Dragons sweep Cairo to advance to Sweet 16

Jasper, Ga — The GHSA AAA State Baseball Tournament, began on Friday, April 24th as the #3 seeded Pickens Dragons, took on the #30 seeded Cairo Syrupmakers in a best of three series to open up the tournament. The two teams would play a doubleheader at Dunn Field. The Dragons, would come away with a sweep as they won game one, 10-0 and game two, 13-1.

 

Game one:

Senior Auburn commit A.J. Rice, would start game one for the Dragons. After picking up a strikeout for the first out, C. Prince and J. Brinson, would draw back to back walks to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Rice, would pick up a second strikeout for the second out. J. Bell, would draw the third walk of the inning to load the bases. Rice, would get out of the first with a ground out.

In the bottom of the first, after two quick outs, Kam Jenkins, would keep the inning alive with a 2-out single. His courtesy runner, Caden Kirchoff, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Dawson Lowit, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the first with a fly out. Heading to the second, the game was still tied at 0.

 

Rice, would settle in for the top of the second as he would strikeout the side on 13 pitches to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, Truitt Grubbs, would lead off with a double. Everett Grubbs and Christian Starks, would follow that up by drawing back to back walks to load the bases. Matthew Davis Jr, would then be hit by a pitch to bring in T. Grubbs to make it 1-0.

After back to back pop outs, Jenkins, would be hit by a pitch to bring in E. Grubbs to make it 2-0. Starks, would come in to score after Lowit drew a walk to make it 3-0. Davis Jr, would come in to score after a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Rice, would then draw a walk to load the bases. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0 Dragons heading to the third.

 

Rice, would toss a scoreless top of the third with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. In the bottom of the third, E. Grubbs, would reach with a lead off single. E. Grubbs, would then advance all the way to 3rd on a ground out by Starks. Davis Jr, would drive in E. Grubbs with an RBI single to make it 6-0. Robert Turner, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis Jr would be forced out at 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the third with a ground out.

 

Rice, would fire a 1-2-3 top of the fourth with another half inning of a pair of strikeouts and a ground out. Jenkins, would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. After a pop out, Rice, would drive in Kirchoff with an RBI single to make it 7-0. After a pick off at 1st for the second out, T. Grubbs, would keep the inning going by drawing a walk.

T. Grubbs, would then advance into scoring position by swiping 2nd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fourth with a pop out. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.

 

Rice, would finish off his start by striking out the side in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Davis Jr, would reach with 1-out after an error by the third baseman. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fifth with a pair of line outs. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led it, 7-0.

 

Jackson Nunn, would come on to pitch for the Dragons in the top of the sixth. After a strikeout and a ground out, the Syrupmakers, would have their first base runner since the first inning after a double by J. Brinson. Nunn, would get out of the sixth with a fly out. In the bottom of the sixth, Jenkins, would send one over the left field fence for a solo home run to make it 8-0.

After a pop out, Rice, now playing shortstop, would reach after drawing a walk. Rice, would then advance to 2nd after a wild pitch. T. Grubbs, would follow that up by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. After a line out, Starks, would drive in both Rice and T. Grubbs with a 2-RBI double to walk it off for the Dragons as they took game one, 10-0 in six innings.

 

Stats for the Dragons in Game One:

Robert Turner: 1 steal

Kam Jenkins: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 hit by pitch, 1 home run , 2 RBI, and 1 run scored

Dawson Lowit: 2 walks and 1 RBI

A.J. Rice: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, and 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 12 K on 80 pitches

Truitt Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 double, 2 walks, 1 steal, and 2 runs scored

Everett Grubbs: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored

Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored

Matthew Davis Jr: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 hit by pitch, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored

Jackson Nunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 14 pitches

Caden Kirchoff: 1 steal and 2 runs scored

 

Game two:

The two teams, would switch places for game two as the Dragons would be the away team and the Syrupmakers would be the home team. In the top of the first, Jennings Allen, would reach with a 1-out double. Cairo, would get out of the first with a line out and a pop out. Christian Starks, would take the mound for the Dragons in the bottom of the first. Starks, would pick up a strikeout and a pair of pop outs to send it to the second with the game still scoreless.

 

In the top of the second, A.J. Rice, would lead off by drawing a walk. Rice, would then advance into scoring position after stealing 2nd. Truitt Grubbs, would follow that by drawing a walk of his own to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Everett Grubbs, would advance both runners after a sacrifice bunt. Starks, would help himself out by bringing in Rice with an RBI single to make it 1-0.

Starks, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. Matthew Davis Jr, would drive in both T. Grubbs and Starks with a 2-RBI triple to make it 3-0. Robert Turner, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis Jr would be forced out at home. Turner, would swipe 2nd to advance into scoring position. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the second with a ground out.

Starks, would only need six pitches to get out of the bottom of the second as he forced a pop out and a pair of ground outs. Heading to the third, the Dragons, led the Syrupmakers, 3-0.

 

Kam Jenkins and Dawson Lowit, would lead off the top of the third with back to back singles. Rice, would then launch one over the left center fence for a three run home run to make it 6-0. After a strikeout and a fly out, Starks, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Starks, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Davis Jr, would drive in Starks with an RBI double to make it 7-0.

Turner, would bring in Davis Jr with an RBI single to make it 8-0. Turner, would then steal 2nd and 3rd. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the third with a ground out. D. Barber, would lead off the bottom of the third by drawing a walk. K. Brinson, would then reach on an infield single. Barber, would advance to 3rd after the throw got away from Lowit at first base.

After a strikeout, Barber, would come in to score after a pick off attempt went over E. Grubbs head at 3rd to make it 8-1. K. Brinson, would advance to 2nd on the play. G. Barret, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. C. Prince, would then reach on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Starks, would get out of the jam with back to back strikeouts to send it to the fourth with the Dragons ahead, 8-1.

 

Jenkins, would lead off the top of the fourth with a double. After a pop out, Rice, would drive in courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff with an RBI double to make it 9-1. T. Grubbs, would follow that up with an RBI double of his own as Rice would come in to score to make it 10-1. T. Grubbs, would then advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. E. Grubbs, would then draw a walk to put runners at the corners with 1-out.

T. Grubbs, would come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 11-1. Starks, would drive in E. Grubbs with the third RBI double of the inning to make it 12-1. After a pop out, Drew Dunlap, pitch hitting for Turner, would bring in Starks with an RBI single to make it 13-1. The Syrupmakers, would get out of the fourth with a force out. J. Bell, would lead off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Bell, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch.

H. Hudson, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. After a strikeout, Starks, would then force a fly out. That would turn into an inning ending double play as it was determined that Bell left 2nd too early. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led it, 13-1.

 

The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the fifth after a fly out, a line out, and a strikeout. Dylan Walls, would come in to pitch for the Dragons in the bottom of the fifth. Walls, dealing with an injury since the beginning of the season, would be on the mound for the first time since. Walls, would pick up a pair of strikeouts and a fly out as the Dragons would take game two, 13-1, to sweep the series and advance to the Sweet 16.

 

Stats for the Dragons in Game Two:

Robert Turner: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 3 steals

Drew Dunlap: 1-1 with 1 single and 1 RBI

Jennings Allen: 1-3 with a double

Kam Jenkins: 2-3 with 1 single and 1 double

Dawson Lowit: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored

A.J. Rice: 2-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 home run, 1 steal, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored

Truitt Grubbs: 1-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored

Everett Grubbs: 1 walk, and 1 run scored

Christian Starks: 3-3 with 2 singles, 1 double, 2 steals, 2 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 5 K on 64 pitches

Matthew Davis Jr: 2-3 with 1 double, 1 triple, 3 RBI and 1 run scored

Dylan Walls: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K on 11 pitches

Caden Kirchoff: 2 runs scored

 

The Dragons, will now turn their attention to the #19 seeded Adairsville Tigers. Adairsville, swept the #14 seed, Douglass-Atlanta to advance to Sweet 16. While game times haven’t been announced yet, the best of three series will begin with a doubleheader on Thursday, April 30th. The “if” game, would be on Friday, May 1st.