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.