tournament.
Game 1:
In the top of the 1st, the Dragons got a 2-out walk by Tyler Vreeland, but that would be all they would manage to begin the game. The War Eagles, plated the 1st run of the game in the bottom of the first, taking a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the 3rd, Pickens struck for the first time as starter Colby James hit a 2-run, 2-out single, knocking in Hunter White & Brady Moore to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead over Marist. In the bottom of the inning, the War Eagles re-took the lead by scoring two runs over their own & now led, 3-2.
In the bottom of the 4th, Marist added to their lead by plating a run to make it 4-2 over the Dragons. In the top of the 5th, Pickens, never one to stop fighting, scored 2 runs as both Jacob Kirchoff came to score on a passed ball, & Moore scored when James got walked for his 3rd RBI, tying the game at 4.
In this back and forth opening game of the series, the War Eagles plated 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th to re-take the lead, 6-4. In the top of the 7th, the Dragons got a 1-out double from Caswell Smith, but he was left stranded as Marist held on to take game one, 6-4.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 2-4 with 2 doubles, & 2 runs scored
Caswell Smith: 1-2 with a single, & 2 intentional walks
Tyler Vreeland: 1 walk
Colby James: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 3 RBI
Hunter White: 1-2 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored
Jacob Kirchoff: 1 run scored
Game 2:
Game 2, saw Pickens as the designated home team & saw senior & College of Charleston signee Caswell Smith get the start. The Dragons, were looking to get a win here in game 2, to force a 3rd and deciding game.
Smith & the Dragons, were in a little bit of trouble in the top of the first as Marist had an early threat. Pickens, got out of it & we headed to the bottom of the 1st tied. Brady Moore, led the bottom of the 1st with a walk, but would be left stranded at 3rd, keeping the game scoreless.
In the top of the 2nd, the War Eagles plated the first runs of the game, taking a 2-0 lead. Marist added to their lead in the top of the 3rd, scoring 4 times to make it a 6-0 lead over the Dragons.
In the bottom of the 4th, Pickens broke through. The Dragons, socred 4 runs on 5 hits, getting a 2-RBI knock from Chad Pacas, and an RBI each from Jacob Kirchoff & Moore. Going to the 5th, the War Eagles lead was cut to just 6-4.
Marist, re-took the lead in the top of the 5th by scoring 5 runs. Pickens went quietly in the bottom of the frame, & we’d head to the 6th, with the War Eagles up, 11-4.
In the bottom of the 7th, now trailing 16-4, the Dragons would put up one last fight. Getting an RBI from Tyler Vreeland, Colby James, Austin Chester, & Hunter White, & scoring 6 runs before Marist was able to get the final out. Final score, Marist 16, Pickens 10. Pickens finishes the season at 19-13.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-3 with a single, a walk, 1 RBI, & a run scored
Caswell Smith: 2-4 with 2 singles, & 1 run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 1-4 with a single & 1 RBI
Colby James: 2-4 with a single, a double, 1 RBI, & 2 runs scored
Will Lawrence: 3-3 with 3 singles & 2 runs scored
Austin Chester: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 RBI. & 2 runs scored
Chad Pacas: 1-2 with a single, 2 hit by pitch, 2 RBI, & 1 run scored
Hunter White: 1 walk, 1 RBI
Jacob Kirchoff: 1-4 with a single, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Dragons Fall On The Road At Northwest Whitfield, Game 3 This Afternoon
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 11, 2019It was a hot one yesterday afternoon as the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team traveled up to take on the Bruins of Northwest Whitfield for the 2nd straight day. On Tuesday, the Dragons fell 3-0. Yesterday’s game, was originally scheduled for Friday, but with storms on the way, they bumped it up to Wednesday. In any event, Pickens came into the game looking to even up the series.
Pickens, got off to a good start in the top of the 1st, as Caswell Smith, tied a PHS record for home runs in a season with his 10th. Going to the bottom of the inning, the Dragons held a 1-0 lead. Smith, got off to a good start on the mound as well, striking out 1 on 16 pitches to send us to the 2nd,, Dragons up, 1-0.
In the top of the 2nd, Austin Chester led off with a double & it looked like the Dragons were poised to add to their lead. The Bruins however, got a double play, & then a strikeout to end any scoring chance in the 2nd for Pickens. Northwest Whitfield, scored a run in the bottom of the frame to even things up at 1, going to the 3rd.
In the top of the 3rd, the Dragons again had another scoring chance with runners on 2nd & 3rd with 1 out, & then runners on 1st & 3rd with 2 outs. Somehow, the Bruins were able to escape those dcoring threats & the game remained tied at 1. In the bottom of the inning, Northwest Whitfield scored 4 runs to make it 5-1, going to the 4th.
There would be no scoring till the 6th inning as Hunter White knocked in Chad Pacas in the top of the frame to make it 5-2. The Bruins, were able to counter with 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th, to make it 8-2. Northwest Whitfield, would take this one by a final of 8-2.
Game 3 of the series will be this afternoon at PJHS. It is also the annual pink out game as the Dragons are raising awareness in the fight against breast cancer. Come out to the ballpark, wear pink, & cheer on the Dragons as they look to get a big home win. First pitch is set for 5:30.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-3 with a single & a walk
Caswell Smith: 1-3 with a home run, a walk, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Chad Pacas: 1 run scored
Austin Chester: 2-2 with 2 doubles & 1 walk
Hunter White: 1 RBI
Jarod Whitmore: 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Jacob Kirchoff: 1-3 with a single
Dragons Win 4th Straight, Defeat Dalton
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 6, 2019Yesterday, the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team hosted the Dalton Catamounts at Dragons Field in non-region action. Dalton, is out of the 6-A classification. On Thursday, these two teams met in Dalton, & Pickens came away with a 7-3 win. The Dragons came in, looking for a home & home sweep.
Starter Will Lawrence, got off to a great start in the top of the 1st, striking out two Catamounts. Pickens, got off to an even better start offensively as Brady Moore led off the bottom half of the inning with a home run, & Tyler Vreeland knocked in Caswell Smith with an RBI double. Going to the 2nd, the Dragons held a 2-0 lead over Dalton.
In the 2nd, Lawrence added to his strikeout total, collecting two more, but Dalton was able to cut the Dragon lead in half, 2-1. Pickens, had a potential 2-out threat emerging, but the Catamounts were able to end the inning & send us to the 3rd.
The 3rd inning saw back and forth action. In the top of the frame, Dalton took their first lead of the game by scoring two runs, making it 3-2. The Dragons, were able to counter back, with 4 runs. Smith with a 2-run home run (his 9th), & getting an RBI from Lawrence & Chad Pacas to make it 6-3 Pickens, going to the 4th.
The 5th inning, saw ten total runs scored between the two teams. In the top of the inning, the Catamounts scored 5 times to retake the lead from the Dragons, 8-6. In the bottom half of the inning, it was the Dragons turn to score 5 runs led by Moore with an RBI single, & Smith with a 2-RBI double. Going to the 6th, Pickens led Dalton, 11-8.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Dragons added an insurance run when Lawrence, drove in Jarod Whitmore to make it 12-8. Pacas came in for the top of the 7th, & shut the Catamounts down to give Pickens the 12-8 win.
Next week, the Dragons will begin their biggest series of the season as they take on the Northwest Whitfield Bruins in a 3-game set. Pickens: 16-7 (9-3) & Northwest Whitfield: 15-5 (9-3) are tied atop the 6-AAAA standings & the winner of the series will be in the drivers seat as far as the region championship is concerned. Game one of the 3-game set will be in Tunnel Hill at Northwest Whitfield. First pitch set for 5:30.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 3-4 with a home run, 2 singles, 1 RBI, & 3 runs scored
Caswell Smith: 2-2 with a home run, a double, 2 walks, 4 RBI, & 2 runs scored
Tyler Vreeland: 3-4 with a double, 2 singles, & 1 RBI
Colby James: 2-4 with 2 singles & 2 runs scored
Will Lawrence: 2-4 with 2 singles, 2 RBI, & 1 run scored
Austin Chester: 1 walk
Chad Pacas: 2-3 with 2 singles, a walk, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Hunter White: 1-4 with a single
Jacob Kirchoff: 1-2 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored
Jarod Whitmore: 2 runs scored
Dragons Run Rule Ridgeland To Win Series
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 31, 2019On Friday afternoon, the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team hosted the Ridgeland Panthers for the third and final game of their region series. On Thursday, the Dragons evened up the series at one game a piece, by getting an 8-5 win at Ridgeland, and looked to win the series & take 2nd place all to themselves with a victory.
Senior Will Lawrence got the call to start game 3 & pitched beautifully. The top of the 1st saw Lawrence strike out two Panthers to send the Dragons up to the plate. Pickens, got off to a fast start in the bottom of the frame, scoring 6 runs on just 3 hits. The Dragons, drew 5 walks, one batter got hit, & got 2 RBI from Tyler Vreeland, 1 RBI from Hunter White, & 1 RBI from Brady Moore in the bottom half of the inning. Going to the 2nd, the Dragons led Ridgeland, 6-0.
Lawrence, continued his good work from the first inning, collecting his 3rd strikeout of the game. The Dragons got some two out magic in the bottom of the 2nd, as Jacob Kirchoff got hit by a pitch bringing in Austin Chester, then Moore knocked in Chad Pacas, making it 8-0 Pickens, going to the 3rd.
Ridgeland, scored two runs in the top of the 3rd as Lawrence had the rare 4 strikeout inning (batter made it to 1st after strike 3 got passed the catcher). The Dragons, got an RBI single from Pacas, to make it 9-2 Pickens, going to the 4th.
Lawrence, struck out the side in the top of the 4th, bringing his total up to 10 for the game. The Dragons added to their lead in the bottom of the inning as Vreeland drove in Moore to make it 10-2, going to the 5th.
Ridgeland, was able to plate a run in the top of the 5th, but that would be all as Lawrence collected his 11th strikeout to close out the top half of the frame. In the bottom of the 5th, Chester led off reaching on an error, Pacas & White both singled, Kirchoff brought in Chester with a sacrifice fly, then Caswell Smith stepped up & hit a three run home run to end the ball game & give the Dragons a 14-3 win.
Pickens, is now 14-7 overall & 9-3 in 6-AAAA. They are in 2nd place in the region & 1 game back of Northwest Whitfield in the loss column. The Dragons, will take on Dalton this week in non-region action. The first game, will be at Dalton on Thursday & the 2nd game will be at Dragons Field on Friday. Both games are set to start at 5:30.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-3 with a single, 2 walks, 2 runs scored, & 1 RBI
Caswell Smith: 1-2 with a 3-run home run, 2 walks, 2 runs scored, & 4 RBI
Tyler Vreeland: 1-3 with a single & 3 RBI
Will Lawrence: 1-3 with a single & 1 walk & 5 IP, 11 K on 101 pitches
Austin Chester: 2-4 with 2 singles & 3 runs scored
Chad Pacas: 3-3 with 3 singles, 1 hit by pitch, 3 runs scored, & 1 RBI
Hunter White: 3-3 with 3 singles, 1 walk, 2 runs scored, & 1 RBI
Jacob Kirchoff: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, & 2 RBI
Dragons Drop Game 1 To Ridgeland, Game 2 This Afternoon
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 28, 2019Yesterday, the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team welcomed the Ridgeland Panthers to Dragons Field to begin the most important 3 game set of the season up to this point. This game, was supposed to be played Tuesday, but rain pushed it to yesterday. Both teams came in 7-2 in region play, just one game back of Northwest Whitfield. Coming into this series, the Dragons had won every opening game, & looked to keep that going in game 1 against the Panthers.
In the top of the 1st, Ridgeland looked to get on the board early, but a great throw by Dragon right fielder Hunter White, kept that from happening as he threw out a runner at home. Pickens, couldn’t get anything going in the bottom of the frame, & we’d head to the 2nd, tied at 0.
In the top of the 2nd, the Panthers scored 2 runs on 2 hits, taking a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the frame, the Dragons were able to cut the lead in half as Will Lawrence came in to score after multiple balks by the Ridgeland pitcher. Going to the 3rd, the Panthers led Pickens, 2-1.
Dragon starter Colby James needed 11 pitches to collect two strikeouts & retire the Panthers in the top of the 3rd. In the bottom of the inning, Pickens tied things up as Brady Moore led off with a screaming double down the left field line, & Caswell Smith was able to bring him in on an RBI single to tie things up at 2, going to the 4th.
In the top of the 4th, Ridgeland broke things open by scoring 9 runs to make it 11-2. The Dragons got a lead off walk in the bottom of the frame, but were unable to bring him around & we’d head to the 5th, Panthers up, 11-2.
Pickens, got one back in the bottom of the 5th, as they scored a run on 2 hits to male it 11-3. The top of the 6th saw Ridgeland answer with 2 runs, to make it 13-3. In the bottom of the 6th, Moore drove in Chad Pacas to make it 13-4 Panthers. Ridgeland, took this one by a final of 13-4.
These two teams will meet again this afternoon at Ridgeland for game 2 of the 3 game set. First pitch set for 5:30.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
Caswell Smith: 1 single, 1 RBI
Tyler Vreeland: 1 single, 1 walk
Colby James: 1 walk, 1 single
Will Lawrence: 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
Austin Chester: 2 walks
Chad Pacas: 1 double, 1 walk
Jacob Kirchoff: 1 single
Dragons Take Game 1 Of 515 Region Series
PHS Baseball March 20, 2019It was a sunny, yet cool afternoon in Ellijay on Tuesday as the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team took on the Gilmer Bobcats in the 1st game of a three game region series. Pickens, came into this series having won their first two series over Southeast Whitfield & Heritage, While Gilmer was off from region play last week.
In the top of the 1st, Caswell Smith drew a 1-out walk, but he would be left stranded at 1st to end the top of the inning. Starting pitcher for Pickens, Colby James, sat the Bobcats down in order on 6 pitches, to send us to the 2nd, still scoreless. In the bottom of the 2nd, Gilmer had runners on 1st & 2nd, but James was able to get out of it to send it to the 3rd, still 0-0.
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In the top of the 3rd, the Dragons broke the tie after plating three runs behind RBI from Tyler Vreeland, & James, & Jarod Whitmore scoring on a passed ball. In the bottom of the frame, the Bobcats again threatened with 2 on, but James & the Dragons again got out of the jam, sending us to the 4th, Pickens ahead, 3-0.
The bottom of the 4th saw Gilmer threatening for the 3rd time in the last three innings with runners on 2nd & 3rd, looking to cut into the Dragons lead. Pickens, again escaped the danger, maintaining their 3-0 lead, going to the 5th. In the top of the 5th, the Dragons scored 5 times getting an RBI from Vreeland, James, & 2 RBI from Will Lawrence. Austin Chester scored on a passed ball. Gilmer would go down in order in the bottom of the inning, sending us to the 6th, Pickens up 8-0.
The Bobcats, got on the board in the bottom of the 6th, plating a run to make it 8-1 going to the 7th. Seth Densmore came in to shut things down in the bottom of the 7th, to seal the win for the Dragons, 8-1.
Game 2 between these two teams will be tomorrow at 5:30 at Pickens Junior High School.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored
Caswell Smith: 1-2 with a single, a walk, 1 hit by pitch, & 2 runs scored
Tyler Vreeland: 1-4 with a single, & 2 RBI
Colby James: 1-4 with a double & 2 RBI & 6 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 H, 1 R on 74 pitches
Will Lawrence: 1 walk, 2 RBI & 1 run scored
Austin Chester: 1 walk & 1 run scored
Chad Pacas: 2-4 with a double & a single
Hunter White: 2 walks & 1 run scored
Jacob Kirchoff: hit by pitch
Jarod Whitmore: 2 runs scored
Dragons Hang On In Final Innings, Sweep Gilmer
PHS Baseball March 23, 2019It was game three of three yesterday as the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team made the short trip up 515 to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats. Pickens, won the series on Thursday in walk off fashion, & looked to complete the sweep to remain in 2nd place in region play.
The Dragons, got off to a big start in the top of the 1st. Brady Moore led off with a double, Colby James would bring him in, then Austin Chester would bring in Jarod Whitmore & James to make it 3-0 Pickens, going to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Gilmer got a run off one hit to make it 3-1 Dragons going to the 2nd.
In the top of the 2nd, the Dragons added 3 more runs. Moore hit a solo home run, Caswell Smith came in on a passed ball, & starting pitcher Will Lawrence helped himself out with an RBI single bringing in Colby James, to make it 6-1. Lawrence sat the Bobcats down in order in the bottom of the frame, sending us to the 3rd, Dragons up, 6-1.
In the top of the 3rd, Pickens stretched it’s lead out even more by scoring 6 runs in the frame. The Dragons, got an RBI from Tyler Vreeland, James, Lawrence, & 2 RBI from Hunter White. Going to the bottom of the 3rd, Pickens led Gilmer, 12-1. The Bobcats, got a run on two hits in the bottom of the inning, to make it 12-2 Dragons, going to the 4th.
In the 4th, the Bobcats again plated a run, to make it 12-3. The action didn’t pick back up until the 7th. The Dragons got three straight hits, & a run scored by Whitmore, to make it 13-3 Pickens. Gilmer, with their final three outs, made a furious rally. The Bobcats, scored 8 runs on 6 hits, to cut it to 13-11, with 2 outs. Caswell Smith, came in for the save for Pickens as he struck out his only batter, touching 94 on the radar gun, to preserve the 13-11 win & the sweep for the Dragons:
Pickens, now 12-6 (7-2), will begin a series with the Ridgeland Panthers on Tuesday at Dragons Field. First pitch set for 5:30. Both Pickens & Ridgeland are tied for 2nd in 6-AAAA at 7-2.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 3-4 with a double, a home run, a single, a walk, 1 RBI, & 3 runs scored
Caswell Smith: 1-3 with a single, 2 walks, & 2 runs scored
Tyler Vreeland: 1-4 with a single, a walk, & 1 RBI
Colby James: 2-4 with 2 singles, 2 RBI, & 3 runs scored
Jarod Whitmore: 1-1 with a single, & 3 runs scored
Will Lawrence: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, & 2 RBI & 6 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K, on 84 pitches
Seth Densmore: 1-1 with a single
Austin Chester: 2-2 with 2 singles, 2 walks, 2 RBI, & 1 run scored
Christian Chumley: 1-1 with a single
Chad Pacas: 2-4 with a single, a double, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Hunter White: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 2 RBI
Pacas’ Big Game Helps Dragons Win Series Against Gilmer
PHS Baseball March 22, 2019Game 2 of the 3 game set came to Jasper yesterday afternoon as the PHS Dragons varsity baseball team hosted the Bobcats of Gilmer at Dragons Field. Pickens, took game 1 in Ellijay on Tuesday 8-1, & looked to get the series win at home.
In the top of the 1st, the Bobcats struck first getting one run on two hits to take an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Brady Moore led the inning off with a double, but the Dragons were unable to capitalize & we’d head to the 2nd, Gilmer up, 1-0. Pickens, took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd after a 2-run home run from Chad Pacas. Going to the 3rd, Dragons up, 2-1.
In the 3rd, Gilmer would go down in order, while the Dragons, were able to add to their lead. Colby James drove in Moore, to make it 3-1, going to the 4th. In the top of the 4th, the Bobcats cut into the Dragons lead by plating a run on three hits, to make it 3-2 Pickens. The Dragons, had a chance to add to their lead in a big way in the bottom of the 4th with the bases loaded & 1 out, but were unable to score any runs. We headed to the 5th, Pickens still up, 3-2.
In the bottom of the 5th, the Dragons plated a run as Austin Chester doubled home Colby James to make it 4-2 Pickens, going to the 6th. The 6th inning, got a little wacky. In the top of the 6th, Gilmer was able to retake the lead by scoring 5 runs to make it 7-4. In the bottom of the 6th, lead off batter Jacob Kirchoff had what appeared to be a bloop hit that Gilmer let fall in fair territory, but it was ruled foul. On the next pitch, Kirchoff singled to right. Moore then followed that up with a single, & then Caswell Smith came up & hit one over the center field wall to tie things up at 7, & sending us to the 7th.
The top of the 7th saw the Bobcats get a lead off double, but a timely double play by the Dragons kept the game tied going to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the 7th, Chester led off with a single, Chester was then courtesy ran for by Christian Chumley. Up next, was the pitcher of record, Chad Pacas. If you remember, Pacas hit the 2-run homer in the 2nd, he then came in to pitch in the 6th, helping keep Pickens in the ball game. After Chumley advanced the 3rd after a pair of passed balls, Pacas sent a single into the outfield scoring Chumley, & winning the game for the Dragons 8-7.
Game 3 of the 3 game series will be later this afternoon in Ellijay. First pitch set for 5:30 pm.
Stats:
Brady Moore: 2-3 with a double, a single, a walk, & 2 runs scored
Caswell Smith: a 3-run home run, 3 RBI, & 1 run scored
Tyler Vreeland: 1 single
Colby James: 1-4 with a double, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Austin Chester: 2-3 with a double, a single, a walk, & 1 RBI
Chad Pacas: 2-4 with a 2-run home run, a single, 3 RBI, & 1 run scored
Hunter White: 2-3 with two singles
Jacob Kirchoff: 1-2 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored
Christian Chumley: 1 run scored