Late inning rally falls just short for Dragons
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 20, 2021
Tunnel Hill, Ga — After falling in a tough game 1, the Pickens Dragons (7-6, 1-4) traveled up to Tunnel Hill to take on the Northwest Whitfield Bruins (12-2, 2-0) in game 2 of the 3-game set. After another back and forth ball game between these two teams, the Bruins were able to come away with a 6-4 win.
In the top of the 1st, Dragons starter Connor Shouse, got the game going with a lead off double. Hunter White, brought in courtesy runner Colby Brooks in on a sacrifice fly to give Pickens an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 1st, a long half inning led to 2 runs for Northwest Whitfield as the Bruins took a 2-1 lead going to the 2nd.
In the top of the 2nd, Jarod Whitmore, led off with a walk. Northwest Whitfield, was able to get out of a jam to send us to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, the Bruins plated a run to extend their lead to 3-1 going to the 3rd.
The top of the 3rd saw Shouse lead off with his second double of the game. Anthony Antinozzi, followed that up with an RBI triple to drive in courtesy runner Brooks to make it 3-2. White, followed that by bringing in courtesy runner Tee Knight on another sacrifice fly to tie things up at 3, going to the bottom of the 3rd. The bottom of the 3rd, was another long inning, but Shouse and the Dragons were able to get out of it to send us to the top of the 4th, all tied at 3.
Pickens got a 2-out walk from Shouse in the top of the 4th, but that would be all. In the bottom of the 4th, Shouse picked up his 4th strikeout and kept the Bruins scoreless to send us to the 5th, still knotted at 3.
In the top of the 5th, the Dragons got a 1-out walk by designated hitter Seth Densmore, and a 2-out single by Whitmore. A fly out forced by Northwest Whitfield kept the runners at 1st and 2nd, and sent us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the 5th, Drake Sutton came on in relief of Shouse, who moved over to 3rd base. Sutton was able to shake off a tough start to the inning as he and the Dragons kept the Bruins off the board to send us to the 6th, still tied at 3.
In the top of the 6th, James Tilley, got on with a 1-out single. Northwest Whitfield, would then pick off Tilley at first for the second out. That play turned out to be a really important play as Shouse came up and hit his third double of the game. Shouse, would be left stranded at 2nd after the Bruins forced a pop up to send us to the bottom of the 6th. In the bottom of the inning, Northwest Whitfield retook the lead after plating 3 runs. Going to the top of the 7th, the Bruins were now ahead, 6-3.
In the top of the 7th, the Dragons were able to get a solo home run by Jackson Moore, but that would be all. The Northwest Whitfield Bruins took game 2, 6-4.
Dragons Stats:
Connor Shouse: 3-3 with 3 doubles and a walk
Anthony Antinozzi: 1-4 with a triple and 1 RBI
Hunter White: 2 RBI
Seth Densmore: 2 walks
Jackson Moore: 1-1 with a home run, 1 run scored, & 1 RBI
Drake Sutton: 1-4 with a single
Jarod Whitmore: 1-2 with a single and 2 walks
James Tilley: 1-3 with a single
Colby Brooks: 2 runs scored
Tee Knight: 1 run scored
Dragons drop series opener to Northwest Whitfield in extras
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 17, 2021
Pickens County, Ga — Tuesday, March 16th was a windy, rainy filled day but it also was game day as the Pickens Dragons (7-5, 1-3) welcomed the Northwest Whitfield Bruins to Dunn Field for game 1 of a 7-AAAA three game set. The Dragons, were coming off of a tough series with Centrall-Carroll last week and looked to get back on track against a Bruins ream that was out of region play last week, and came in with a 10-2 overall record. In a back and forth game that saw both teams trade the lead, Northwest Whitfield came away with a 3-2 win in 8 innings.
In the top of the 1st, Dragons starter Jackson Moore needed just 12 pitches to retire the Bruins and send us to the bottom of the frame, and the Dragons to the plate. After a 1-out single by Anthony Antinozzi and a 2-out single by Seth Densmore, the Bruins were able to get out of the early jam and send us to the 2nd, still scoreless.
In the top of the 2nd, Northwest Whitfield picked up a hit, but were held scoreless as we headed to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the 2nd, Jarod Whitmore led off with a double, and later scored on a passed ball to give Pickens a 1-0 lead going to the top of the 3rd.
Moore continued his impressive outing in the top of the 3rd as he needed just 9 pitches to retire the Bruins and send the Dragons bats back to the plate. In the bottom of the 3rd, Antinozzi and Hunter White both drew 1-out walks. Both runners then advanced to 3rd and 2nd base respectively after a passed ball. Northwest Whitfield, again avoided a potential big inning by the Dragons as we would go to the top of the 4th, Pickens still ahead, 1-0.
In the top of the 4th, the Bruins broke through and plated 2 runs on a double. With 2 runs already in, Northwest Whitfield was looking for more, but Drake Sutton came in and got the last out of the inning with his first pitch to send us to the bottom half of the frame. In the bottom of the 4th, the Dragons would be retired in order. Going to the top of the 5th, the Bruins now led it, 2-1.
In the top of the 5th, Sutton was able to work around a 24-pitch inning as he and the Dragons defense held Northwest Whitfield scoreless. In the bottom of the 5th, the Dragons were able to cash in on a lead off walk drawn by James Tilley as Antinozzi was able to bring him in on a grounder to 2nd base and tie the ball game up at 2 going to the 6th.
The Dragons brought in JP Nunn on in relief in the top of the 6th and Nunn continued his impressive start to the season by retiring the Bruins on 11 pitches. In the bottom of the 6th, with 1-out, Whitmore would secure his 2nd triple of the game. After the home plate umpire ruled catchers interference, Trace Ledbetter took 1st base. Parker Rhodes then drew a walk to load the bases. Unfortunately for Pickens, the Bruins were able to force a popup, and barely make a catch in deep right field, to keep the game tied at 2 going to the 7th.
In the top of the 7th, Nunn kept rolling as he retired Northwest Whitfield on just 10 pitches to send us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the 7th, the Dragons would go quietly in order. We headed to the 8th inning, still tied at 2.
In the top half of the 8th, things got interesting to say the least. Nunn, got two quick outs to start the inning. The Dragons, thought the third out was made at first base, but a catchers interference call was made by the home plate umpire and awarded the base to the Bruins batter. Later in the inning, with a Bruin runner on 3rd base, the third strike got away from the catcher. Antinozzi, threw it to 1st base where it looked like the runner was out. The field umpire however ruled that the throw pulled the 1st baseman off the bag and the run scored giving Northwest Whitfield a 3-2 lead going to the bottom of the 8th. In the bottom of the 8th, Whitmore got on base for the third time with a 1-out single. The Bruins were able to get the final two outs to get the win, 3-2.
Dragons Stats:
Anthony Antinozzi: 1-3 with a single, a walk, and 1 RBI
Hunter White: 1-3 with a single and a walk
Seth Densmore: 1-4 with a single
Jarod Whitmore: 3-4 with 2 triples, 1 single, and 1 run scored
Parker Rhodes: 1 walk
James Tilley: 1 walk, and 1 run scored
These two teams will play games 2 and 3 of the series in a doubleheader on Friday at Northwest Whitfield. First pitch for the first game of the doubleheader is set for 5:30 pm.
7 run 3rd inning leads Dragons past Murray County
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 28, 2021
Pickens County, Ga — It was a baseball filled Saturday in Jasper as the Pickens Dragons (5-0) welcomed the Murray County Indians (4-3) to Dunn Field for a mid-morning tilt. Coming into the game, the Dragons were undefeated and looking to continue their fast start to the early season. The Indians of Murray County came in winners of two straight after shutting out Osborne and defeating Gordon Central by a run. A big bottom of the 3rd for the Dragons broke things open as Pickens defeated the Indians, 14-4 in 5 innings.
In the top of the first, the Indians plated two runs on 2 hits to take an early 2-0 lead. The Dragons, came back in the bottom of the first and were able to cut the Murray County lead in half after Anthony Antinozzi drew a 1-out walk, and Hunter White drove him in with an RBI single. We would head to the second, with the Indians ahead of the Dragons, 2-1.
After issuing a lead off walk to start the second inning, Dragons starter Jackson Moore settled down by picking up his second strikeout and sending us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, the Dragons scored 4 runs after a 1-out, 2-run double by James Tilley, and an RBI single from Connor Shouse. Shouse stole 2nd and 3rd base, then scored after Antinozzi reached on an error. Going to the third, Pickens led the Indians, 5-2.
In the top of the third, Murray County threatened to cut into the Dragon lead, but Moore, along with JP Nunn, who came on in relief of Moore, held the Indians to just one run. Going to the bottom of the 3rd, the Dragons led the Indians, 5-3. In the bottom of the inning, Pickens, batted around and scored 7 runs to break things open. Going to the 4th, the Dragons held a 12-3 lead.
In the top of the 4th, Tilley came on in relief of Nunn for the Dragons. Tilley would give up 1 hit in the top of the frame, but that would be it. Going to the bottom of the inning, Pickens led Murray County, 12-3. In the bottom of the 4th, Tilley reached on an error, and would later score after back to back hits from Shouse and Antinozzi to make it 13-3 Dragons going to the 5th.
In the top of the 5th, the Indians were able to plate a run to make it 13-4 as we would head to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the 5th, the Dragons plated a run, and to put an end to this one to give Pickens their 5th win of the season. Final score, Pickens 14 Murray County 4 in 5 innings.