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 stay atop region standings after sweep of Spartans
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 25, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was another gorgeous day in Jasper, Ga on Friday, March 24th as the Pickens Dragons hosted the West Hall Spartans for the 3rd and final game of their 7-AAA series. The Dragons, came in tied for first with Lumpkin and on an 8-game win streak. The Spartans, looked to play spoiler and get the last game of the series. The bats stayed hot for the Dragons and AJ Rice, Tate Hales, and JP Nunn shut down the Spartans for a 10-0 win in 6 innings.
In the top of the first, Dragons starter AJ Rice, worked around a 2-out double as he picked up a grounder to 3rd, and 2 K’s to send it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the frame, Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse led off with a single. Trace Ledbetter and Dawson Holland then followed with back to back walks. Tyler Payne, drove in both Shouse and Ledbetter to make it 2-0.
Trey Payne, then brought in Holland with an RBI single to make it 3-0 Dragons. James Tilley and Young Harris commit Evan Giddens, reached base on back to back walks. Colby Brooks, drove in Trey Payne with an infield single RBI to make it 4-0. Shouse, who led off the inning, kept it going with a 2-RBI double bringing in Tilley and Giddens to make it 6-0 Dragons going to the second.
After giving up a bloop single to begin the top of the second, Rice got some help from Shouse as he made a diving stop on a grounder to start a 6-3 double play. Rice, ended the top of the second with his 3rd strikeout to send it to the bottom the inning. In the bottom of the second, the Dragons got a 2-out walk from Trey Payne, but that would be all as they headed to the third, with the Dragons leading the Spartans, 6-0.
In the top of the third, Rice picked up his 4th and 5th strikeout for the first 2 outs of the inning. After giving up a 2-out single, catcher Kam Jenkins, made a great toss to Shouse who applied the tag to the runner attempting to steal 2nd for the final out of the top half of the third. In the bottom of the third, the Dragons got a 2-out walk from Brooks, but that was it. Going to the fourth, the Dragons still led the Spartans, 6-0.
The top of the fourth was the last inning for Rice. He would pick up his 6th and 7th strikeout and a ground out in a scoreless fourth to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons got back to back 2-out hits from Harlan Will, and Trey Payne. They would be left stranded at 2nd and 3rd and they’d head to the fifth with Pickens leading West Hall, 6-0.
Tate Hales, came on in relief of Rice in the top of the fifth and looked impressive in his one inning of work. Hales, sat down the Spartans in order on just 7 pitches as he picked up a strikeout, and 2 ground outs to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Tilley led off by being hit with a pitch. Brooks, laid a bunt down the 1st base line and was able to avoid two tags to reach on the single.
Shouse, drove in Tilley on the fielder’s choice to make it 7-0. Shouse, would eventually come in to score on a wild pitch to make it 8-0 Dragons going to the sixth inning.
Jacksonville State commit JP Nunn, cam on in relief of Hales for the top of the sixth. After the lead off for the Spartans led off by getting hit with a pitch, Nunn settled in and struck out the side in his one inning of work. In the bottom of the sixth, Will and Trey Payne both reached by getting hit with pitches. Jenkins, then followed that up by drawing a walk to load the bases with nobody out.
Giddens, drove in Davin Abernathy on the sacrifice fly RBI to make it 9-0 Dragons. The game came to an end after Brooks hit a single to right field that brought in Payne to give the Dragons a 10-0 win in 6 innings.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 2-4 with a single, a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1-2 with a single and 2 RBI
Harlan Will: 1-1 with a single and a hit by pitch
Trey Payne: 2-2 with 2 singles, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Kam Jenkins: 1 walk
James Tilley: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, and 2 runs scored
Evan Giddens: 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Colby Brooks: 3-3 with 3 singles, 1 walk, and 2 RBI
Davin Abernathy: 1 run scored
A.J. Rice: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K on 60 pitches
Tate Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K on 7 pitches
JP Nunn: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 HBP, 3 K on 20 pitches
7-AAA Baseball Standings:
Pickens: 16-3 (8-1)
Lumpkin: 15-2 (8-1)
Dawson: 10-7 (6-3)
Wesleyan: 6-6 (3-3)
White County: 6-10 (1-5)
West Hall: 3-13 (1-8)
Gilmer: 6-10 (0-6)
The Dragons, will continue 7-AAA play next week as they will begin a 3-game series with their 515 rivals, the Gilmer Bobcats, on Tuesday, March 28th in Ellijay. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons suffer first loss of the season to 6A Sequoyah
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 21, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was makeup Monday as the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Sequoyah Chiefs to Dunn Field as part of the Pickens Mountain Classic Tournament on Monday, February 20th. This game, was originally scheduled for Thursday, February 16th, but was pushed back due to a weather threat. The Chiefs, used a 5 run top of the 5th to break the game open and come away with a 9-3 win.
In the top of the first, the Chiefs got on the board early as they scored 3 runs on 3 hits to take a 3-0 lead going to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the first, Ga Tech commit Connor Shouse, got down 0-2 quickly, but fought off a pitch to send it to right field for a lead off single. Sequoyah, was able to get a double play and a grounder to the 2nd baseman to end any potential scoring chances for the Dragons. Going to the second, it was 3-0 Chiefs.
In the top of the second, Dragons starter and Jacksonville State commit JP Nunn, settled down after a tough first inning and forced two ground outs and collected his lone strikeout of the game during a 9 pitch top half of the frame. In the bottom of the second, Pickens drew three straight 1-out walks to load the bases. The Chiefs, got out of the jam with back to back strikeouts and to keep the lead at 3-0 going to the third.
In the top of the third, the Chiefs extended their lead with a solo home run to left field to make it 4-0. The Dragons defense, then got a ground out to 3rd, catcher Tyler Payne threw out a runner trying to steal 2nd, and Nunn was able to glove a ground ball and flip it to 1st to send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the third, the Dragons offense broke threw. They did that, by using patience.
Shouse, Trace Ledbetter, and Trey Payne all walked to load the bases with nobody out. Shouse, came home to score on an error to make it 4-1. Harlan Will, brought in Ledbetter on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. Dawson Holland, picked up the Dragons 2nd hit of the game with an RBI single to bring in Trey Payne and make it 4-3 Chiefs going to the fourth.
Nunn, carried that momentum built by the offense in the bottom of the third to the top of the fourth as he sat down the Chiefs on 7 pitches with 2 ground outs and a fly out. In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons couldn’t get anything going as Sequoyah struck out the side to send it to the top of the fifth with the Chiefs still ahead, 4-3.
In the top of the fifth, the Chiefs added 5 runs as a 3-run double was the big blow in the top half of the frame. Going to the bottom half of the fifth, Sequoyah now led it, 9-3. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons got a lead off hit from Ledbetter. Trey Payne, then reached on a fielder’s choice as Ledbetter would be out at 2nd. Tyler Payne, was then hit by a pitch to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1-out. The Chiefs, were able to get out of trouble again as they forced back to back pop ups to send it to the top of the sixth with Sequoyah up, 9-3.
In the top of the sixth, Freshman AJ Rice, did a really great job of bouncing back after a tough fifth inning as he needed 10 pitches to send it to the bottom half of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons again got the lead off man on as Cade Sutton was hit by a pitch. Evan Giddens then followed it up with a single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. As they had done all game, the Chiefs got out of trouble with back to back strikeouts and a fly out to keep it 9-3 going to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Tate Hales came on in relief of Rice and he picked up where Rice left off in the top of the sixth as Hales needed 9 pitches to send it to the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Trey Payne led off with a walk. He then moved over to 2nd after Tyler Payne grounded to 1st. Payne would be left stranded at 2nd as the Chiefs got a strikeout and a fly out to end the game and take this one, 9-3.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 1 run scored
Trey Payne: 2 walks & 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1 sacrifice bunt, & 1 hit by pitch
Harlan Will: 1 walk, 1 sacrifice fly, & 1 RBI
Dawson Holland: 1-3 with a single, a walk, & 1 RBI
Cade Sutton: 1 walk & 1 hit by pitch
Evan Giddens: 1-3 with a single
The Dragons, will be back on the field on Tuesday, February 21st as they host the Union County Panthers for the conclusion of their home and home series. Pickens, won 8-2 at Union on February 14th, and will look to take the series outright with a win on their turf. First pitch is set for 5:30 pm.
Dragons baseball moves to 3-0 on the season
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 19, 2023
Jasper. Ga — The Pickens Dragons baseball team began the 2023 season on Friday, February 10th with a 10-1 win on the road at LaFayette. The Dragons then went to Blairsville on Tuesday, February 14th and beat Union County 8-2. Their home opener scheduled for Thirsday, February 16th against Sequoyah was then rained out. This brings us to Saturday, February 18th as the Dragons welcomed the Athens Christian Eagles for the 3rd day of the Pickens Mountain Classic. Pickens, picked up the win in 5 innings, 13-3.
In the top of the first, the Eagles plated the first run of the game on a pair of hits and two walks to make it 1-0. In the bottom of the inning, Georgia Tech commit Connor Shouse got things going with a double down the left field line. After Trace Ledbetter reached on an error, Trey Payne knocked in Shouse with an RBI single to tie it at 1. Harlan Will, drove in Ledbetter to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead going to the second.
In the top of the second, Shouse, picked up his 3rd and 4th strikeout of the game as he left a runner stranded on base to send it to the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the frame, the Dragons got back to back hits from Dawson Holland and Evan Giddens to start the inning. Colby Brooks, was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Shouse, brought in Holland after catcher’s interference was called to make it 3-1.
Ledbetter, drove in Giddens and Brooks on a 2 RBI single to stretch the lead to 5-1. Will, knocked in Shouse with a single to make it 6-1 Pickens going to the top of the third.
Tate Hales, came on in relief of Shouse in the top of the third, and pitched really well in his one inning of work. Hales, needed 10 pitches to sit down the Eagles in order and send us to the bottom of the inning. After a quick two outs to start the bottom of the third, Shouse, now at shortstop, hit his second double of the game to get into scoring position. Lebetter, knocked him in with a single for his 3rd RBI of the game to make it 7-1 Dragons going to the fourth.
Tee Knight, came on to relive Hales in the top of the fourth and much like Hales, pitched very well in his one inning of work. Knight, kept the Athens Christian bats quiet to send it to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons plated 3 runs on 3 hits to extend their lead over the Eagles to 10-1 going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, Athens Christian looked to get back into the game as they had scored two runs on a hit, a couple walks, and a pair of hit batters. Freshman AJ Rice, came in and shut down the threat with three straight outs to limit the damage to just 2 runs. In the bottom of the fifth, another freshman, Kam Jenkins, led off with a double. His courtesy runner, Brodie Keener, came in to score on an RBI single by Rice to make it 11-3.
Rice, was brought in by an RBI single from Giddens to make it 12-3. After a double by Brooks, Shouse, who re-entered the game after being pitched hit for, drove in Giddens with an RBI single to enforce the run rule and give the Dragons a 13-3 win.
Stats for Pickens:
Connor Shouse: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 42 pitches (W) 3-3 with 2 doubles, 1 single, 2 RBI, & 3 runs scored
Trace Ledbetter: 2-3 with 2 singles, 3 RBI, & 1 run scored
Trey Payne: 1-1 with 1 single, 2 hit by pitch, & 1 RBI
Harlan Will: 2-3 with 2 singles & 1 RBI
AJ Rice: 1-4 with 1 single, 1 RBI, & 1 run scored
Dawson Holland: 2-4 with 2 singles & 2 runs scored
Evan Giddens: 3-4 with 3 singles, 2 RBI, & 3 runs scored
Colby Brooks: 1-3 with a double, 1 hit by pitch, & 1 run scored
Kam Jenkins: 1-1 with a double
Ezra Faber: 1 run scored
Brodie Keener: 1 run scored
The Dragons, will have a busy week next week as they will play four games. The first game, will take place on Monday, February 20th as Pickens will welcome the Sequoyah Chiefs to Dunn Field. As mentioned earlier, this game, was supposed to take place on Thursday, the 16th, but was pushed back due to weather. First pitch is set for 6 pm.
Dragons sweep series with Southeast Whitfield
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports April 9, 2022
Jasper, Ga — After defeating the Raiders on Tuesday, 13-1, the Pickens Dragons welcomed Southeast Whitfield to Dunn Field for games 2 and 3 of the series on Friday, April 8th. After a tough stretch that included a 4 game losing skid, the Dragons looked to sweep the Raiders and keep pace near the top of the 7-AAAA standings. Using timely pitching in game 2, and hot bats in game 3, the Dragons did indeed pick up the sweep.
Game 2:
Trey Payne started for the Dragons in game 2 of the series. After giving up a 1-out solo home run, Payne settled down and sent it to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the first, Trace Ledbetter and Anthony Antinozzi both reached on 1-out walks. Harlan Will, then reached on an error, which allowed both Ledbetter and Antinozzi to score. Trey Payne then laced a double into the outfield to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. The Raiders, were able to force two consecutive pop outs to get out of the inning. Going to the second, Pickens led Southeast Whitfield, 2-1.
In the top of the second, Payne worked around a pair of walks as he picked up his first two strikeouts of the game to send us to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the second, Evan Giddens reached with a 1-out single and Ledbetter reached with a 2-out walk. They would be left stranded however as the Raiders once again forced a fly out to end the inning and keep it 2-1 Dragons going to the third.
In the top of the third, Southeast Whitfield retook the lead using two hits and two walks to plate 2 runs to make it 3-2 Raiders. In the bottom of the third, Pickens went down in order. Going to the top of the fourth, the Raiders now led the Dragons, 3-2.
Tate Hales came on in relief of Trey Payne in the top of the fourth and Hales had a phenomenal outing. Hales, kept the Raiders bats quiet in the top of the fourth to send it to the bottom of the frame. Hales, then reached on a 1-out single. Tyler Payne, then reached on a 2-out single. The Raiders, were able to get the runner at the plate to end the inning and send it to the fifth with Southeast Whitfield still leading, 3-2.
In the top of the fifth, Hales again held the Raiders scoreless as his impressive outing continued. In the bottom of the fifth, Antinozzi reached on a 1-out single. Will, then reached after drawing a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd with still 1-out. After the runners moved up to 2nd and 3rd, Trey Payne drove in Antinozzi with a grounder to the second baseman. After a 2-out walk drawn by Cade Sutton, the Dragons had runners at 1st and 3rd. The Raiders, were able to get out of the inning having just given up the 1 run. Going to the sixth, Pickens and Southeast Whitfield were tied at 3.
In the top of the sixth, Hales needed just 5 pitches to sit the Raiders down in order, and send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Hales, reached with his second hit of the game. Colby Brooks, running for Hales, stole 2nd to get in scoring position. Sam Hammontree, who came on in the top of the inning as a replacement for Ledbetter, drove in Brooks with an RBI single to give the Dragons a 4-3 lead going to the seventh.
JP Nunn came on in relief of Hales to try and close it out. The Raiders, made it interesting as they drew three straight walks to load the bases. Nunn, then forced a grounder to the shortstop Giddens who threw home for the force out. Nunn, then got back to back strikeouts to close it out and give the Dragons the 4-3 win.
Game 3:
After winning game 2 and taking the series, the Dragons looked to get the three game sweep over the Southeast Whitfield Raiders. In the top of the 1st, Dragons starter James Tilley needed 11 pitches to get the Raiders in order. In the bottom of the first, Pickens struck early as Harlan Will led off with a walk, his courtesy runner Tee Knight, stole 2nd, reached 3rd on a wild pitch, then ended up scoring on that same wild pitch. Anthony Antinozzi, who drew to walk initially, reached 2nd during the madness. Tyler Payne, then drove in Antinozzi with a 1-out double to make it 2-0 Dragons. Cade Sutton, followed that RBI double with an RBI double of his own to score Payne to make it 3-0 Pickens going to the second.
In the top of the second, Tilley continued his stellar outing as he needed 10 pitches to get out of the top half of the second. In the bottom of the second, the Dragons bats came alive. Pickens, batted around and plated 7 runs to stretch their lead over the Raiders to 10-0 going to the third.
In the top of the third, Tilley struck out the side to bring his total to 4 on the night. Heading to the bottom of the frame, the Dragons still led Southeast Whitfield, 10-0. In the bottom of the third, Antinozzi started it off with a lead off walk. Trey Payne drove in Antinozzi with an RBI single to make it 11-0. Sutton, drove in Payne after a grounder to the third baseman to make it 12-0. Tilley, reached on a walk, and Sam Hammontree reached on an error. A single from Colby Brooks drove in Tilley and Hammontree to make it 14-0. Evan Giddens, then reached on a walk. Will, then blooped one into shallow left field to score Brooks to make it 15-0. With the run rule in place, the Dragons took game 3, 15-0, and earned the sweep of Southeast Whitfield.
7-AAAA Baseball Standings:
Cedartown: 16-7 (10-2)
Heritage: 15-9 (8-4)
Pickens: 14-9 (9-6)
Central-Carroll: 15-8 (7-5)
Northwest Whitfield: 13-10 (7-5)
Ridgeland: 7-12 (3-9)
Southeast Whitfield: 3-23 (1-14)
The Dragons, will be out of region play next week as they will play four games with three different teams. First up, a home and home series with the Sonoraville Phoenix. The first game of the series will be at Sonoraville on Monday, April 11th. First pitch is set for 5:55 pm.
Dragons sweep doubleheader to take region series from Lions
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports March 10, 2022
Jasper, Ga — After an exciting finish to the first game of the doubleheader, the two teams took a break to recharge and get ready for the second game. The second game, was just as exciting or even more exciting then the first game. The Dragons, again had to make a comeback as they swept the doubleheader and took the best of 3 series from the Lions with a 7-5 win in the nightcap.
The Dragons, were the visitors in the second game of the doubleheader so they had the first crack with the bats. Connor Shouse led off the game by drawing a walk. Trace Ledbetter advanced Shouse to third with a double. Shouse and Ledbetter would be brought in by consecutive productive outs by Trey Payne and Harlan Will. Going to the bottom of the first, Pickens led Central-Carroll, 2-0. In the bottom of the first, Dragons starter James Tilley needed just 6 pitches to get through the top of the Lions order as we headed to the second, with the Dragons leading, 2-0.
In the top of the second, Pickens would go down in order as the score remained 2-0. In the bottom of the frame, Tilley picked up his 1st and 2nd strikeout of the game, but the Lions were able to plate 4 runs on 4 hits to take the lead going to the third, 4-2.
In the top of the third, Shouse reached on an error with 1-out. He would eventually come around to score as the Dragons cut the Central-Carroll lead down to 4-3. In the bottom of the frame, Tilley had another quick half inning as he sat down the Lions on 9 pitches to send us to the fourth with Central-Carroll ahead, 4-3.
In the top of the fourth, Cade Sutton drew a 1-out walk and Colby Brooks legged out a 2-out single to put runners at first and second. The Lions were able to get out of that scoring threat, and send it to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Tilley, picked up his 3rd strikeout, but Central-Carroll added a run to their total to extend their lead to 5-3 going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, both Ledbetter and Trey Payne reached on a pair of infield errors. Will then moved them over with a fantastic sacrifice bunt. Tyler Payne then also reached on an error. Ledbetter and Trey Payne would come around to score to tie things up at 5 going to the bottom of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Tate Hales came on in relief of Tilley and he was impressive in his outing. Hales, kept the game tied at 5 and sent us to the sixth inning.
In the top of the sixth, the Dragons loaded the bases after Shouse reached on a fielder’s choice, Trey Payne drew a walk, and Will was hit with a pitch. The Lions, were able to get out of that potential sticky situation and keep the game tied at 5 going to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the sixth, JP Nunn, yes, the same JP Nunn who picked up the save in game 1 of the doubleheader, came on in relief of Hales in the bottom of the sixth. Nunn, was able to work around some at bats by the Lions and keep the game deadlocked at 5 going to the top of the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Antinozzi and Sutton reached on back to back singles. Tilley, then reached after drawing a walk to load the bases. Shouse, put up a good battle after being down 0-2 to drive in Antinozzi with a sacrifice fly and give the Dragons a 6-5 lead. Ledbetter, then drew a walk to load the bases once again. Trey Payne followed that up by drawing a walk of his own to bring in Sutton to make it 7-5 Pickens going to the bottom of the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Nunn headed back to the mound to try to preserve the win and the series for the Dragons. The Lions, made things interesting as they loaded the bases with 2-outs. Nunn, was able to work around that and get a strikeout to seal the win for the Dragons, 7-5.
Stats for the Dragons:
Connor Shouse: 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Trace Ledbetter: 2-4 with a double, a single, 1 walk, and 2 runs scored
Trey Payne: 2 walks, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored
Harlan Will: 1 single, 1 hit by pitch, and 1 RBI
Anthony Antinozzi: 1-4 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Cade Sutton: 1-2 with 1 single, 2 walks, and 1 run scored
James Tilley: 1 walk
Colby Brooks: 2-4 with 2 singles
7-AAAA Baseball Standings:
Pickens: 7-3 (2-0)
Heritage: 6-3 (1-0)
Northwest Whitfield: 6-4 (0-0)
Ridgeland: 4-3 (0-0)
Cedartown: 4-4 (0-0)
Southeast Whitfield: 2-9 (0-1)
Central-Carroll: 7-5 (0-2)
The Dragons, will be back in action on Thursday, March 10th as they again host the Central-Carroll Lions for the third and final game of the series. With the series win already in their pocket, the Dragons will look to complete the sweep. First pitch set for 4 pm at Dunn Field at Pickens High School.
Dragons hand Bobcats first loss of the season
PHS Baseball, Team FYN Sports February 25, 2022
Jasper, Ga — The 515 rivalry made its way to the baseball diamond on Thursday, February 24th as the Pickens Dragons welcomed the Gilmer Bobcats to Dunn Field for non-region action. This, was the first game between the two teams as they will play in Ellijay next week, This time next year, these two teams will be in the same region again. The Dragons, came into this game at 2-0 after a home and home sweep against Dawson. The Bobcats, came in with a 3-0 record on the early season. The Dragons, got runs from the 2nd inning to the 6th inning as they took the first game against the Bobcats, 10-5.
J.P. Nunn took the mound to start for the Dragons and he got off to a quick start in the top of the first getting two quick outs. The Bobcats, were able to find some two out magic as Ethan McCollum and Grant Cochran reached base. The starting pitcher for Gilmer, Seth Darling, brought both McCollum and Cochran home on a double to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the first, the Dragons tried some two out magic of their own as Anthony Antinozzi got on with a two out double. The Bobcats were able to get out of the first inning with no damage done and still holding a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Nunn settled down and got the Bobcats in order in a quick 1-2-3 top half of the frame. In the bottom of the second, The Dragons were able to tie things up at 2 a piece after James Tilley was hit by a pitch, and Colby Brooks drew a walk. Both scored after several throwing errors were made by the Bobcats. Going to the top of the third, we were tied at 2.
In the top of the third, Nunn again got the first two outs of the inning rather quickly. McCollum, got on again, this time via a two out single. Cochran then drew a walk as Gilmer was looking to retake the lead. Nunn, was able to rally and get a strikeout to send us to the bottom of the frame still tied at 2. In the bottom of the third, things got going for the Dragons after Trace Ledbetter reached base with one out. Antinozzi, hit one into the gap and brought Ledbetter home with a triple. Antinozzi then scored on an errant throw to make it 4-2 Pickens. After a double by Harlan Will, Trey Payne was able to bring him home with an RBI single. Tilley, then reached first after drawing a walk. Brooks, looked to keep the bottom of the third going, but would fly out to center to send us to the top of the fourth with the Dragons ahead, 5-2.
In the top of the fourth, the Bobcats clawed their way back into the game as Noah Gutillo drew a 1-out walk, Carter Jones followed that up with a 1-out single. Trey Payne, who came on in relief of Nunn, got a strikeout for the 2nd out of the frame. Branson Teague, got Gilmer within a run after a 2 RBI double to make it 5-4. Austin Zabala followed that up with a walk to put runners on 1st and 3rd as Teague was running on the 3-2 count. With McCollum up, Tyler Payne was able to throw out Zabala who couldn’t get back to first in time. Going to the bottom of the fourth, Pickens led Gilmer, 5-4. In the bottom of the fourth, Connor Shouse was able to draw a 1-out walk. After Ledbetter popped up to the second baseman, Antinozzi continued his big night with his third extra base hit of the game as he brought in Shouse with an RBI double to make it 6-4. Will followed that up with an RBI single to bring in Antinozzi to make it 7-4 Dragons going to the fifth.
In the top of the fifth, McCollum led off with a single. After Cochran popped out to third baseman Evan Giddens, Darling reached on a fielders choice. Tate Hales, who came on in relief of Trey Payne, got Billy Goswick to ground out to Giddens to end the top half of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons looked to add to their three run lead. Trey Payne got things going with a lead off single. Tilley followed that by drawing another walk. Brooks, brought in Trey Payne with an RBI single to make it 8-4. After Giddens drew a walk to load the bases, Shouse was hit by a pitch to bring in Tilley to make it 9-4 Pickens going to the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Hales continued a good outing as he got the Bobcats in order with three fly outs to send us to the bottom of the inning. In the bottom half of the sixth, Tyler and Trey Payne drew back to back 1-out walks. Tilley, was then able to drive in a run with an RBI double to make it 10-4 Dragons. Gilmer was able to get out of a jam as Pickens left the bases loaded as we’d head to the top of the seventh with the Dragons leading the Bobcats, 10-4.
Shouse took the mound for the Dragons in the top of the seventh to try to shut this one down. Teague, was hit by a pitch, then Zabala followed it up with a single. Cochran, brought home Teague on a 1-out single to make it 10-5 Pickens. After a lengthy discussion by the umpires with themselves and both head coaches for Pickens and Gilmer, it was determined that Cochran would be called out. Reason being, the Dragons were able to pull off a hidden ball trick. Shouse, was able to collect himself after a bit of a delay, and strikeout Darling for the final out. The final from Jasper, Pickens 10 Gilmer 5.
Stats For Gilmer:
Branson Teague: 1-3 with a double, 1 hit by pitch, 2 RBI and 1 run scored
Austin Zabala: 1-3 with a walk and a single
Ethan McCollum: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 walk, and 1 run scored
Greg Cochran: 1 single, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Seth Darling: 1-4 with 1 double and 2 RBI
Noah Gutillo: 1 walk and 1 run scored
Carter Jones: 1-3 with 1 single and 1 run scored
Stats For Pickens:
Connor Shouse: 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Trace Ledbetter: 1-4 with a single and 1 run scored
Anthony Antinozzi: 3-4 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Harlan Will: 2-4 with 1 double, 1 single, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Tyler Payne: 1 walk
Trey Payne: 2-3 with 2 singles, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
James Tilley: 1-1 with 1 double, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored
Colby Brooks: 1-3 with 1 single, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored
Evan Giddens: 2 walks
The Dragons, now move to 3-0 on the season. They will now head down to Baseball at the Beach for a Saturday double header as they take on both North Springs and Long County. Baseball at the Beach is played at Edo Miller Park in Brunswick Georgia. The first game of the day for the Dragons will be against North Springs at 10 am. After playing that one and getting some lunch, the Dragons will then play Long County at 4 pm.