Dragons split doubleheader, win series against Heritage
PHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports March 12, 2020
Originally 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.
Chad Pacas on the mound for Pickens
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.
Tyler Vreeland batting for the Dragons
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.
Alex Snelgrove pitching for the Dragons
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.
Dragons up to bat in game three of the series
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, 2020
After 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.
Starter Colby James about to throw a pitch
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.
Chad Pacas with 3 RBI on the night
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, 2020
After 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.
Chad Pacas up to bat for the Dragons
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.
Alex Snelgrove on the mound for Pickens
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.
Seth Densmore pitching in game two
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.
Dragons catcher Austin Chester with the hit
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, 2020
On 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.
Colby James on the mound for Pickens.
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.
Austin Chester at the plate for the Dragons.
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, 2020
In 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, 2020
It 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.
Senior Colby James on the mound
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.
Dragons at the plate against Sonoraville
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, 2020
After 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.
Alex Snelgrove pitching for the Dragons
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.
Hunter White at the plate
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.
Tyler Vreeland batting for Pickens
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.
Colby James pitching in game two
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, 2020
In 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.
Starter Colby James on the mound
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.
Dragons at the plate
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.
Dragons looking to get out of a jam
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
#TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player Of The Week — Num. 9 Alex Snelgrove
Player Of The Week, Team FYN Sports November 16, 2019
This week’s #TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week is Senior wide receiver Alex Snelgrove. Snelgrove, made sensational catches all throughout the game against the North Oconee Titans in the 1st round of the GHSA 4A State Playoffs. Snelgrove, scored 3 total touchdowns catching two touchdown passes of 14 & 10 yards and also added a 1-yd touchdown run late in the game.
Dragons Season Ends In Playoffs At North Oconee
Sports, Team FYN Sports November 16, 2019
Last night, the PHS Dragons varsity football team made the long trip down to Bogart Georgia to face the North Oconee Titans in the first round of the GHSA 4A State Playoffs. This, was this 6th consecutive season that the Dragons found themselves in the playoffs as they came into this game, looking for an upset. Pickens, came into the game as region 6-AAAA #3 seed & North Oconee came in as the #2 seed out of 8-AAAA.
Pickens, won the toss and elected to receive to begin the ball game. North Oconee, would force a punt, & it would be the Titans turn at offense. The Titans, struck first with a 45-yd touchdown run, to make it 7-0 North Oconee at the 9:31 mark of the opening quarter. The Dragons, with help from a spectacular catch by Senior Zach Tetterton, got on the board with a 40-yd field goal by Jose Sanchez, to make it 7-3, with 4:51 to go in the 1st. The Titans, would add to their lead with a 10-yd touchdown run to make it 14-3, going to the 2nd.
About halfway through the 2nd quarter, the Dragons cut into the Titan lead with a 14-yd touchdown pass from CJ Streicher to Alex Snelgrove, to make it 14-10 North Oconee with 6:32 left in the 1st half. A game changer occurred when the Titans took the ensuing kickoff back 91-yds for a touchdown, to make it 21-10 with 6:15 left in the half. As time expired in the 1st half, North Oconee would connect on a 32-yd touchdown pass to give them a 28-10 lead over the Dragons at the break.
Coming out in the 3rd, North Oconee had a long run to get into Dragon territory. The Pickens defense however, was able to hold the Titans to a 35-yd field goal, making it 31-10 with 9:27 left in the 3rd quarter. North Oconee would add a 21-yd touchdown pass at the 4:55 mark of the 3rd to make it 38-10 Titans. The Dragons, got on the board after Streicher threw a dart to Snelgrove & Snelgrove made a diving catch in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yd touchdown. Our score after 3 quarters was 38-17 North Oconee.
Both teams would find the end zone once in the 4th and final quarter. The Titans, scored on a 21-yd touchdown run at the 3:05 mark. Pickens, got their final score of the game with just under a minute left after Snelgrove ran it in from 1-yd out. The final score in this one, 45-24 North Oconee.
Things will be a little different in Jasper next year. Not only will the Dragons lose 22 seniors from this years team, but they will also be in a new region. Pickens will be in 7-AAAA with familiar faces like Heritage, Northwest Whitfield, & Ridgeland. But they’ll also be welcoming two new members to the region with Cedartown & Central-Carrollton.
Streicher Goes For 6 Total TD’s As Dragons Get Homecoming Win
Sports, Team FYN Sports October 5, 2019
After a long night in Ellijay last Friday, the Dragons were back home at Dragon Stadium hosting the Southeast Whitfield Raiders for their Homecoming game. The Raiders, came into the ball game 0-5, & 0-1 in region play, but on Tuesday during Dragon Talk, Coach Nelson talked about how you can’t afford to take anyone lightly, especially region teams.
Southeast Whitfield began the ball game with the ball, but only managed one first down as the Dragons defense forced a punt. The first drive for Pickens saw promise, but stalled out near the red zone. The Dragons would settle for a 26-yd field goal by Juan Sanchez, to put them on top 3-0, with 5:02 left in the opening quarter. The Raiders, on their next possession, connected on a 32-yd touchdown pass to take the lead over the Dragons, 7-3. Going to the 2nd quarter, The Raiders had a 7-3 lead, but the Dragons were driving.
A minute into the 2nd quarter, Senior QB CJ Streicher found the end zone for a 3-yd touchdown run, giving Pickens the lead back, 10-7. 2 minutes & 19 seconds later, Streicher made a nice cut to the far side of the field & scampered 77-yds for the touchdown. With 8:19 left in the first half, the Dragons led the Raiders, 17-7. Pickens found the end zone for the 3rd time in the quarter when Streicher lofted up a deep ball & Mykel Hand came down with it, giving the Dragons a 24-7 lead, going into the break.
Southeast Whitfield, got the scoring going in the 2nd half as they connected on another touchdown pass, to cut the Dragon lead down to 24-14, with 7:50 to go in the 3rd. Pickens answered the Raider touchdown with a touchdown of their own as Streicher took it in for 6 from 8-yds out, to make it 31-14, with 5:22 left in the 3rd. The Dragons scored again at the 1:36 mark of the 3rd when Streicher found fellow Senior Alex Snelgrove in the corner of the end zone with an 11-yd touchdown pass, making it 38-14. Pickens, would make one more house call in the 3rd quarter as Streicher found a wide open Dylan Arp for a 20-yd touchdown, to give the Dragons a 45-14 lead, going to the 4th.
With a running clock in the 4th, the Raiders scored their final touchdown after a 37-yd run. Pickens, picked off a pass just before time expired to seal their 3rd straight win overall, & their 2nd straight in region play, 45-21.
6-AAAA Region Standings:
Pickens: 4-2 (2-0)
Northwest Whitfield: 4-1 (1-0)
Heritage: 4-2 (1-1)
LaFayette: 3-3 (1-1)
Ridgeland: 1-4 (1-1)
Gilmer: 2-3 (0-1)
Southeast Whitfield: 0-6 (0-2)
Pickens, will be back on the road next week, as they take on the Generals of Heritage. As you see in the standings above, these two teams are firmly in the race for a region championship. Heritage is coming off of a back and forth win over LaFayette on the road, 37-34. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm next Friday.
Heartbreak At Heritage As Dragons Fall By One In Tough Road Game
Sports, Team FYN Sports October 12, 2019
Last night, the PHS Dragons varsity football team made their way up to Catoosa County in Ringgold to take on the Heritage Generals in what could’ve been labeled as the most important game of the season up to date. With both squarely in the region championship picture for 6-AAAA, Pickens came in atop the standings at 2-0, while Heritage came in right behind them at 1-1. This game, has historically been back and forth in the last several seasons and this one turned out to be no different.
Heritage won the opening toss and elected to receive to begin the ball game. The Generals, generally, are a throw first type of team offensively, but came out running the first couple of plays on this opening drive. Heritage would end the drive with points as they connected on a 40-yd touchdown pass to make it 7-0 with 9:27 to go in the 1st quarter. Not to be outdone, the Dragons would drive down the field using their run game, & capped their first scoring drive off with a 23-yd touchdown pass from CJ Streicher to Alex Snelgrove. After one, the Dragons and the Generals were knotted up at 7 apiece. Both defenses took over in the 2nd quarter with only one score coming by way of a 1-yd touchdown run by Heritage. Going into the half, the Generals led Pickens by a score of 14-7.
The 3rd quarter mirrored the 2nd quarter as again, there was only one score. That came after a 4-yd touchdown run by the Generals at the 1:02 mark. Going to the 4th, Heritage had a 21-7 lead over Pickens, but the Dragons were not done yet.
Streicher got the comeback attempt started with a 1-yd touchdown run at the 10:51 mark to make it 21-14. After trading possessions for the majority of the quarter, Pickens broke through with a touchdown pass from Streicher to Jarod Whitmore. with 1:25 to go in the game. The ensuing PAT attempt was ruled no good however & the Generals kept their lead at 21-20. The Dragons almost got the ball back with under 30 seconds left after Heritage fumbled the ball trying to run the remaining time off the clock, but the Generals were able to recover, and take this one, 21-20.
6-AAAA Region Standings
Northwest Whitfield: 2-0
Heritage: 2-1
Pickens: 2-1
Gilmer: 1-1
Ridgeland: 1-1
LaFayette: 1-2
Southeast Whitfield: 0-3
While this type of loss will sting a little bit if your a Dragon fan, Pickens is certainly not out of any potential playoff spot yet. Next up for the Dragons, a date at home with the Northwest Whitfield Bruins. As you see from the standings above, this one will be another critical game next Friday at 7:30.
#TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player Of The Week — No. 9 Alex Snelgrove
Player Of The Week, Sports, Team FYN Sports October 12, 2019
This week’s #TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the week is Senior Alex Snelgrove. Alex has been a leader on and off the field for the Dragons for the past several seasons. Snelgrove, plays both ways for the Dragons on Friday nights. He’s a receiver on offense, & a linebacker on defense. Against Heritage, Snelgrove made a great catch in the corner of the end zone that resulted in a 23-yd touchdown. On defense, Snelgrove was there making several tackles, disrupting plays, & breaking up a pass attempt.
You can watch Snelgrove and the rest of his Dragon teammates next Friday at home as they host the Northwest Whitfield Bruins. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.
Big 2nd Half Propels Dragons Past Chamblee
Sports, Team FYN Sports September 21, 2019
The PHS varsity football team were finally back home after nearly a month on the road as they welcomed the Chamblee Bulldogs to Dragons Stadium for their final non-region game of the season. After falling in back to back tough games on the road, the Dragons looked to get back on the right track heading into next week.
The first quarter, was one of a coaches worst nightmares. Turnovers. In total, the two teams combined to turn the ball over 5 times in a sloppy start to this one.
Pickens forced two of those turnovers with a fumble recovery by Alex Snelgrove and an interception by Tucker Lowe. The Dragon defense forced a safety at the 9:25 mark of the 1st quar
ter, giving Pickens a 2-0 lead. With 30 seconds left in the quarter, the Bulldogs connected with a 22-yd field goal, to give them a 3-2 lead, going to the 2nd quarter.
58 seconds into the 2nd quarter, the Dragons retook the lead after a 30-yd touchdown pass from CJ Streicher (who was named Mr. PHS prior to the game) to Snelgrove. The PAT was good and Pickens took a 9-3 lead with 11:02 left in the first half. Soon after that, Tucker Lowe collected his 2nd interception of the first half. Pickens later added to their lead when Jarod Whitmore scampered 28-yds for the touchdown, giving the Dragons a 16-3 lead over Chamblee at the half.
The third quarter, saw an explosion of offense from the Dragons. The first of three 3rd quarter scores came after Streicher lobbed it up for Mykel Hand from 27-yds out & Hand came down with it after a one handed leaping grab to give Pickens the 23-3 lead over the Bulldogs with 7:52 left in the quarter. At the 5:12 mark, Whitmore scored his 2nd rushing touchdown of the night, this time from 35-yds out, to make it 30-3 Dragons. The 3rd and final score of the quarter came at the 1:36 mark when Streicher made some nifty moves to get in from 17-yds out. Dragons held a 37-3 lead over Chamblee, going to the 4th and final quarter.
The 4th quarter saw a lot of backups and younger players get into the ball game to get some much valued varsity experience. After a long run by backup QB TC Jarrett, Andrew Burrell was able to take it in from 19-yds out, giving the Dragons a 44-3 lead. Your final score from Dragons Stadium, Pickens 44 Chamblee 3.
With the win, the Dragons improve their record to 2-2. But next week, the real fun starts. Region play. Pickens, will start region play next week on the road against their friends from the north, the Gilmer Bobcats. Both teams will come into this game with identical 2-2 records and looking to start region play off on the right foot. Game time is set for 7:30 in Ellijay.
Dragons Open 2019 With Win Over Stone Mountain In Coach Nelson’s Debut
Sports, Team FYN Sports August 24, 2019
The Pickens High School varsity Dragons football team kicked of their 2019 season last night as they welcomed the Stone Mountain Pirates out of the 3-A classification to Dragons Stadium. It was an exciting night as many fans filled the home side to get a look at the defending 6-AAAA region champs in action. Prior to the game, the youth program all the way from 6u to 11u were recognized. They even got to greet the varsity players as they ran through the banner prior to kick off.
Pickens, got things started with several big runs & their opening drive was capped off by a 1-yd touchdown run by Senior QB CJ Streicher. Defensively, TC Jarrett would come up with a gorgeous interception after the pass attempt by the Pirates was batted around a couple of times. After one quarter of play, the Dragons, held a 7-0 lead. Stone Mountain cut into that lead rather quickly as they scored a 1-yd touchdown themselves just as the 2nd quarter was getting underway. the 2-point conversion was no good for the Pirates & the Dragons still led 7-6, with 11:55 to go in the half. Almost halfway through the 2nd quarter, Streicher found Mykel Hand, who made a great catch in the left corner of the end zone from 18-yds out, to make it 14-6 Dragons with 6:09 left in the half. Streicher would connect with fellow Senior Alex Snelgrove on a 24-yd strike to make it 21-6 Pickens with 2:23 left in the half. Pickens would find points once more as Tucker Lowe, picked off a pass just beyond midfield, & took it all the way for a house call to make it 28-6 Dragons over the Pirates at the half.
The third quarter saw both teams going back and forth fighting through a heavy fog that had made it’s way down to the field. The fog made it tough for both teams as the game remained 28-6 going to the fourth as no scoring occurred in the 3rd. In the 4th, the Pirates made it a little closer as they scored twice in the final frame. The first score of the quarter came after a 40-yd touchdown run. The 2-point conversion was unsuccessful, & the score was now, 28-12 Dragons. Stone Mountain scored one more time just as the fianl horn was sounding to make the final score, Pickens 28 Stone Mountain 18.
With the win, the Dragons extend their regular season win streak to 11 in a row. Pickens, will now look to buckle down on anything they need to correct as they now have two weeks to prepare for their next game. That game, will be on the road in Lindale, Georgia as they take a team that’s become quite familiar over the last couple of seasons, the Pepperell Dragons. Both teams will be coming off bye weeks & if history tells us anything, it’s that this game is sure to be an exciting one. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
Dragons Pull Off Big Region Win On The Road Against Northwest Whitfield
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 26, 2019
The Dragons, came into this game looking to avenge a loss from earlier in the season, & to try and rebound after a tough last second loss in Ellijay on Tuesday night.
In the first quarter of this one, it was the away team that got out to the quick start as Pickens jumped out to a 9-2 lead early on. As the quarter came to a close, the Dragons kept their early lead, and took a 16-12 advantage over Northwest Whitfield going to the 2nd. In the 2nd, the Bruins got things going on their end outscoring Pickens 25-14, to take a 37-30 lead going into the break.
Pickens came back in the 3rd quarter & cut into the Bruins lead, keeping it within striking distance. The Dragons, outscored Northwest Whitfield 18-17 in the frame as the Bruins held a 54-48 lead going to the 4th. In the 4th, the Pickens offense exploded. The Dragons, using a 30-17 run in the final quarter, took this one away from Northwest Whitfield & picked up the win, 78-71.
Stats:
Seth Bishop: 22 points, 4 assists, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Tucker Lowe: 21 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
Zach Goss: 14 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Hunter Hermann: 10 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals
Brady Moore: 6 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds
Owen Moss: 4 points, 2 assist, 1 rebound
Alex Snelgrove: 1 point, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Like the Nettes’, the Dragons will also be in Dalton later today as they take on the Christian Heritage Lions in non-region action. Tip off scheduled for 5:30.