Dragons and Trojans split Saturday Doubleheader

PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports

Jasper, Ga — What another great day for high school baseball it was on Saturday, April 29th as the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Gordon Lee Trojans to Dunn Field for a doubleheader as part of a best of three series in the GHSA 3A State Baseball Tournament Sweet 16. The Trojans, used the long ball in Game one to get the win, 4-1. In Game two, the Dragons, were able to hold on and pick up a 5-4 victory to force a Game three.

 

Game 1:

In the top of the first, the Trojans, were looking to threaten early as Nate Dunfee reached on a lead off walk, and Blake Rodgers would reach on a 1-out walk. Dragons starter, Connor Shouse, got out of the early jam as he struck out the next two batters to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Trey Payne reached on a 2-out error, and Tyler Payne reached on a 2-out single.

The Trojans, would get out of the potential threat from the Dragons with a strikeout to send it to the second with the ball game still tied at 0.

 

In the top of the second, the Trojans, got their lead off man on for the second straight inning as Holt Roberts would be hit with a pitch. Shouse, did a good job of collecting himself as he would then strikeout the side looking to send it to the bottom half of the second. In the bottom of the second, James Tilley, worked a full count walk to reach first with 1-out. Tilley, would advance to second after a ground out by Evan Giddens.

The Dragons, would take the lead after a 2-out RBI single from Colby Brooks drove in Tilley to make it 1-0 Pickens going to the third.

 

In the top of the third, after picking up a fly out to right and his 6th strikeout, Shouse, worked around a 2-out error to get a pop up to 2nd to send it to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Trace Ledbetter, led off with a ground rule double. Ledbetter, would advance to 3rd after an error. The Trojans, were able to keep it a 1-0 game as Ledbetter would be thrown out at home after a grounder to the shortstop for the first out.

Gordon Lee, would then turn a double play to get out of the bottom of the third with the Dragons still leading, 1-0.

 

In the top of the fourth, the Trojans, would get back to back singles to start the frame. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd, a 1-out walk would load the bases. Cason Cannon, would come in to try to get the Dragons out of a big jam. Cannon, did just that as he picked up a strikeout and a pop up to 3rd to send it to the bottom of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons would go down in order in with a fly out, a ground out, and a strikeout. Going to the fifth, the Dragons still led the Trojans, 1-0.

 

In the top of the fifth, the Trojans would take the lead as they scored 3 runs on 3 hits including a solo home run and a 2-run home run. Going to the bottom of the fifth, Gordon Lee led Pickens, 3-1. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons would go down in order with a pop out, a ground out, and a strikeout. Going to the sixth, the Trojans were leading the Dragons, 3-1.

 

In the top of the sixth, Tee Knight, came on in relief of Cannon to try to keep it a 2 run game. Knight, did just that as he worked around a 2-out single to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons got back to back 1-out singles from Trey and Tyler Payne. The Trojans, once again avoided trouble as they got a double play to send it to the top of the seventh with Gordon Lee leading, 3-1.

 

In the top of the seventh, the Trojans, extended their lead as they scored 1 run on 2 hits and a hit by pitch to make it 4-1 going to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Sam Hammontree, pitch hitting for Tilley, reached on a 1-out single. Tilley, would then re-enter to run. Brooks, kept the game alive for the Dragons by drawing a full count walk.

Shouse, who moved to shortstop in the fourth, would just miss a potential game tying 3-run home run as the Trojans took Game 1, 4-1.

 

Stats for the Dragons in Game 1:

Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with a ground rule double

Trey Payne: 1-3 with a single

Tyler Payne: 2-3 with 2 singles

James Tilley: 1 walk and 1 run scored

Sam Hammontree: 1-1 with a single

Colby Brooks: 1-2 with a single, 1 walk, and 1 RBI

 

Game 2:

For the Game 2, the Dragons were the “visitors”. In the top of the first, the Dragons went down in order with 2 ground outs and a strikeout. In the bottom of the frame, Dragons starter James Tilley, fielded a come backer, and picked up 2 strikeouts in a clean bottom of the first. Going to the top of the second, the game was tied at 0.

 

In the top of the second, Dawson Holland, reached after drawing a full count walk with 1-out. The Dragons, saw a lot of pitches in the top of the second, but the Trojans would leave Holland stranded. In the bottom of the second, Tilley, worked around a 1-out error to strikeout the side. Going to the third, the Dragons and Trojans were still tied at 0.

 

In the top of the third, Colby Brooks, got on by drawing a full count walk with 1-out. The Trojans, got out of the top half of the frame with a 5-4-3 double play. In the bottom of the third, Tilley, worked around another 1-out error as he induced back to back ground outs to send it to the fourth, still scoreless.

 

In the top of the fourth, the Dragons struck. Trace Ledbetter and Trey Payne began the top of the inning by reaching on back to back errors. Tyler Payne, then followed with a single to load the bases with nobody out. Ledbetter, would score after Dawson Holland reached on a fielder’s choice. Trey Payne, would come in after a single by Kam Jenkins to make it 2-0.

A.J. Rice, would then draw a walk to load the bases again, this time with 1-out. Evan Giddens, would drive in Holland with the RBI single to make it 3-0. Brooks, reached on the 3rd error of the inning as courtesy runner Tee Knight came in to score to make it 4-0. Rice, would come in to score after a sacrifice fly RBI by Connor Shouse to make it 5-0 Dragons going to the bottom of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tilley, after the long wait, gave up a lead off single and a 1-out double, but got a fly out to right and his 7th strikeout to send it to the fifth with the Dragons leading the Trojans, 5-0.

 

In the top of the fifth, Trey Payne reached with a 1-out single. Holland, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single, but the Trojans got out of it after a grounder to short. In the bottom of the fifth, Tilley, picked up his 8th strikeout and 2 ground outs to send it to the sixth, Dragons leading, 5-0.

 

In the top of the sixth, Giddens, reached on a single with 1-out. He would be throw out at 2nd for the 3rd out of the top half of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the Trojans got back into the game as they scored 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. Going to the seventh, the Dragons now led, 5-3.

 

In the top of the seventh, the Dragons went down in order after 2 ground outs and a line out to send it to the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, JP Nunn, who came on in relief of Tilley in the bottom of the sixth, was tasked with getting the final three outs of this game. The Trojans, got the inning started by reaching on a lead off walk, followed by a hit by pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd.

The Trojans, cut the lead down to one run after an RBI single made it 5-4 with nobody out. Nunn, picked up a grounder and threw it to 1st for the first out as runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Nunn, got another come backer as he was able to field it and throw it home to get the runner for the second out. With runners at 1st and 3rd with 2-outs, Nunn, got the strikeout for the final out as Pickens defeated Gordon Lee 5-4 in Game 2 to even up the series at one a piece.

 

Stats for the Dragons in Game 2:

Connor Shouse: 1 RBI

Trace Ledbetter: 1 run scored

Trey Payne: 1-4 with 1 single and 1 run scored

Tyler Payne: 1-2 with a single

Dawson Holland: 1-2 with a single, a walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored

Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, and 1 RBI

Tee Knight: 1 run scored

A.J. Rice: 1 walk and 1 run scored

Evan Giddens: 2-3 with 2 singles and 1 RBI

Colby Brooks: 1 walk, and 1 RBI

 

The split doubleheader means a third and final game of the series will be played at Dunn Field on Monday, May 1st. The winner, will advance to the Elite 8 and take on the winner of the Harlem/Thomasville series. First pitch for Game 3 is set for 5:30.

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