Dragons pick up win in series opener against Lumpkin
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 19, 2025
Jasper, Ga — It was time for week three of 6-AAA play as the Pickens Dragons took on the Lumpkin Indians in game one of their three game set on Tuesday, March 18th. The Dragons, were coming off a tough series against North Hall where they were only able to win one game. The Indians, were looking to rebound after being swept by Greater Atlanta Christian. A.J. Rice, would throw a complete game as the Dragons would pick up the win, 5-1.
Rice, the Junior Auburn commit, would work around a 2-out walk drawn by Mason Hester as he would strike out the side in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the first, Christian Starks, would look to get something started with a 1-out single. Starks, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position with 2-outs. Starks, would then move to 3rd on a wild pitch.
Kam Jenkins, would drive in Starks with an RBI single to make it 1-0 Dragons. An RBI double by Dawson Lowitt, would bring in courtesy runner Zach Williams to make it 2-0. Dawson Holland, would keep the line moving with a single to put runners at the corners with 2-out. Holland, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Matthew Davis, would draw a walk to load the bases.
Indians starter Adian Rogers, would get out of the inning with a ground out. Heading to the second, the Dragons, led the Indians, 2-0.
Matthew Mitchell, would lead off the top of the second with a single. Jayzen Johnson, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Mitchell would be forced out at 2nd. Rice, would get out of the second after another ground out, and his 4th strikeout as the Indians left Johnson stranded. Jennings Allen, would lead off the bottom of the second with a single. Allen, would then swipe 2nd to get into scoring position with 1-out.
Starks, would bring in Allen with an RBI triple to make it 3-0 Dragons. Cade Sutton, would follow that up with an RBI single as Starks would come in to score to make it 4-0. After Sutton was caught trying to steal 2nd, Jenkins would keep the inning going by drawing a walk. Rogers and the Indians, would get out of the second with a ground out to send it to the third with the Dragons leading, 4-0.
After Rice began the third inning with a pair of quick outs, A. Flanagan, would look to get something going for the Indians as he reached with a 2-out single. Hester, would follow that up with a single of his own to put runners at 1st and 3rd with 2-outs. Hester, would then get caught in a rundown long enough for Flanagan to come in to score to make it 4-1. Rice, would get out of the third with a fly out to send it to the bottom of the frame.
In the bottom of the third, Holland, would lead off with his 2nd hit of the game. Holland, would then pick up his 2nd steal of the game as he would take 2nd to advance into scoring position. Rogers, would get out of the jam with a fly out, a strikeout, and a pop out to send it to the fourth with the Dragons leading, 4-1.
Rice, would toss a scoreless top of the fourth as he picked up a fly out, and his 5th and 6th strikeout. In the bottom of the fourth, Rice, would reach with a lead off single. Rice, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Rice, would advance to 3rd after a ground out by Sutton. Jenkins, would drive in Rice with an RBI single to make it 5-1 Dragons going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Rice, would only need six pitches to pick up a pair of ground outs and a fly out in a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Holland, Davis, and Sam Hammontree, would load the bases with back-to-back-to-back singles. Kendal Lee, would come in from right field to relive Rogers. Holland, would be forced out at home as Allen reached on a fielder’s choice. Lee, would then pick up a strikeout for the second out.
Lee and the Indians, would get out of the jam as Allen would be forced out at 2nd to send it to the sixth with the Dragons still leading, 5-1.
Rice, continued his great start in the top of the sixth as he picked up a ground out and a pair of fly outs to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Sutton and Jenkins, would each get hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Lowitt, would then follow that with a single to load the bases. Lee, would get out of the inning with a strikeout and a double play to send it to the seventh with the Dragons still leading, 5-1.
Rice, would cap off another fantastic start by striking out the side in the top of the seventh to seal the win in game one for the Dragons, 5-1.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 steal, and 1 run scored & 7 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 9 K, 1 BB on 103 pitches
Christian Starks: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 triple, 1 steal, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Cade Sutton: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 HBP, and 1 RBI
Kam Jenkins: 2-2 with 2 singles, 1 walk, 1 HBP, and 2 RBI
Dawson Lowitt: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 double, and 1 RBI
Dawson Holland: 3-4 with 3 singles, and 2 steals
Matthew Davis: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Sam Hammontree: 1-3 with 1 single
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Zach Williams: 1 run scored
The series will shift over to Dahlonega for game two on Thursday, March 20th. The Dragons, will look for the series win while the Indians, will look to tie the series. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Dragons win series finale against Trojans
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 15, 2025
Gainesville, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, came into game three against the North Hall Trojans on Friday, March 13th just looking for a little momentum after a pair of tough losses. After going up 5-0 early, the Dragons, would get an insurance run in the top of the seventh as they would hang on to pick up the win, 6-3.
A.J. Rice, would lead off the game with a single. Rice, would then steal 2nd to move into scoring position with 1-out. Rice, with 2-outs, would swipe 3rd. Kam Jenkins, would reach on an error as Rice would come in to score to make it 1-0. Dawson Lowitt, would keep the inning going with a double. The Trojans, would get out of the first with a ground out.
In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter Christian Starks, would pick up a strikeout for the first out. Ty Kemp, would then draw a 1-out walk. After Starks collected his second strikeout of the inning, Kemp, would steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Kenny Foudy, would then draw a 2-out walk. Kemp, would advance to 3rd on the wild pitch. Starks, would get out of the first with a fly out. Heading to the second, Pickens led North Hall, 1-0.
Matthew Davis and Ezra Faber, would lead off the top of the second with back to back singles. Davis, would be forced out at 3rd as Jennings Allen would reach on a fielder’s choice. Faber and Allen, would move up a base after a passed ball. Rice, would drive in Faber with an RBI single. Starks, would help himself out by bringing in Allen with a sacrifice fly. Rice, would advance to 2nd on the play.
Cade Sutton, would bring in Rice with an RBI single to make it 4-0. Sutton, would advance to 2nd on the play. Jenkins, would keep the inning alive by drawing a walk. Lowitt, would drive in Sutton with an RBI single to make it 5-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the frame. The Trojans, would look to get back into the game as Thomas Davis would be hit with a pitch, and Custis Honeycutt, would reach with a single to lead off the bottom of the second.
After a fly out, Cole Cable, would be hit with a pitch to load the bases with 1-out. Mills Lothridge, would drive in both Davis and Honeycutt with a 2-RBI single. Starks, would come back with a strikeout for the second out. Cable, would then come in to score after a wild pitch. Smith Mcgarvey, would keep the inning going with a 2-out walk. Starks and the Dragons, would get out of the second as Sutton would step on 3rd to force out Lothridge.
Dawson Holland, would lead off the top of the third by reaching on an error. Trojans starter Jake Beard, would pick up a fly out, a line out, and his 2nd strikeout as Holland would be left stranded at 1st. Heading to the bottom of the third, Pickens led North Hall, 5-3. Starks, had a nice bounce back in the bottom of the third as he would sit the Trojans down in order with a pair of fly outs and a ground out to send it to the fourth, with the Dragons ahead, 5-3.
Beard, would toss his first 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth as he picked up a ground out and a pair of fly outs to send it to the bottom of the inning. Beard, would lead off the bottom of the fourth by reaching base on an error. Starks, would work around it with a strikeout and a pair of line outs. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons led the Trojans, 5-3.
Jenkins, would lead off the fifth by drawing his 2nd walk of the game. The Trojans, would then turn a double play and pick up a ground out to get out of the inning. Starks, who really settled down since the second inning, picked up a fly out and a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless bottom of the fifth. Heading to the sixth, Pickens still led North Hall, 5-3.
Davis, would pick up his 2nd hit of the game to lead off the top of the sixth. After a strikeout, Davis, would advance all the way to 3rd as Allen would be out at 1st on a ground out. Davis, would attempt to come home on a ball that got by the catcher, but he would be tagged out to send it to the bottom of the sixth, Dragons leading, 5-3. Starks, would pick up two quick fly outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Beard, would keep the inning alive for the Trojans with a 2-out single. His courtesy runner, Brayden Allen, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Starks, now over 100 pitches for the game, would get out of the sixth with a strikeout to send it to the seventh with the Dragons leading the Trojans, 5-3.
Rice, would lead off the top of the seventh with a double. His third hit of the game. After a line out and a strikeout, Rice, would advance to 3rd on a wild pitch. Jenkins, on a 3-2 count, would drive in Rice with a 2-out RBI double to make it 6-3 Dragons heading to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Jenkins, would come on in relief of Starks to try and close this one out.
After a strikeout for the first out, Kemp, would draw a walk. Jenkins, would shake that off to strikeout the next to batters to seal the 6-3 win for the Dragons in game three.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 3-4 with 2 singles, 1 double, 2 steals, and 3 runs scored
Christian Starks: 1 sacrifice fly RBI & 6 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 7 K on 107 pitches
Cade Sutton: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-2 with 1 double, 2 walks, and 1 RBI & 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K on 21 pitches
Dawson Lowitt: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 double, and 1 RBI
Matthew Davis: 2-3 with 2 singles
Ezra Faber: 1-3 with 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1 run scored
6-AAA Baseball Standings:
North Hall: 9-4 (5-1)
Dawson: 10-5 (5-1)
Pickens: 12-3 (4-2)
Lumpkin: 9-5 (3-3)
GAC: 6-6 (3-3)
Chestatee: 4-11 (3-3)
White County: 6-8 (1-5)
Johnson-Gainesville: 2-13 (0-6)
The Dragons, will be back in 6-AAA action next week as they begin a three game series with the Lumpkin Indians on Tuesday, March 18th at Dunn Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Missed opportunities costly in Dragons loss to Trojans
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 14, 2025
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, came into their game against the North Hall Trojans on Thursday, March 13th looking to even up the series after a tough defeat on Tuesday in the series opener. After a bit of a weather delay, the game would get going and as you would expect, was tightly contested. The Trojans, would use some more late inning heroics to pull off another 3-2 win over the Dragons.
Starting pitcher for the Dragons, Ezra Faber, would work around a 1-out single as he would force a ground out, a pop out, and pick up his first strikeout of the game to send it to the bottom half of the first. In the bottom half of the first, A.J. Rice, would lead off by drawing a four pitch walk. Rice, would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Trojans starter Smith McGarvey, would make a nice play on a come backer by Christian Starks for the first out.
Cade Sutton, would draw a four pitch walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Rice, would steal 3rd to put runners at the corners. Kam Jenkins, would then draw a full count walk to load the bases. McGarvey, would pick up a strikeout for the second out. Matthew Davis, would then draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Rice to make it 1-0. Sam Hammontree, would follow by drawing another walk to bring in Sutton to make it 2-0 Dragons.
The Trojans, would then make a pitching change as starting 1st baseman Micah Jimmerson, would come on in relief of McGarvey. Jimmerson, would get the Trojans out of the first as Hammontree would be forced out at 2nd. Heading to the second, Pickens led North Hall, 2-0.
Faber, would pick up a fly out, and his 2nd strikeout for the first two outs of the second inning. A lined shot by Custis Honeycutt, that just got past Rice at short, would keep the inning alive for the Trojans. Campbell Payton, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2-out. An RBI single by Jake Beard, would bring in Honeycutt to make it 2-1. Faber, would get out of the second with a ground out.
In the bottom of the second, Rice, would reach with a 1-out single. He would be left stranded at 1st however as Jimmerson would pick up a fly out and a strikeout to send it to the third with the Dragons leading the Trojans, 2-1.
The Trojans, were looking to tie or even take the lead as Ty Kemp and McGarvey, would draw back to back walks to begin the top of the third. Faber, would get out of the third after picking up his 3rd strikeout, and a 5-3 double play to send it to the bottom of the inning. Jenkins, would lead off the bottom of the third with an infield single. Dawson Holland, would then drive one to deep right field, which allowed courtesy runner Coleman Keener, to advance to 2nd.
Jimmerson, would again escape with no damage done as he picked up a pop out and a fly out to send it to the fourth with the Dragons still leading, 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, Faber, would work around a 1-out single by Honeycutt, as he picked up a pop out, a fly out, and his 4th strikeout to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fourth, Dawson Lowitt and Jennings Allen, would lead off with back to back singles. Rice, would bunt pitch runner Caden Kirchoff and Allen over to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out.
Kirchoff, would get caught in a rundown for the second out. The play allowed Allen to advance to 3rd, and Starks to 2nd. Jimmerson, would get out of the inning with a ground out to send it to the fifth with the Dragons still ahead, 2-1.
Daven Abernathy, would come on in relief of Faber in the top of the fifth. He would pick up a ground out for the first out. After a 1-out single by Kemp, Abernathy would get McGarvey to fly out to left field. Kenny Foudy, would give the Trojans the lead with a 2-run home run. Abernathy, would bounce back with a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fifth with the Trojans leading, 3-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, Holland, would reach with a 1-out single. He would be left stranded as Jimmerson, would pick up a pop out and a ground out to send it to the sixth with the Trojans leading, 3-2.
In the top of the sixth, Abernathy, would strikeout the side to send it to the bottom half of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Rice, would look to get something started as he would be hit by a pitch with 2-outs. Jimmerson and the Trojans, would get out of the sixth with a fly out to send it to the seventh with North Hall leading Pickens, 3-2.
In the top of the seventh, Abernathy, in his third inning of relief, would pick up his 5th strikeout, and a pair of fly outs in a scoreless frame to send it to the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Jimmerson, would get the Dragons in order as the Trojans would come away with another 3-2 win.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1-1 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 HBP, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single, and 1 walk
Dawson Holland: 1-4 with 1 single
Matthew Davis: 1 walk and 1 RBI
Sam Hammontree: 1 walk and 1 RBI
Dawson Lowitt: 1-3 with 1 single
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single
Ezra Faber: 4 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 K, 3 BB on 62 pitches
Daven Abernathy: 3 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 5 K, 0 BB on 41 pitches
The Dragons, will look to end the series on a good note as game three takes place on Friday, March 14th back at North Hall. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Dragons fall in final inning in series opener against Trojans
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 12, 2025
Gainesville, Ga — It was the start of arguably the biggest series in 6-AAA as the Pickens Dragons traveled down to Gainesville to take on the North Hall Trojans on Tuesday, March 11th. The Dragons, came into the game 11-1 overall, 3-0 in 6-AAA, and ranked 2nd in AAA. The Trojans, came in at 7-3 overall, 3-0 in 6-AAA, and ranked 4th in AAA. The game would live up to the hype as the final inning saw the lead change hands twice as it would be the Trojans who would come away with the win in game one, 3-2.
The Dragons, were looking for some early 2-out magic in the top of the first as Cade Sutton and Kam Jenkins would reach on back to back singles to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Trojans starter Campbell Payton, would induce a ground ball for the 3rd out to send it to the bottom of the inning. Dragons starter A.J. Rice, would strikeout the side in the bottom of the frame to send it to the second with the score still tied at 0.
Dawson Holland, would lead off the top of the second by reaching on an error. A 1-out single by Dawson Lowitt, would put runners at 1st and 2nd. Jennings Allen, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Lowitt would be forced out at 2nd. Holland, would move up to 3rd on the play. The Trojans, would get out of the inning after picking off Allen at 1st. Rice, would continue his hot start to the game in the bottom of the second.
Rice, would force a ground out in addition to picking up his 4th and 5th strikeouts in a scoreless bottom of the second. Heading to the third, Pickens and North Hall were still tied at 0.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top half of the third after a pop out, a ground out, and a fly out. In the bottom of the frame, Custis Honeycutt, would pick up the first hit of the game for the Trojans as he would lead off with a double. A sacrifice bunt by Payton, would move Honeycutt over to 3rd. Rice, would get out of the jam by inducing a ground ball and forcing a pop out to send it to the fourth with the game still scoreless.
In the top of the fourth, Jenkins would reach 1st with a lead off walk. Matthew Davis, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as courtesy runner Zach Williams, would be forced out at 2nd. After a fly out by Holland, Sam Hammontree looked to keep the inning alive with a single, however, Davis, would be thrown out at 2nd to send it to the bottom of the fourth.
The Trojans, looked to get something going in the bottom of the fourth as they drew a pair of walks and picked up their 2nd hit of the game to load the bases with 1-out. After Rice picked up his 6th strikeout for the 2nd out, Smith McGarvey, would come in to score the game’s first run after a wild pitch. Rice, would force a fly out to limit the damage and send it to the fifth with the Trojans leading, 1-0.
Lowitt, would lead of the top of the fifth with his 2nd hit of the day, but would be thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch it into a double. Payton, would pick up his 3rd and 4th strikeout of the game to send it to the bottom of the inning. Rice, would bounce back in the bottom of the fifth as he would strikeout the side to send it to the sixth with the Trojans still ahead, 1-0.
Christian Starks, would lead off the sixth by drawing a walk. Sutton, would follow with his 2nd hit of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Starks, would be forced out at 3rd as Jenkins reached on a fielder’s choice. After a line out by Davis, Holland, would reach as the ball would fall out of the center fielders glove allowing Sutton to score to tie the game at 1.
Rice, would carry that momentum over to the bottom of the sixth as he would force a fly out, and pick up his 10th and 11th strikeout of the game to send it to the seventh with the score tied at 1.
Lowitt, would lead off the top of the seventh by drawing a walk. Caden Kirchoff, would then come in to pitch run for Lowitt. Allen, would follow that up with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. After a strikeout of Rice for the first out, Starks, would reach on an error that would allow Kirchoff to come in and score to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. Allen and Starks, would end up at 2nd and 3rd after the play.
Mills Lothridge, who came on in relief of Payton, would limit the damage as he would force a ground out, and pick up a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the seventh. Rice, looking to finish the game, picked up his 12th strikeout of the game and a fly out for the first two outs of the seventh. Honeycutt, would tie the game with a solo home run to left field.
McKinley Kemp, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single. Cole Cable, would follow that by drawing a walk. Lothridge, would then drive in pitch runner Brayden Martin with an RBI single to give the Trojans a 3-2 win in game one.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 6 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 12 K, 2 BB on 107 pitches
Christian Starks: 1 walk
Cade Sutton: 2-4 with 2 singles and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Sam Hammontree: 1-3 with 1 single
Dawson Lowitt: 2-2 with 2 singles and 1 walk
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
The series will shift to Dunn Field on Thursday, March 13th as the Dragons will look to tie the series as they host the Trojans for game 2. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Dragons sweep Warriors to begin region play
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 8, 2025
Cleveland, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, took to the road on Friday, March 7th as they took on the White County Warriors in the third and final game of the series. After taking the first two games of the series, the Dragons, were looking for the series sweep. After getting runs from the 2nd-5th inning, the Dragons, picked up the win in the series finale, 8-1.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top half of the first as Warriors starting pitcher, Shelton Ramey, would force a ground out, a fly out, and pick up his first strikeout of the game. In the bottom of the first, Trevor Butler, would draw a lead off walk. Dragons starting pitcher, Christian Starks, would induce a 6-3 double play to clear the bases. Caleb Campbell, would keep the inning alive for the Warriors as he drew a 2-out walk.
Starks, would get out of the first inning with his first strikeout of the game. Heading to the second inning, Pickens and White County, were tied at 0.
In the top of the second, Kam Jenkins, would lead off with a hustle double as the ball would fall in between several Warriors in no mans land. Matthew Davis, would move the courtesy runner Zach Williams over to 3rd with a ground out. After Ramey picked up a strikeout for the 2nd out, Williams, would come in to score after a wild pitch to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead. Ramey, would pick up his 3rd strikeout of the game to send it to the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the second, Starks, would toss a scoreless frame as he picked up his 2nd and 3rd strikeout of the game, and fielded a comebacker for the ground out. Heading to the top of the third, Pickens led White County, 1-0.
Ezra Faber, would lead off the top of the third by working a full count walk to reach 1st. A double by Jennings Allen, would put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. A.J. Rice, would bring in Faber with an RBI ground out to make it 2-0 Dragons. Allen, would advance to 3rd on the play. Allen, would then come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 heading to the bottom of the third.
In the bottom of the third, Starks, would pick up two quick outs with a ground out and a strikeout. Butler, would keep the inning going by drawing his 2nd walk of the game. Starks, would get out of the inning with a fly out. Heading to the fourth, Pickens led White County, 3-0.
Davis, would add to the Dragons lead in the top of the fourth as the lefty would pull one over the right field fence for a solo home run to make it 4-0. Ramey, would get out of the fourth with a pair of ground outs. In the bottom of the fourth, Campbell, would lead off by drawing his 2nd walk of the game. After picking up his 5th strikeout, Brady Gaddis, would draw a walk. John Bannon, would pick up the Warriors first hit of the game to load the bases with 1-out.
Starks, would do a good job of settling in and calming himself down as he would pick up his 6th and 7th strikeout of the game to keep the Warriors scoreless. Heading to the fifth, Pickens led White County, 4-0.
In the top of the fifth, Allen, would reach with a 1-out double. Rice, would follow that up by drawing a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1-out. After a strikeout, Cade Sutton, would send a shot down the right field line for a 2-RBI triple as both Allen and Rice would come in to score. Jenkins, would keep the inning alive for the Dragons by drawing a walk.
Davis, would then reach on a two base error as both Sutton and courtesy runner Zach Williams, would come in to score in the play to make it 8-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Daven Abernathy, would come on in relief of Starks in the bottom of the fifth. The Warriors, would threaten a big inning yet again as they would load the bases. Abernathy, would work around a pair of walks and a single to keep the Warriors scoreless. Heading to the sixth, the Dragons led it, 8-0.
In the top of the sixth, Sam Hammontree, would lead off by drawing a walk. Caden Kirchoff, would come in to pitch run for Hammontree. Warriors relief pitcher, Josh Adams, would pick up a strikeout and two fly outs to keep the Dragons off the board. In the bottom of the sixth, Abernathy, in his second inning of relief, would force three ground outs in a scoreless frame. Heading to the seventh, the Dragons led the Warriors, 8-0.
Dawson Lowitt, would lead off the top of the seventh with a single. Chase Hulsey, who would come in to pitch run for Lowitt, would steal 2nd to get into scoring position. After a pair of strikeouts, Williams, would draw a 2-out walk. Hulsey, would advance to 3rd on a passed ball to put runners at 1st and 3rd. Adams, in his 2nd inning of relief, would strikeout the side to send it to the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kam Jenkins, would come on in relief of Abernathy. Carter Nguyen, would lead off the inning with an infield single. Butler, would then draw his 3rd walk of the game to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Alex Freeman, would then reach on an error to load the bases. After Jenkins would strike out Campbell for the first out, Ramey, would bring in Nguyen with an RBI ground out to make it 8-1.
Jenkins, would close out the game with his second strikeout of the inning as the Dragons would pick up the win, 8-1. The Dragons, sweep the series, 3-0.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 4 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 7 K, 5 BB on 69 pitches
Dawson Lowitt: 1-1 with 1 single
Cade Sutton: 1-3 with 1 triple, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-2 with 1 double, and 1 walk & 1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 2 K, 1 BB on 25 pitches
Matthew Davis: 1-3 with 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1 walk
Ezra Faber: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 2-3 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored
Chase Hulsey: 1 steal
Zach Williams: 1 walk and 2 runs scored
Daven Abernathy: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 2 BB on 31 pitches
6-AAA Baseball Standings:
Pickens: 11-1 (3-0)
Lumpkin: 9-2 (3-0)
North Hall: 7-3 (3-0)
Dawson: 8-4 (3-0)
White County: 5-6 (0-3)
GAC: 3-6 (0-3)
Johnson-Gainesville: 2-10 (0-3)
Chestatee: 1-11 (0-3)
The Dragons, will begin probably the most important series of the season as they will travel down to Gainesville to start a three game set with the North Hall Trojans. Most polls have the Dragons and Trojans #2 and #3 in AAA. Game one, will be on Tuesday, March 11th at North Hall. First pitch scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Six run sixth inning propels Dragons to series win
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 7, 2025
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, hosted the White County Warriors at Dunn Field on Thursday, March 6th for game two of their three game series in 6-AAA play. After a 4-0 victory on Tuesday at White County, the Dragons, were looking for a series win in game two. After trailing 1-0, 4-0, and 4-2 during the game, the Dragons, used a 6-run sixth inning to take the lead where they would hold on for the win, 8-4.
The Warriors, would scratch a run across early on in the ball game after a double by Alex Freeman and an RBI single by Caleb Campbell would make it 1-0. Dragons starter Jackson Nunn, would do a good job of limiting the damage as he would force a pair of ground outs to send it to the bottom half of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, the Dragons, would get back to back 1-out singles from Christian Starks and Cade Sutton.
Starks, would be forced out at 3rd as Kam Jenkins would reach on a fielder’s choice. Warriors starter Grant Gooch, would force a fly out to get out of the potential jam and send it to the second with White County leading, 1-0.
In the top of the second, Nunn, would work around a pair of walks as he would force a ground out, a pop out, and pick up his first strikeout of the game. Matthew Davis, would lead off the bottom of the second with a single to right. After a pop out to 2nd, Sam Hammontree, would reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis would be forced out at 2nd. Gooch, would get out of the second with a strikeout to send it to the third with the Warriors still leading it, 1-0.
Campbell, would lead off the top of the third with a single. Shelton Ramey and Sawyer Gailey, would follow that with singles of their own to load the bases with nobody out. John Bannon, would bring in Campbell after drawing a walk to make it 2-0. Nunn, would come back with back to back strikeouts. The Warriors, would add to their lead as Brayden Roach would drive in Ramey and Gailey with a 2-RBI single to make it 4-0 Warriors.
Nunn, would get out of the inning with a fly out. Heading to the bottom of the third, White County led Pickens, 4-0. In the bottom of the third, Sutton, would reach 2nd on a 2-out error by the right fielder. A passed ball would allow Sutton to advance over to 3rd. Gooch, would get out of the third after forcing a fly out to send it to the fourth with the Warriors ahead, 4-0.
Ezra Faber, would come on in relief in the top of the fourth for the Dragons. He would force a ground out, and pick up two strikeouts to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fourth, Davis, would reach for the second time with a 1-out single. He would then advance to 2nd on a wild pitch. Dawson Holland, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out.
A single by Hammontree, would load the bases for the Dragons. Jennings Allen, would bring in Allen with an RBI single to make it 4-1. A.J. Rice, would drive in Holland after reaching on a fielder’s choice. The Warriors, would get out of the fourth with a ground out. Heading to the fifth, White County now led it, 4-2.
In the top of the fifth, Faber, in his 2nd inning of relief, tossed another scoreless inning with a pair of ground outs and his 3rd strikeout. Sutton, would lead off the bottom of the fifth by drawing a walk. Jenkins, would draw a walk as well as the Dragons had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Dawson Lowitt, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Sutton would be thrown out at 3rd.
Freeman, who came on in relief of Gooch after the back to back walks, would then pick up a strikeout for the 2nd out. Lowitt, would be forced out at 2nd as the Warriors would get out of the fifth still ahead, 4-2.
In the top of the sixth, Faber, would pick up his 4th and 5th strikeouts for the first two outs of the inning. Cooper Garrett, kept the inning alive for the Warriors with a 2-out single. Rice, would then rob Freeman of a line drive hit as he would leap to make the grab to send it to the bottom of the sixth, Dragons trailing, 4-2. In the bottom of the sixth, Allen, would reach with a 1-out double.
After a close call on a strikeout of Rice, Starks, would drive in Allen with a 2-out RBI double to make it 4-3. Sutton, would follow that up with a double to left center that would bring in Starks to tie the game. After Jenkins drew a walk and Lowitt would be hit with a pitch, the Dragons had the bases loaded with 2-out. Davis, would drive in Sutton and courtesy runner Zach Williams with a 2-RBI double to give the Dragons a 6-4 lead.
Holland, would get in on the fun with a 2-RBI double as both Lowitt and Davis would come in to score to make it 8-4 Dragons heading to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Faber, would pick up his 6th strikeout for the first out. Holland, would then go flying as he would drive to catch a liner by Ramey for the 2nd out. Gailey, would keep the game alive for the Warriors by drawing a 2-out walk. Faber, would force a ground out to seal the win for the Dragons, 8-4.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1 RBI
Christian Starks: 2-4 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 2 walks
Dawson Lowitt: 1 HBP, and 1 run scored
Matthew Davis: 3-4 with 2 singles, 1 double, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Dawson Holland: 1-2 with 1 walk, 1 double, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1-4 with 1 single
Jennings Allen: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Zach Williams: 1 run scored
Ezra Faber: 4 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K on 49 pitches
The series, will shift back over to White County on Friday, March 7th as the Dragons will be looking for a series sweep. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Rice throws no hitter as Dragons defeat Warriors
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 5, 2025
Cleveland, Ga — The calendar flipped over to March which meant it was time for the region schedule for baseball to get underway. The Pickens Dragons, made the trip up to Cleveland to begin a three game series with the White County Warriors. The Dragons, came into the game with an 8-1 record. The Warriors, came into the game with a 5-3 overall record. Junior Auburn commit A.J. Rice, threw his 2nd no hitter of the season as the Dragons got the win, 8-0.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the first as Warriors starter, Trevor Butler, would force a pair of ground outs, and pick up his first strikeout. In the bottom of the frame, Rice, would work around a 1-out walk drawn by Alex Freeman, as Rice would strikeout the side to send it to the second inning, with the score tied at 0.
Kam Jenkins, would draw a walk on a full count to lead off the top of the second. A sacrifice bunt, would move the courtesy runner Caden Kirchoff, over to 2nd. An RBI single from Matthew Davis, would drive in Kirchoff to make it 1-0 Dragons. Davis, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. A 2-out RBI single by Sam Hammontree, would bring in Davis to make it 2-0.
A double by Jennings Allen, would put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2-out. A 2-RBI double by Rice, would make it 4-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the second. The Warriors, would go down in order in the bottom of the second as Rice forced a ground out, a line out, and picked up his 4th strikeout to send it to the third with Pickens leading, 4-0.
Butler, tossed a scoreless top of the third with a ground out and a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom half of the third, Rice, would strikeout the side to push his total up to 7 for the night. Heading to the fourth inning, the Dragons continued to lead White County, 4-0.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the fourth as Butler would force a pop out, and pick up another pair of strikeouts to push his total up to 6. In the bottom half of the fourth, Rice, would again strikeout the side. The second inning, continued to be the difference maker as the Dragons still led the Warriors, 4-0, heading to the fifth.
Butler, doing his best to keep his team in it, tossed his third consecutive scoreless inning in the top of the fifth as he forced two ground outs and picked up his 7th strikeout. In the bottom of the fifth, Rice, would force a ground out, and pick up his 11th and 12th strikeout to send it to the sixth with Pickens leading, 4-0.
Cade Sutton, would lead off the top of the sixth by drawing a walk as the Dragons would have their first base runner since the second inning. Sutton, would then advance all the way to 3rd after an error by the Warriors. After Butler picked up back to back strikeouts, Davis, would reach on a dropped third strike as Sutton would come in to score to make it 5-0 Dragons.
Dawson Holland, would keep the inning going with a 2-out single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Butler and the Warriors, would get out of the sixth without any other damage done after a ground out. In the bottom of the sixth, Rice, would force a ground out, and pick up strikeout #13 and #14 on the night. Heading to the seventh, Pickens led White County, 5-0.
Rice, would reach with a 1-out single in the top of the seventh. Christian Starks, would drive in Rice with an RBI triple to make it 6-0. A sacrifice fly RBI by Sutton, would bring in Starks to make it 7-0. A 2-out double by Jenkins, would keep the inning going for the Dragons. Dawson Lowitt, would drive in courtesy runner Coleman Keener with an RBI single to make it 8-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Rice, would finish the complete game no hitter with his 15th and 16th strikeout, and a ground out. The Dragons, pick up the win in their 6-AAA opener, 8-0.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 2-4 with 1 double, 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored & 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 16 K on 86 pitches
Christian Starks: 1-4 with 1 triple, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-3 with 1 double, and 1 walk
Dawson Lowitt: 1-4 with 1 single and 1 RBI
Matthew Davos: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 steal, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with 1 single
Sam Hammontree: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 double, and 1 run scored
Caden Kirchoff: 1 run scored
Coleman Keener: 1 run scored
The Dragons and Warriors, will be back at it on Thursday, March 6th as the series shifts to Dunn Field for game two of the three game set. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Dragons drop road game against Ringgold
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 1, 2025
Ringgold, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, made the trip up to Ringgold on Friday, February 28th as they took on the Tigers in their final non-region game before 6-AAA play started. Coming into the game, the Dragons, were 8-0. The Tigers, were 5-3. After trailing 7-1, the Tigers, would come back to pick up an 8-7 win over the Dragons.
A.J. Rice, looked to get things started early for the Dragons as he reached on lead off single. The Tigers, would induce a double play to clear the bases. Cade Sutton, would keep the inning alive as he would reach base after an error. Tigers starter Wesley Blair, would get out of the inning with a ground out. The Tigers, looked to put some runs up early as they would pick up a pair of walks and a single to load the bases with nobody out.
Dragons starter Christian Starks, was able to get out of the bases loaded jam as he picked up a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to send it to the second with the score still tied at 0.
Sam Hammontree, would reach with a 1-out single. Dawson Holland, would follow that up with a single of his own. Matthew Davis, would then draw a walk to load the bases with 1-out. A 2-RBI single by Jennings Allen, would score both Hammontree and Holland to make it 2-0 Dragons. Davis and Allen, would come around to score as Rice would reach on an error.
Rice, would then make his way home as Starks would reach on an error to make it 5-0 Dragons. The Tigers, would get out of the top of the second with a double play trailing the Dragons, 5-0. Blair, would reach on an error to lead off the bottom of the second. The Dragons defense, would then turn a 4-6-3 double play to clear the bases. Cade Broom, would keep the inning going by drawing a 2-out walk.
Starks, would get out of the second with his 3rd strikeout of the game to send it to the third with the Dragons leading the Tigers, 5-0.
In the top half of the third, Dawson Lowitt, would draw a 1-out walk to reach base. Lowitt, would then take 2nd after a throwing error on a pick off attempt. Hammontree, would draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. Holland, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Hammontree would be forced out at 2nd. Holland, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd.
Davis, would drive in both Lowitt and Holland with a double to make it 7-0 Dragons. The Tigers, would get out of the inning with a ground out to send it to the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, Jackson Black, would lead off with a single. Garrett Edgar and Eli Crew, would follow with back to back walks to load the bases with nobody out. Haddon Fries, would drive in Black with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 7-1.
Starks, would get out of the inning by inducing a 4-6-3 double play to send it to the fourth with the Dragons leading the Tigers, 7-1.
Starks, would look to get something going for the Dragons as he would reach on an error with 1-out. Sutton, would follow by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Starks and Sutton, would then advance up a base after a passed ball. The Tigers, would get out of the third with a pop out and a ground out to send it to the bottom of the fourth with the Dragons leading, 7-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Tigers, would draw a few walks as well as take advantage of some errors by the Dragons as they would plate 5 runs to get back into the game. Heading to the fifth, the Dragons, were hanging on to a 7-6 lead.
The Dragons, would go down in order in the top of the fifth as the Tigers would force a pair of fly outs and a line out. Daven Abernathy, who came on in relief in the bottom of the fourth, would work around a 1-out walk in the bottom of the fifth as the Dragons would send it to the sixth, clinging to a 7-6 lead.
In the top of the sixth, the Dragons, would again go down in order as the Tigers would pick up a ground out and two strikeouts to send it to the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the frame, Crew, would reach first on an error with 1-out. Fries, would follow with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd. A wild pitch, would allow pitch runner Franklin Helsel and Fries to move up a base.
Helsel, would then come in to score on a fielder’s choice. Fries, would also come in to score after a fielder’s choice as the Tigers would take an 8-7 lead into the seventh.
Sutton, would lead off the top of the seventh with a single. Kam Jenkins, would then follow that up by drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. A ground out by Lowitt, would advance the runners over to 2nd and 3rd. The Tigers, would end the game with a double play as Ringgold would hold on to defeat Pickens, 8-7.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1-4 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 3 K on 66 pitches
Cade Sutton: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Kam Jenkins: 1 walk
Dawson Lowitt: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 steal, and 2 runs scored
Matthew Davis: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, March 4th as they begin 6-AAA play with a three game series against the White County Warriors. The first game of the series will be at White County with a first pitch time scheduled for 5:55 pm.
Sutton’s big day helps Dragons stay undefeated
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 28, 2025
Jasper, Ga — On Thursday, February 27th, the Pickens Dragons took on the Fannin County Rebels for the other half of rivalry week. All three “515” teams, Pickens, Gilmer, and Fannin, scheduled each other this week as region play for each team looms. The Dragons, got a big game from Senior Cade Sutton as he helped lead the Dragons to an 8-3 win over the Rebels.
Sophomore Jackson Nunn got the start for the Dragons. The Rebels, would strike first as Carson Callihan, would send one out to left field where a nice breeze was blowing, and it would carry over the fence for a home run. After a fly out for the second out, Paul Stroemer Jr and Gavin Davis, would draw back to back walks to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Nunn, would get out of the inning by forcing a pop out to send it to the bottom of the first with the Rebels up, 1-0.
Junior Auburn commit A.J. Rice, would get things started in the bottom of the first for the Dragons as he led off with a single. Rice, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Rice, would then take 3rd after a wild pitch. After a pop out, Cade Sutton, would send a shot over the left field fence to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. After a ground out, Dawson Lowitt, would keep the inning alive by drawing a walk. Sam Hammontree, would then follow with a single.
The Rebels, would get out of the first with just the 2 runs given up as Hammontree would be forced out at 2nd. Heading to the top of the second, Pickens led Fannin, 2-1.
Nunn, would begin the second inning by picking up the first two outs fairly quickly. Tucker Dockery, would keep the inning going for the Rebels with a 2-out double. Elijah Weaver, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Callihan, would come up and lace a double into the left center gap that would score both courtesy runner Heath Bradburn, and Weaver to make it 3-2 Rebels.
Nunn, would get out of the top of the second with a pop out to send it to the bottom half of the inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Matthew Davis, would lead off by getting hit with a pitch. He would advance to 2nd on a wild pitch to get into scoring position. Jennings Allen, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. A deep fly out to center by Rice, would allow Davis to advance to 3rd.
Allen, would then steal 2nd to put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. Christian Starks, would then reach on a fielder’s choice as Davis would be tagged out at home. Allen, would advance to 3rd on the play. Starks, would steal 2nd to move into scoring position. Sutton, would keep his good night going as he would drive in both Allen and Starks with a 2-RBI double to make it 4-3 Dragons heading to the third.
Nunn, would only need four pitches to get out of the top of the third as he forced two ground outs and a fly out to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the third, Hammontree, would reach after his second single of the day. He would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Rebels starting pitcher Mason McDaniel, would force a fly out and a pop out to send it to the fourth with the Dragons leading it, 4-3.
Nunn, would again have a short inning of work as he would only need 6 pitches to pick up a strikeout and two ground outs to send it to the bottom of the fourth. Starks, would reach with his first hit of the day with a 2-out single. He would then steal both 2nd and 3rd. Sutton, would then reach after an error which allowed Starks to come in to score to make it 5-3.
After Kam Jenkins beat out an infield hit, Lowitt, would bring in Sutton with a single to make it 6-3 heading to the top of the fifth.
Ezra Faber would come on in relief of Nunn in the top of the fifth. Callihan, would draw a 1-out walk to reach first. Callihan, would advance to 2nd as Colton Grey was thrown out at 1st after a ground out. Faber, would get out of the fifth with a strikeout to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom half of the fifth, Davis, would draw a 1-out walk to reach.
Davis, would then steal 2nd to move into scoring position. Rice, would then draw a 2-out walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. The Rebels, would get out of the fifth without any damage done after a pop out to send it to the sixth, Pickens leading, 6-3.
Gavin Davis, would lead off the top of the sixth by drawing a walk. After a strikeout for the first out, Davis, would steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Bristol Hughes, would then draw a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Davis, would look to steal 3rd, but Jenkins would throw him out for the second out. Faber, would then come back from a 3-1 count to pick up his second strikeout of the inning to send it to the bottom of the sixth.
Sutton, would pick up his 3rd hit of the night as he led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Sutton, would then steal 2nd to advance into scoring position. Jenkins, would be thrown out at 1st after a ground out to 3rd. Sutton, would then try to take 3rd on the throw to 1st. The ball would get by the third baseman and Sutton would come in to score to make it 7-3.
Hammontree, would keep the inning going for the Dragons as he would reach on an error. Hammontree, would come around to score after Dawson Holland, would reach on an infield single. The ball would get away after a throwing error allowing Hammontree to come in to score to make it 8-3 heading to the seventh.
Daven Abernathy, would come on in relief of Faber to try and close things out in the top of the seventh. Abernathy, would toss a 1-2-3 seventh as he forced two ground outs and a fly out on just 6 pitches. The Dragons, defeat the Fannin County Rebels, 8-3.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Christian Starks: 1-4 with 1 single, 3 steals, and 2 runs scored
Cade Sutton: 3-4 with 1 home run, 2 singles, 2 steals, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-4 with 1 single
Dawson Lowitt: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 walk
Sam Hammontree: 2-4 with 2 singles, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1-4 with 1 single
Matthew Davis: 1 hit by pitch, 1 walk, and 1 steal
Jennings Allen: 1 walk, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Jackson Nunn: 4 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 K on 53 pitches
Ezra Faber: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 BB, 3 K on 45 pitches
Daven Abernathy: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB on 6 pitches
The Dragons, will be back in action on Friday, February 28th as they hit the road to take on the Ringgold Tigers. This will be the final non-region game for the Dragons before 6-AAA play starts next week. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 pm.
Dragons sweep season series against Gilmer
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 25, 2025
Jasper, Ga — It was the start of a busy week for the Pickens Dragons baseball team as they began the week with a little 515 rivalry action as they hosted the Gilmer Bobcats on Monday, February 24th. These same two teams met in Ellijay last week, with the Dragons coming away with a 14-6 win. Behind another stellar performance by Auburn commit A.J. Rice, the Dragons would pick up a 10-0 win in five innings.
Rice, would work around a 1-out walk drawn by Haden West as he would strike out the side in the top half of the first. In the bottom of the first, Rice, would lead off with a single. Christian Starks, would bring Rice in with an RBI double to make it 1-0. Back to back walks drawn by Cade Sutton and Kam Jenkins, would load the bases with nobody out. After an infield fly was called, Sam Hammontree, would drive in Starks with an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Dragons.
West and the Bobcats, would get out of the first with a strikeout. Heading to the second, the Dragons led the Bobcats, 2-0.
Peyton Chancey, would look to get something going for the Bobcats in the top of the second as he would draw a 1-out walk. He would be forced out at 2nd as Blake Grizzle would reach on a fielder’s choice. Rice, would end the top of the second with his 5th strikeout of the game to send it to the bottom of the frame. Ezra Faber, would lead off the bottom of the second by reaching on a two base error.
Jennings Allen, would move Faber over to 3rd on a ground out to 1st. Rice, would bring in Faber on a sac fly to make it 3-0. Starks, would reach with a 2-out double. He would then advance to 3rd on a passed ball. Sutton, would drive in Starks with an RBI single to make it 4-0 Dragons. Jenkins, would keep the inning alive for the Dragons as he would draw his 2nd walk of the game.
Dawson Lowitt, would bring in Sutton with an RBI single to make it 5-0 Dragons heading to the top of the third inning.
Rice, would toss a 1-2-3 top of the third as he struck out the side to send it to the bottom of the inning. Dawson Holland, would lead off the bottom of the inning with a single. He would then advance to 2nd after a balk was called. After a strikeout and a ground out, Rice, would drive in Holland with an RBI single to make it 6-0 Dragons heading to the fourth.
After a quick first two outs in the top half of the fourth, Cooper Cochran, would draw a walk in hopes of getting something started for the Bobcats. Landon McClure, would come on to run for Cochran and he would attempt to steal 2nd to get into scoring position. Jenkins, would throw him out to send it to the bottom of the fourth. C.J. Hatchett, who came on in relief, would work a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth to send it to the fifth with the Dragons leading, 6-0.
Jackson Nunn, would come on in relief of Rice to start the top of the fifth. Chancey, would draw his 2nd walk of the game to lead off the inning. Nunn, would get a little help from his defense as he would get Grizzle to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Mel Mosely, would keep the inning alive for the Bobcats as he would reach on an error. Mel Mosely, would then steal 2nd to get into scoring position.
Rob Mosely, would draw a 2-out walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Nunn, would get Eli Cooper to fly out to right to end the potential scoring threat and send it to the bottom of the inning. Lowitt, would lead off the bottom of the fifth by drawing a walk. Hammontree, would follow with a double to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Holland, would bring in Lowitt with an RBI single.
Faber, would then drive in Hammontree with an RBI single to make it 8-0. Allen, would walk it off with a 2-RBI double as Holland and Faber would come around to score to give the Dragons a 10-0 win in five innings.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 2-2 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored & 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K on 68 pitches
Christian Starks: 2-3 with 2 doubles, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Cade Sutton: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 2 walks
Dawson Lowitt: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Sam Hammontree: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Ezra Faber: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 double, and 2 RBI
Jackson Nunn: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB on 23 pitches
The Dragons, will be back in action on Thursday, February 27th as they host the Fannin Rebels for another non-region showdown. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.
Starks Ks 10 as Dragons defeat Wildcats
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 14, 2025
Jasper, Ga — After opening up the 2025 season with a road win at Sonoraville on Monday, February 10th, the Pickens Dragons, were home for the first time as they took on the Woodland Wildcats in non-region action. The Wildcats, were coming off a 14-0 win over the Rome Wolves on Monday. Behind a stellar performance on the mound by Christian Starks, and a 4-RBI night by Sam Hammontree, the Dragons, were able to pick up a 12-2 win in 5 innings.
Starks, started off the ball game hot as he would strikeout the side on 12 pitches in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the first, Auburn commit A.J. Rice, would just barely miss a lead off home run as he would slide in for a triple. Starks, would then help himself out as he would bring Rice in on an RBI ground out. Back to back singles from Cade Sutton and Kam Jenkins, would put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out.
Sutton, would advance to 3rd after a fly out by Dawson Lowit. Sutton, would then come in to score after a throwing error by the pitcher. Courtesy runner Coleman Keener, would make it all the way to 3rd on the error. Jennings Allen, would drive in Keener with an RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons. Hammontree, would make good use of the wind as he belted a 2-run home run over the left field fence to make it 5-0 Dragons heading to the second.
It was more of the same for Starks in the top of the second as he would again strike out the side to send it to the bottom of the inning with the Dragons leading the Wildcats, 5-0. In the bottom of the second, Rice, would reach by drawing a full count walk with 1-out. Rice, would then advance to 2nd after a pick off throw got past the 1st baseman. Rice, would then steal 3rd. Rice, would score after Sutton would reach on a 2-base error to make it 6-0 heading to the third.
Starks, facing the bottom of the Wildcats order in the top of the third, would again strike out the side to bring his total up to 9 for the game. In the bottom half of the third, Lowit, would reach after getting hit with a pitch. Allen, would reach base after a fielder’s choice as Lowit would be forced out at 2nd. Dawson Holland, would reach with a 2-out single to put runners at 1st and 2nd.
The Wildcats, would force a pop up to end the potential scoring threat. Heading to the fourth, the Dragons, led Woodland, 6-0.
Starks, started off the top of the fourth by recording his 10th strikeout in a row. He would end his outing by forcing a pair of ground outs to send it to the bottom of the frame with the Dragons still leading, 6-0. Rice, led off the bottom of the fourth with a double. Starks, would then reach base after getting hit with a pitch. A grounder from Sutton, would move Rice and Starks over to 2nd and 3rd.
Jenkins, would then be hit with a pitch to load the bases with 1-out. Lowit, would be hit with a pitch for the second time as Rice would come in to score to make it 7-0. The Dragons, would leave the bases loaded as Woodland would force a pop out, and a ground out to send it to the fifth with Pickens leading the Wildcats, 7-0.
Ezra Faber, would come on in relief of Starks in the top of the fifth. The Wildcats, would get on the board as they plated 2 runs on 1 hit, 1 hit by pitch, and a couple of walks to cut the Dragons lead down to 7-2. Holland, would lead off the bottom of the fifth by drawing a walk. Faber, would follow that up by also drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Rice, would advance Holland over to 3rd after a fly out to right.
Starks, would drive in Holland with an RBI single to make it 8-2. Faber and Starks, would then pull off a double steal to advance to 2nd and 3rd. A wild pitch, would allow Faber to score and move Starks over to 3rd. After Jenkins would draw a walk, Lowit, would be hit by a pitch for the third straight at bat to load the bases. Allen, would then draw a bases loaded walk to make it 10-2 Dragons.
Hammontree, would come up to bat looking to potentially end the ball game with a walk-off. He would do just that as he would split the left center gap with a 2-RBI double to give the Dragons a 12-2 win in five innings.
Stats for the Dragons:
A.J. Rice: 2-3 with 1 triple, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 steal, and 3 runs scored
Christian Starks: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 HBP, 1 steal, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored & 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K on 55 pitches
Cade Sutton: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 HBP, and 1 walk
Dawson Lowit: 3 HBP, and 1 RBI
Jennings Allen: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Sam Hammontree: 2-4 with 1 home run, 1 double, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Dawson Holland: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Ezra Faber: 1 walk, 1 steal, and 1 run scored
Coleman Keener: 1 run scored
The Dragons, will be back on the road on Friday, February 14th as they head up to take on the Bruins of Northwest Whitfield in a battle of old region rivals. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons run rule Phoenix to open season
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 11, 2025
Calhoun, Ga — It was opening day for the high school baseball season in the state of Georgia on Monday, February 10th as teams from around the state began their 2025 campaign. Two of those teams were the Pickens Dragons and the Sonoraville Phoenix. The Dragons, came in ranked 5th in AAA to start the season and were looking to continue the run of success they’ve built the past couple of seasons. Led by Auburn commit AJ Rice, and a offense that came out swinging, the Dragons, defeated the Phoenix 14-0 in five innings.
Rice and Christian Starks, would lead off the game by drawing back to back walks. Cade Sutton, would drive in Rice with an RBI double to give the Dragons an early 1-0 lead. Kam Jenkins, would follow that by knocking in Starks and Sutton with a 2-RBI double to make it 3-0 Dragons. The Phoenix, would get out of the top of the first with a pop out, and two strikeouts.
Rice, took to the mound in the bottom of the frame and started off sharp. Rice, would strikeout the side on 15 pitches to send it to the top of the second with the Dragons leading the Phoenix, 3-0.
Ezra Faber, would lead off the top of the second by getting hit with a pitch. Jennings Allen, would then reach on a fielder’s choice to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. A grounder by Rice, would move Faber and Allen to 2nd and 3rd with 1-out. Starks, would then bring in both Faber and Allen with a 2-RBI single to make it 5-0. Starks, would steal 2nd to advance into scoring position.
A grounder by Sutton, would move Starks up to 3rd. Starks, would come in to score after a pick off attempt went past the infield to make it 6-0. The Dragons, would then load the bases as Jenkins would reach on an error, Dawson Lowitt would draw a walk, and Dawson Holland would get hit with a pitch. The Phoenix, would get out of the jam after forcing a pop out to send it to the bottom of the second.
After Rice picked up his fourth straight strikeout to begin the bottom of the second, Hudson Kinman would reach base with a 1-out single. Rice, would work around that as he picked up his 5th strikeout and forced a line out to Starks. Heading to the top of the 3rd, Pickens led Sonoraville, 6-0.
Faber, would lead off the top of the third with a double. Allen and Rice, would then draw back to back walks to load the bases with nobody out. Starks, would draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Faber to make it 7-0. Sutton, would drive in Allen with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 8-0. After Jenkins would draw a walk to load the bases once again, Lowitt, would bring in both Rice and Starks with a 2-RBI single to make it 10-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the third.
Jackson Nunn, would come on in relief of Rice in the bottom of the third. Nunn, would pick up a fly out, and two strikeouts as he worked around a 2-out single by Eli Bailiew to send it to the top of the fourth with the Dragons on top, 10-0.
Daven Abernathy, would lead off the top of the fourth by getting hit with a pitch after falling behind 0-2. Abernathy, would then take 3rd after a wild pitch. Rice, would draw another walk to put runners at the corners with 1-out. Starks, kept his big night going as he drove in both Abernathy and Rice with a 2-RBI double to make it 12-0. Starks, would then come into score on a throwing error to make it 13-0 Dragons heading to the bottom of the inning.
Nunn, on for his 2nd inning of relief, worked around a 1-out double by Will Patterson and a 2-out walk drawn by Sam Dixon to leave runners stranded at the corners. Heading to the fifth, Pickens led Sonoraville, 13-0.
Matthew Davis, would lead off the top of the fifth by drawing a walk. Coleman Keener, would then reach on a 1-out single. Rice, would drive in Davis with an RBI single to make it 14-0 Dragons. Sutton, would reach base on an error to load the bases with 2-out. The Phoenix, would pick up the strikeout to send it to the bottom of the fifth with the Dragons leading it, 14-0.
Chase Hulsey, would come on in relief of Nunn in the bottom of the fifth. Hulsey, would work around a lead off walk as he would force a ground out, and strikeout two to help seal the 14-0 win for the Dragons.
Stats for the Dragons:
AJ Rice: 1-2 with 1 single, 3 walks, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored & 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K on 30 pitches
Christian Starks: 2-3 with 1 single, 1 double, 2 walks, 1 steal, 5 RBI and 4 runs scored
Cade Sutton: 1-3 with 1 double, 1 walk, 1 sac fly, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-2 with 1 double, 1 walk, and 2 RBI
Dawson Lowitt: 1-2 with 1 single, 1 walk, and 2 RBI
Matthew Davis: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Ezra Faber: 1-1 with 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, and 2 runs scored
Daven Abernathy: 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Jennings Allen: 1 walk and 2 runs scored
Coleman Keener: 1-2 with 1 single
Jackson Nunn: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K on 40 pitches
Chase Hulsey: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 HBP, 2 K on 21 pitches
The Dragons, will be at Dunn Field for the 2025 home opener on Thursday, February 13th as they take on the Woodland Wildcats in non-region action. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.