Dragons Grab 3rd Place With Sweep Of Ridgeland

Yesterday, the PHS Dragons baseball team hosted the Ridgeland Panthers at Dragons Field in the most important game of the season to date. Both teams came in tied for third in the 7-AAAA region standings, and the winner would have the inside track to the 3 seed in the upcoming 4A state tournament.

 

Travis Huffman got the call to start for the Dragons in this crucial game. Ridgeland was able to get on the board first in the top of the 1st scoring two runs. Pickens wasted little time getting their bats going as the Dragons got a pair of 2 RBI doubles from Dalton Presley & Dylan Huffman, plus RBI hits from Wyatt Gooch & Joseph Gossett to take a 6-2 lead going to the 2nd. In the top of the 2nd, the Panthers cut the Pickens lead in half making it 6-3. The Dragons got that run back when Walker Lawrence scored after drawing a walk, stealing 2nd, then advancing home on two fielding errors to make it 7-3 going to the 3rd.

 

In the 5th, Ridgeland cut even more into the Dragons lead as they were able to plate two runs, sending us to the bottom of the frame and Pickens clinging to a 7-5 lead. A wild pitch led to a Dragons run to stretch the lead to 8-5 going to the 6th. In the 6th, Pickens got an RBI from Presley, Gooch, Dillon Champion, & D. Huffman to break the lead open to 12-5. Tyler Garner came in and closed things out in the top of the 7th to give the Dragons a 12-5 win and control of 3rd place.

 

Travis Huffman went 6 innings giving up 3 ER on 6 hits, and striking out 6 on 98 pitches & went 2-4 at the plate

Walker Lawrence drew a walk and scored two runs

Tyler Garner went 2-4 and scored two runs & went 1 inning giving up 1 hit and struck out 1 on 13 pitches

Dominic Stephens went 1-4

Dalton Presley went 2-3 with a double, a triple, a walk, & 3 RBI

Wyatt Gooch went 2-4 with a single, a double, 2 RBI, & 1 run scored

Dillon Champion went 2-3 with a double, a single, 2 RBI, & 2 runs scored

Dylan Huffman went 2-3 with a double, a single, 3 RBI, & a run scored

Joseph Gossett went 2-3 with a double, a single, & 1 RBI

Caleb Brooks scored 2 runs

With the win, Pickens is now 15-9 on the season and 8-5 in 7-AAAA play. There will be one more home game this regular season and it will take place on Friday as the Dragons welcome the Raiders of Southeast Whitfield to Dragons Field. If the game is postponed, the two teams will play on Saturday.