Dragons shut out Tallulah Falls on Senior Night
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 22, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was a great day to celebrate as the Pickens Dragons hosted the Tallulah Falls Indians on Friday, April 21st for Senior Night. Prior to the ball game, the Dragons recognized their 4 Seniors from the 2023 class. Colby Brooks, Evan Giddens, Tee Knight, and Harlan Will were honored for their contributions to the Pickens baseball program. Their parents, threw out the first pitch to their sons to close out the ceremony. The Dragons, picked up their 26th win of the season with a 5-0 shut out of the Indians.
In the top of the first, Dragons starter Tee Knight, worked around a 1-out walk as he got some help from his defense as Connor Shouse picked up a ball that dropped in the outfield and threw a strike to Senior Evan Giddens who tagged out the runner for the 2nd out. Knight, picked up his 1st strikeout to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Shouse, Trace Ledbetter, and Dawson Holland all reached on consecutive walks to load the bases.
Senior Harlan Will, drove in Shouse with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 1-0. After a single from Tyler Payne to load the bases again, Trey Payne brought in Ledbetter with an RBI single to make it 2-0. James Tilley, drove in Holland with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 3-0 Dragons going to the second.
In the top of the second, Knight, worked around a lead off single as he got back to back pop ups an his 2nd strikeout to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the second, Senior Colby Brooks led off with an infield single. Brooks, advanced to 3rd on a 1-out single by Ledbetter. The Dragons, then pulled off a double steal as Ledbetter stopped halfway to 2nd which allowed Brooks to come in and score to make it 4-0 going to the third.
In the top of the third, after getting a fly out for the 1st out of the frame, Knight would be relieved by Tate Hales. Hales, worked around a 1-out walk to get a fly out and a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Tyler Payne, reached on a 1-out single. Trey Payne, would reach on a fielder’s choice as pitch runner Davin Abernathy would be throw out at 2nd.
The Indians starter, Andrew Skvarka, got out of the bottom of the third with another ground out to send it to the fourth with the Dragons leading, 4-0.
In the top of the fourth, Hales would be relieved by Cason Cannon. Cannon, had an impressive outing as he picked up 2 strikeouts and a fly out on 8 pitches to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Giddens, led off with a single. He would advance to 3rd on the play after a 2-base error. Shouse, brought in Giddens with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 5-0 Dragons going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Cannon, continued his fantastic outing as he picked up two more strikeouts and a ground out to short in a clean fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Sam Hammontree, who came in for Tyler Payne, reached on a 2-out single. Hammontree, would advance to 3rd after Trey Payne reached on an error. They would be left stranded and the game would go to the sixth, with the Dragons still leading, 5-0.
In the top of the sixth, JP Nunn came on in relief of Cannon. The Indians, had their first big threat of the game as they loaded the bases with nobody out. Nunn, got out of the jam with back to back strikeouts and a pop up to 1st to send it to the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Giddens, again led off with a single. After Shouse reached with a 1-out single, Christian Starks, who came on for Holland in the fifth, got on with a 2-out walk to load the bases.
The Indians, were able to get out of their own bases loaded jam to send it to the top of the seventh with the Dragons ahead, 5-0.
Nunn, came back out for the top of the seventh to close things out. Nunn did just that as he had a clean 1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts and a ground out to short as the Dragons picked up the win, 5-0.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-2 with a single, a walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with a single, a walk, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 1 walk
Harlan Will: 1 RBI
Tyler Payne: 2-2 with 2 singles
Sam Hammontree: 1-1 with a single
Trey Payne: 1-3 with a single and 1 RBI
James Tilley: 1 RBI
Evan Giddens: 2-3 with 2 singles and 1 run scored
Colby Brooks: 1-2 with a single and 1 run scored
Tee Knight: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K on 40 pitches
Tate Hales: .2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K on 19 pitches
Cason Cannon: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, on 25 pitches
JP Nunn: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 HBP, 4 K, on 27 pitches
The Dragons, finish the regular season at 26-4 overall and 7-AAA region champions. Next up for the Dragons, a first round best of 3 series with the Hart County Bulldogs in the GHSA 3A State Baseball Tournament. The Bulldogs, are the #4 seed out of region 8. The best of 3 series begins on Monday, April 24th with a doubleheader at Dunn Field. First pitch for game 1 is set for 5:00 pm.
Dragons offense stifled against Lumpkin
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 12, 2023
Dahlonega, Ga — On a gorgeous day for high school baseball on Tuesday, April 11th as the Pickens Dragons made the little over an hour trip up to Dahlonega to begin their final 3-game series in 7-AAA play. Coming into the game, the Dragons had won 15 straight and were in 1st place in 7-AAA. The Indians, came into the game winning 2 out of 3 against several Florida teams last week and were tied for 2nd with Wesleyan in 7-AAA. Harper Davenport, threw a complete game, 4-hit shutout for the Indians as they took game 1, 4-0.
In the top of the first, Trace Ledbetter would reach with a 1-out single. In what would be a theme throughout the game, Davenport would induce an inning ending double play to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Davenport led off by reaching on a double. After taking 3rd on a wild pitch, Davenport would come in to score on an RBI triple by Alejandro Narvaez to make it 1-0.
Cooper Scott, would follow that up with an RBI single on the next pitch to bring in Narvaez to make it 2-0. Scott, would come around to score after a grounder and a pair of passed balls to make it 3-0 Indians going to the second.
To lead off the top of the second, new Brewton-Parker College commit Harlan Will, would reach on an error. After picking up his first strikeout of the game, Davenport, induced the 2nd inning ending double play to send it to the bottom of the second with the Indians leading, 3-0. In the bottom of the second, Dragons starter Connor Shouse, picked up his 3rd strikeout of the game for the first out.
Mason Hester, then reached on a 1-out single. Tyler Boggs, then followed by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Freshman catcher Kam Jenkins, threw out Hester after he attempted to take 3rd for the 2nd out. Shouse, picked up his 2nd strikeout and his 4th overall for the final out to send it to the third with Lumpkin still leading, 3-0.
In the top of the third, freshman A.J. Rice, led off with a single to left field. After Davenport got Evan Giddens to fly out to center for the first out, he got a come backer from Colby Brooks that started the third straight inning ending double play to send it to the bottom of the third with the Indians still up, 3-0. In the bottom of the third, Shouse got the first two outs of the inning via strikeout, giving him 6 on the night.
Peyton Wood, kept the inning alive by reaching on an error. After Wood stole 2nd, Adian Rogers would bring him in with the single to make it 4-0. Jenkins, picked up his 2nd caught stealing of the game as he threw out Rogers attempting to steal 3rd for the final out of the third. Going to the fourth, it was 4-0 Lumpkin.
In the top of the fourth, Davenport, picked up his first fully clean inning as he got 2 ground outs and his 2nd strikeout of the game to send it to the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Shouse, in what would be his final inning of work, got around hitting a batter with 2-outs as he picked up his 7th and 8th strikeout and a ground out to send it to the fifth, Indians leading, 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Dawson Holland reached with a 1-out single. but Davenport picked up his 3rd and 4th strikeout of the game to get out of the top of the frame and send it to the bottom half of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Tee Knight came on in relief of Shouse. Knight, worked around a 2-out error and a walk to keep the Indians scoreless and send it to the sixth, Lumpkin up, 4-0.
In the top of the sixth, Giddens led off by reaching on an error. The Indians, then turned their 4th double play of the game as Rogers caught a shallow pop fly by Brooks and was able to get Giddens at 1st for the second out. Shouse, now playing shortstop, kept the top of the sixth alive with a single. Davenport, got Ledbetter to line out to left for the 3rd out of the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Cason Cannon came on in relief of Knight.
After giving up a lead off single to Hayden Gilbert, Cannon picked up a strikeout, a ground out to Giddens, and Jekins picked up his 3rd caught stealing as he threw out Gilbert trying to take 3rd. Going to the seventh, the Indians still led the Dragons, 4-0.
In the top of the seventh, Trey Payne, led off by drawing a walk. Davenport, looking for the complete game, induced what would be the 5th double play of the game for the first 2 outs of the seventh. Davenport, then picked up his 5th strikeout of the game to finish off the complete game shutout as the Indians took game 1, 4-0.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a single & 4 IP, 5 hits, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 8 K on 78 pitches
Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with a single
Trey Payne: 1 walk
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with a single
Kam Jenkins: 3 runners thrown out
A.J. Rice: 1-2 with a single
Tee Knight: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K on 14 pitches
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 11 pitches
The series will now shift to Jasper on Thursday, April 13th as the Dragons will host the Indians for game 2 of the 3-game set. The Dragons, still find themselves in 1st place in 7-AAA as they are 22-4 and 14-2 in region play. Lumpkin, is now 19-5 and 10-3 in region play. First pitch on Thursday is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons defeat Bobcats to push win streak to 10 games
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 29, 2023
Ellijay, Ga — It was a nice but windy day on Tuesday, March 28th as the Pickens Dragons traveled the short distance up to Ellijay for game 1 of their 3-game region series against their 515 rival, the Gilmer Bobcats. Coming into the game, the Dragons were riding a 9 game win streak and were tied atop the 7-AAA Standings with Lumpkin. The Bobcats, came into the game looking to break a bad string of luck and to pick up their first region win. The Dragons, piled up 15 K’s as a team continued their winning ways with a 7-1 victory.
In the top of the first, the Dragons wasted no time getting on the board as Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse, worked a full count and then sent a baseball over the left field wall to give Pickens the 1-0 lead. Harlan Will, reached on a 2-out walk, but the Bobcats starter Ethan McCollum, got out of the top half of the first only allowing the 1 run. In the bottom of the first, Austin Zabala led off by drawing a walk.
Shouse, the starter for the Dragons, settled down and got a grounder to 3rd base, and 2 strikeouts to send it to the top of the second with Pickens leading, 1-0.
In the top of the second, James Tilley reached after drawing a full count walk. Colby Brooks, then reached on a bunt single with 2-outs. Shouse, followed that up by drawing a walk to load the bases. McCollum, again was able to avoid the scoring threat and send it to the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the frame, the Bobcats, got a 1-out walk, and a 2-out walk. Shouse, was able to work around those pair of walks to send it to the third with the Dragons up, 1-0.
In the top of the third, Dawson Holland led off by reaching on an error. Will, followed up with a single. Holland, came in to score after a single by Trey Payne to make it 2-0. Kam Jenkins, reached after a dropped 3rd strike. Tilley, brought in pitch runner Ezra Faber with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 3-0 Dragons going to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Shouse, had his cleanest inning of the game as he picked up 2 K’s and a grounder on 8 pitches.
Going to the top of the fourth, the Dragons now led the Bobcats, 3-0.
In the top of the fourth, Shouse led off by drawing his 2nd walk of the game. He then stole 2nd base to put himself in scoring position for Trace Ledbetter. Ledbetter, drove in Shouse with an RBI double to make it 4-0 Dragons. Holland, followed that up by reaching on an error. Tyler Payne, pitch hitting for Will, drove in Ledbetter with a grounder to make it 5-0. Holland, would come around to score as Jenkins reached on a 2-out single and Tilley drew a full count walk.
In the bottom of the fourth, Shouse picked up his 2nd consecutive 1-2-3 inning as he struck out the side on 11 pitches to send it to the top of the fifth with the Dragons leading the Bobcats, 6-0.
In the top of the fifth, Brooks led off with his 2nd hit of the game. Brooks, then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. After the Bobcats got Shouse out on a fly out, they would get Brooks out in a rundown for the 2nd out. Hayden Berry, who came on in relief of McCollum, got a come backer for the 3rd and final out of the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Shouse, finished his outing off strong with 2 more K’s and a grounder to send it to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Haden West, who came on in relief of Berry, picked up the Bobcats first 1-2-3 inning as he got 2 grounders and a pop up to send it to the bottom of the inning with the Dragons leading 6-0. Cason Cannon, came on in relief of Shouse in the bottom of the sixth and he was impressive in his 1 inning of work. Cannon, picked up 2 K’s and a pop up to send it to the seventh, with Pickens leading Gilmer, 6-0.
In the top of the seventh, Christian Starks, pitch hitting for Tilley, reached on an error. Sam Hammontree, pitch hitting for Evan Giddens, followed up with a single. Brooks, reached on a 4-pitch walk to load the bases. Shouse, now at shortstop, hit a deep fly ball into the outfield that would bring in Starks to make it 7-0 Dragons going to the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bobcats got a lead off walk. The Bobcats then got back to back 1-out walks to load the bases. Gilmer, picked up their first hit and their first run after a single to make it 7-1. JP Nunn, who came on in relief of Cannon, got back to back strikeouts to preserve the 7-1 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a solo home run, 2 walks, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, & 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K on 77 pitches
Trace Ledbetter: 1-5 with a double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 2 runs scored
Harlan Will: 1-1 with a single and a walk
Ezra Faber: 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1 RBI
Trey Payne: 1-4 with a single
Kam Jenkins: 1-4 with a single
James Tilley: 2 walks, 1 RBI
Christian Starks: 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1-1 with a single
Colby Brooks: 2-3 with 2 singles, and 1 walk
Cason Cannon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K on 13 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K on 34 pitches
The Dragons, got a little bit of help from the Dawson Tigers as they defeated the Lumpkin Indians in the first game of their series. With that Lumpkin loss, the Dragons are now in sole possession of 1st place in 7-AAA. Pickens, will be back home on Thursday, March 30th as they will host the Gilmer Bobcats for game 2 of their 3-game series. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons run rule Spartans to open up series
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 22, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was another beautiful day in Jasper, Ga as the Pickens Dragons hosted the Spartans of West Hall in game 1 of a 3-game set in 7-AAA. Coming into the game, the Dragons were in a 3-way tie for first place in the region standings with Dawson and Lumpkin. The Spartans, came into the game in a 3-way tie for fourth in the region standings with Wesleyan and White County. The Dragons, kept up their winning ways as they were able to pull out a 12-2 win in 6 innings.
In the top of the first, the Spartans were able to bring their lead off man home to score after a single, a walk, a bunt, a hit by pitch, and a sacrifice fly to put the Spartans up 1-0 going to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Trace Ledbetter reached on a 1-out error. Dawson Holland, followed that by reaching on a single. Tyler Payne, would bring in Ledbetter with a grounder to 3rd to tie the game up at 1 going to the second.
In the top of the second, Dragons starter Connor Shouse, picked up his 2nd and 3rd strikeout and a ground out in an 8- pitch inning. In the bottom of the second, the Dragons, opened things up a bit as they scored 6 runs on 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and an error to make it 7-1 going to the third.
In the top of the third, the Spartans used 2 walks, a hit by pitch, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly to plate a run and cut the Dragons lead down to 7-2. In the bottom of the third, the Dragons got a 2-out walk by Colby Brooks, but that would be all as they went to the fourth, Pickens leading West Hall, 7-2.
Cason Cannon, came on in relief of Shouse in the top of the fourth. In his first of two innings of work, Cannon sat down the Spartans in order to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom half of the fourth, the Dragons would go down in order as the Spartans got two ground outs and a strikeout to send it to the top of the fifth with the Dragons still leading, 7-2.
In the top of the fifth, Cannon, worked around a 1-out hit by pitch, and a 2-out single. The top half of the inning came to an end when the Spartans tried a double steal. Catcher Kam Jenkins, made a great throw over to Shouse at 2nd to get the runner for the 3rd out. In the bottom of the fifth, Trey Payne got things going with a lead off walk. Jenkins and James Tilley followed with back to back singles.
Evan Giddens, hit a shot down the 3rd base line that would score Payne and courtesy runner Tee Knight. After a wide throw on an attempt to get Tilley at 3rd, he would also come in to score to make it 10-2 Dragons going to the top of the sixth.
In the top of the sixth inning, JP Nunn came on in relief of Cannon. Nunn, worked around a little bit of trouble during the inning, but was able to keep runs off the board and send it the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the sixth, Holland led off with his 3rd hit of the game. Harlan Will, then reached after drawing a walk. Trey Payne, then hit a single to right field scoring Holland. A misplay by the right fielder led to the pitch runner, Knight coming in to score.
The Dragons, took game 1 of the 3 game series by a score of 12-2.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-4 with a double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 3-4 with 2 singles, 1 double, and 2 runs scored
Tyler Payne: 1-2 with a single
Harlan Will: 1 walk
Trey Payne: 1-2 with a single, a walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 2-3 with 2 singles
James Tilley: 1-2 with a single, a walk, and 2 runs scored
Evan Giddens: 1-2 with a single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Colby Brooks: 2 walks and 1 run scored
Tee Knight: 3 runs scored
These two teams will be back in action on Thursday, March 23rd for game 2 as the series shifts down to Oakwood. The Dragons, will look to win their 3rd straight region series and keep pace with Dawson and Lumpkin. First pitch set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons sweep Luella, earn first trip to Sweet 16
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 28, 2022
Jasper, Ga — After sweeping the Ridgeland Panthers last week, the Pickens Dragons earned the #2 seed for 7-AAAA. For the first time in school history, the Dragons would be hosting a playoff series as they welcomed the #3 seed out of region 5, the Luella Lions. The 4A State Baseball Tournament format is a doubleheader on one day, and if needed, a third and final game the next day. Two wins advances you to the next round. The Dragons, had outstanding pitching in both games on Wednesday, April 27th, and the bats weren’t bad either as they swept the Lions in the doubleheader, 16-1 and 12-1.
Game 1:
Trey Payne took the mound for the Dragons in game 1 of the best of 3 series and he was fantastic. Payne, got the Lions in order with a strikeout, a pop out, and a fly out to left field on 12 pitches to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the first, the designated hitter Sam Hammontree, led off with a double. Hammontree, would then advance to 3rd on a grounder by Trace Ledbetter. Anthony Antinozzi would drive in Hammontree on another grounder to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead going to the second.
In the top of the second, Payne picked up where he left off in the first as he again sat Luella down in order on 11 pitches. In the bottom half of the second, Payne led off by reaching on an error by the center fielder. After a pop out and a fly out, James Tilley drew a walk to reach 1st. Colby Brooks, then laced a single into the outfield as both courtesy runner Tee Knight and Tilley would come around to score to make it 3-0 Dragons. Hammontree, then hit another double, this one scoring Brooks to make it 4-0 Pickens going to the third.
In the top of the third, Payne got the bottom third of the Lions lineup in order on 11 pitches to send the Dragons bats back up to the plate. In the bottom of the third, Pickens broke things open. Using 6 hits, a couple of errors, and several stolen bases, the Dragons scored 7 runs in the bottom of the third to make it 11-0 going to the the fourth.
In the top of the fourth, Luella got it’s only hit and run of the game off of a solo home run. The Lions, would also draw a 2-out walk, but Payne would get the next batter to pop up to Evan Giddens on the next pitch to send it to the bottom of the fourth with Pickens leading, 11-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Cade Sutton reached on a 1-out walk. Giddens, then drove him in with an RBI single. Tilley, then reached on a single of his own. Brooks, would drive in both Giddens and Tilley with a 2 RBI single to make it 14-1. With 2 outs, Ledbetter stepped to the plate. On a 1-0 count, he would smack one over the left field wall for a 2-run home run and to walk off game one giving the Dragons a 16-1 win.
Game 2:
For game 2 of the best of 3 series, the Dragons were designated the “away” team, and the Lions were designated the “home” team. In the top of the first, the Dragons carried over their hot bats from game 1 as Sam Hammontree led off with a double. Trace Ledbetter would drive him in with an RBI single. Anthony Antinozzi, then drew a walk. After Ledbetter advanced to 3rd, the Dragons did a double steal as Antinozzi took 2nd, and Ledbetter came home on the throw to 2nd to make it 2-0. Antinozzi, was then able to tag up and advance to 3rd after a fly ball to right field by Harlan Will. Antinozzi, came in to score on a sacrifice by Trey Payne to make it 3-0 Pickens going to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter JP Nunn, got into a bit of a jam as he issued a 1-out walk and then the next batter would reach on an error to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Nunn, was able to shake it off and pick up his 1st and 2nd strikeout of the game to send it to the second with the Dragons ahead, 3-0.
In the top of the second, Pickens got hits from Hammontree, Antinozzi, and Will as they plated 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 errors to stretch the lead out to 7-0 going to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, Nunn had a less stressful half inning as he picked up his 3rd and 4th strikeout and sat the Lions down on just 9 pitches. Going to the third, the Dragons led Luella, 7-0.
In the top of the third, James Tilley reached on an error by the 3rd baseman with 2-out to keep the inning alive. Colby Brooks, drove in Tilley with a double to make it 8-0 Pickens going to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Nunn kept rolling as he picked up his 5th and 6th strikeout of the game and sent it to the fourth with the Dragons leading, 8-0.
In the top of the fourth, Ledbetter led off with a walk. After Antinozzi flew out to right, Will drew a walk. Payne, brought in both runs with a base hit to make it 10-0. After a fly out by Sutton, Giddens drew a walk. Tilley, would then bring in Payne with an RBI single to make it 11-0. Brooks, followed that up with an RBI single of his own as Giddens would come in to score. Going to the bottom of the fourth, Pickens led Luella, 12-0. In the bottom of the fourth, the Lions got on the board again with a solo home run to make it 12-1. Luella followed that up with a little bloop hit down the right field line. Payne, patrolling right, got to the ball and threw a strike to Tilley covering 2nd to get the runner trying to stretch a single into a double. Nunn, did the rest of the work in the fourth as he picked up his 7th and 8th strikeout to send it to the fifth with the Dragons up, 12-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Dragons brought in some substitutions to get an at bat. First up, Cason Cannon, who sent a shot right back where it came from, but was caught by the pitcher. After a line out to right by Stephens, Jackie Jarrett drew a 2-out walk. He would be left stranded at 1st as the Lions got a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Ledbetter came on to try to finish this game off. After striking out the first two batters looking, the Lions were able to draw a 2-out walk. Not fazed by the walk, Ledbetter struck out the next batter looking to seal the win 12-1, and send the Dragons to the Sweet 16.
Up next for the Dragons, a date with the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets in the Sweet 16. The Yellow Jackets, are the #1 seed out of region 1. They swept New Hampstead in the first round. This will be the Dragons first ever trip to the Sweet 16 of the state baseball tournament. Games 1 and 2 are set for Tuesday, May 3rd and the “if” game is set for May 4th. Times are to be determined.
Dragons defeat Generals to begin region series
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 23, 2022
Jasper, Ga — Coming off of a series with Northwest Whitfield last week which saw the Dragons take two of three from the Bruins, Pickens began a series with the Heritage Generals on Tuesday, March 22nd. Heritage, swept the Southeast Whitfield Raiders two weeks ago, but did not participate in region play last week. The Generals, came into the game with a 9-5 overall record and 3-0 in 7-AAAA play. The Dragons, came into the game with an identical 9-5 overall record and a 4-2 record in 7-AAAA play. Off the strength of big time pitching performances by Connor Shouse and JP Nunn, the Dragons came away with a 5-1 win over the Generals in game 1 of the series.
Sophomore Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse, got the start for the Dragons in game 1 of the series. After giving up a lead off walk, Shouse was able to regroup as he would collect his first two strikeouts of the game and send us to the bottom of the first, still 0-0. In the bottom of the first, Shouse led off with a single to the right side. Shouse then took 2nd after a passed ball. He would be left at 2nd as the Generals were able to force a pop up to 3rd, a strikeout, and a ground out to send us to the top of the second, still scoreless.
In the top of the second, Heritage was again able to draw a lead off walk. After the walk, Shouse collected himself and struck out the side to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, the Dragons were able to get on the board with a couple of runs. Tyler Payne worked the count full then drew a 1-out walk, Trey Payne then hit a single, James Tilley followed that up with a single of his own to load the bases. Colby Brooks, reached on a fielder’s choice as courtesy runner Cason Cannon and Trey Payne came around to score to make it 2-0. Shouse then drew a four pitch walk, and Trace Ledbetter followed with a single to again load the bases. Brooks came in to score after Anthony Antinozzi reached on an error to make it 3-0. The Generals, were able to force a fly out to center as we’d head to the top of the third with Pickens now leading Heritage, 3-0.
In the top of the third, Heritage, was able to force yet another lead off walk. Their third in three innings. The Dragons got a big double play after the walk as Ledbetter gathered the ground ball, stepped on first, then fired it to Tilley at second to complete the double play. Shouse then ended the top half of the third with his 6th strikeout of the game. In the bottom of the third, Cade Sutton led off by reaching on an error. After a beautiful bunt by Tyler Payne, Sutton found himself at 2nd. Trey Payne then reached on a 4 pitch walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with just 1 out. Tilley, reached first on a fielder’s choice, which allowed Sutton to come in and score to make it 4-0 Dragons. Brooks, then nearly beat out a grounder to the third baseman as they’d go to the top of the fourth, with Pickens leading the Generals, 4-0.
In the top of the fourth, Shouse picked up his 7th strikeout of the game to begin the top half of the frame. While the pitches weren’t missing by much, Heritage was able to draw a walk for the 4th time to put a runner at 1st. After the walk, Shouse then collected his 8th strikeout for the second out of the inning. After the Generals picked up their first hit of the ball game, Shouse ended the top half of the fourth with his 9th strikeout to send us to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Heritage got it’s first clean inning of the game as they were able to force two fly outs and a ground out to send it to the fifth with the Dragons ahead, 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Shouse forced two ground outs and picked up his 10th strikeout in a clean top half of the frame to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Sutton reached on a 1-out single. Tyler Payne reached on a 4-pitch walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1-out. The runners then moved up to 2nd and 3rd as Trey Payne grounded out to first. Tilley, drove in the courtesy runner Cannon to make it 5-0 Pickens. Tilley, advanced to 2nd on the throw home and the Dragons had runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2-outs. Heritage, got out of the inning after a fly out to right field and they’d go to the top of the sixth with Pickens now leading the Generals, 5-0.
In the top of the sixth, JP Nunn came on in relief of Shouse. Heritage picked up a run on 3 hits in the top of the inning to cut the Dragons lead to 5-1. In the bottom of the frame, Ledbetter reached on a 1-out single. Antinozzi reached on a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1-out. The Generals, forced to pop outs to send it to the seventh with the Dragons ahead, 5-1.
In the top of the seventh, Nunn worked around a lead off walk as he picked up his 2nd and 3rd strikeout and left that runner stranded to end the ball game and seal the win for the Dragons in game 1 of the series, 5-1.
Stats For The Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a single and a walk (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 10 K, 4 BB, 81 pitches)
Trace Ledbetter: 2-4 with 2 singles
Anthony Antinozzi: 1 walk
Cade Sutton: 1-4 with a single and 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 2 walks, and 1 sacrifice bunt
Trey Payne: 1-2 with a single, a walk, and 1 run scored
James Tilley: 2-3 with 2 singles and 1 RBI
Colby Brooks: 2 RBI and 1 run scored
Cason Cannon: 2 runs scored
7-AAAA Baseball Standings:
Heritage: 9-6 (3-1)
Pickens: 10-5 (5-2)
Cedartown: 9-6 (5-2)
Northwest Whitfield: 8-7 (2-2)
Central-Carroll: 10-7 (3-4)
Ridgeland: 6-7 (2-4)
Southeast Whitfield: 3-14 (1-6)
The Dragons and Generals, will now turn their attention to the doubleheader that is set for Friday, March 25th at Heritage. The first game of the doubleheader has a first pitch time of 4:30 pm. The second game will follow shortly after the first game concludes.
Dragons open region play against Lions
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 10, 2022
Jasper, Ga — It was time to start region play for the Pickens Dragons baseball team as they began a three game series with the Central-Carroll Lions on Wednesday, March 9th. Due to the rain that came in on Tuesday, the original schedule was adjusted a bit. The Tuesday game, was moved to Thursday, and the doubleheader that was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday at Central-Carroll, would now be played at Pickens. Coming into the game, the Dragons were 5-3 after a tough loss to Lumpkin County last week. The Lions, came in at 7-3, but were also coming off of a tough loss to Walnut Grove. Central-Carroll also came in ranked at #8 in the 4A poll. In a tightly played first game, the Dragons came away with a 3-2 win.
Connor Shouse took the mound for the first game of the doubleheader and he pitched very well for the Dragons. In the top of the first, the Lions collected a couple of hits, and a a run to take an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Dragons went down in order and we’d head to the second, with Central-Carroll leading 1-0.
In the top of the second, Shouse picked up his 3rd and 4th strikeout of the game. The Lions were able to bring in another run to extend their lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the frame, the Dragons again went down in order. Going to the third, Central-Carroll held a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Shouse picked up his 5th strikeout of the game and kept the Lions at bay to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom half of the third, Pickens had their first base runners of the game as James Tilley drew a walk and Cade Sutton reached on a fielder’s choice. Central-Carroll worked around it and we’d head to the fourth with the Lions still ahead, 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, Shouse picked up his 6th and 7th strikeout of the game as he continued to shut down the Lions offense and keep the game within striking distance. In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons worked some 2-out magic. Harlan Will reached on an error. Then, Tyler Payne was hit by a pitch. On a 2-2 count, Anthony Antinozzi laced one into the left center field gap. That double brought home courtesy runners Ethan Gemberling and Cason Cannon to tie the game up at 2. Tilley, was able to reach first after a dropped third strike. Antinozzi would advance to third and Tilley would advance to second after a wild pitch. The Lions were able to get out of the fourth with the game still tied at 2.
After giving up a walk to begin the top of the fifth, Shouse forced two ground outs and a fly out to send us to the bottom half of the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Shouse reached third after a 1-out triple. Trace Ledbetter was then hit by a pitch. Trey Payne knocked one over to the right side of the diamond and brought in Shouse to give Pickens a 3-2 lead going to the sixth.
JP Nunn came on in relief of Shouse in the top of the sixth. Nunn, was able to keep the Lions off the scoreboard and sent us to the bottom of the inning.In the bottom of the sixth, The Dragons flew out three straight at bats to send us to the seventh with Pickens leading, 3-2.
Nunn, came back out for the top of the seventh to try and close the first game out. And close it out he did as the Dragons come back to take game 1 of the doubleheader and the series, 3-2.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a triple and 1 run scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1 hit by pitch
Trey Payne: 1 RBI
Tyler Payne: 1 hit by pitch
Anthony Antinozzi: 1-3 with 1 double, and 1 RBI
Ethan Gemberling: 1 run scored
Cason Cannon: 1 run scored
Dragons take part in and host Burnt Mountain Classic
PHS Wrestling, Team FYN Sports December 19, 2021
Jasper, Georgia — Several teams from multiple classifications made their way to the Dragons Den on Saturday December, 18th as PHS was the site for the annual Burnt Mountain Classic. The action started bright and early at 9 in the morning and went on into mid afternoon. Pickens, had a good showing as several Dragons wrestlers placed during the tournament.
1st: Dylan Gonzalez
3rd: Jack Flatt
4th: Chris Knight
4th: Cason Cannon
From @pickenswrestle twitter