Weekly news and notes (March 17, 2019)

Posted 3/17/19

St. Anne-Pacelli coach Bobby Howard, left, and Tattnall Square coach Joey Hiller meet at home plate

before a game Saturday at Tattnall Square.

Editors Note: Coaches are encouraged to submit their week's best performances to be included in this column each week. Submissions (by school officials only), must be submitted by 10 a.m. each Sunday to be included in the notebook. Submissions must be sent to georgiabaseball2006@yahoo.com.

Georgia prep coaches hit milestone wins

While Buford High School baseball coach Stuart Chester may have drawn most of the headlines last week when he won his 600th career coaching victory on March 13, several other coaches garnered milestone wins.

Vidalia coach Brent Korn earned his 300th career victory on March 12 when his Indians topped Swainsboro in a Region 2-2A contest. Korn is in his third season at Vidalia after helping Treutlen to the Georgia High School Association Class 1A Public state championship in 2016. 

Worth County coach Will Smith earned his 300th career victory with a victory over Brooks County on March 8.

And Mary Persons coach Clae Mathis captured his 100th win on March 16 with a victory over Rutland.,

Hart County coach Josh Osborne also won his 100th game with a victory over East Jackson on March 16.

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PITCHING DUEL: Connor Larson scored on Baxley O'Brien's sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning for the game's only run as Flowery Branch defeated Marist 1-0 on March 13 in a key Region 7-4A game. Pitcher Andrew Armstrong hurled a five-hit shutout and struck out 10 to outduel Marist starter Seb Thomas. 

Thomas allowed just four hits in six innings of work. His run was unearned.

The two teams meet again on March 19 at Flowery Branch.

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REGION 7-6A CHASE HEATING UP: Pope and Alpharetta were the preseason favorites in Region 7-6A. However, after North Atlanta and Dunwoody dealt Pope losses last week, and Cambridge and Centennial topped Alpharetta, the only team unbeaten in region play is Cambridge.

With five weeks left in region play, expect a handful or worthy teams from this region to get left out of the postseason.

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ETC., ETC., ETC.: With most regions involved in region play, losses sent some teams tumblings out of the latest rankings. In Region 5-2A, Lamar County swept a trio of games from Heard County and kept the Braves winless in region play. Heard County was the preseason No. 4 in Class 2A. ... Peachtree Ridge knocked Collins Hill out of the Class 7A rankings, beating the Eagles three times last week in Region 6-7A play. ... After Buford defeated Loganville 3-2 on March 13 in a rematch of last year's Class 5A state championship series, Loganville returned the favor on March 15. The Red Devils, behind pitchers Connor Bruce and Dawson Hammonds, defeated Buford 2-1. ... Class 2A No. 1 Bremen took two of three from Callaway to improve its season record to 13-4. ... Class 2A power Jeff Davis took a pair of wins from Class 7A schools Colquitt County and Tift County last week to improve to 10-1 ... In Region 2-1A, Telfair County, Clinch County and Charlton County have one loss each in region play. Clinch County will play host to Charlton County on March 19 at 6 p.m. in a key region game in a baseball battle for the Okefenokee Swamp. ... A five-run fifth inning helped Wesleyan defeat Holy Innocents' 7-3 on March 14 in a game that is expected to have major implications in the outcome of Region 5-1A.  

Class 7A

In a key Region 4-7A series against Etowah, Walton took two of three to improve its season record to 9-5-1. Luke Boynton combined to go 7-for-9 with four homers and 10 RBIs, while Pierce Gallo went 8-for-12 with two doubles. Bobby Spencer (5-for-10, 2 RBIs), John Geisler (4-for-11, double) and Jared Jones (two homers, four RBIs) had big offensive performances. On the mound, Will Marconi hurled six innings in the first game of the three-game set, allowing no runs and striking out 10. In the third game, Bobby Spencer tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out six and allowing no walks. He threw just 74 pitches.

Woodstock swept a doubleheader on March 14 from Lassiter in Region 4-7A play after dropping a game on March 12. Pitchers Josiah Siegel and sophomore Garrett Goblish earned complete-game shutout victories on March 14. Siegel allowed seven hits, a walk and struck out eight, while Goblish allowed just four hits, a walk and struck out four. Offensively, Carter Mazcko went 5-for-7 with three walks and a run in the doubleheader sweep on March 14. Woodstock is 10-4 on the season.

Class 5A

In its only game last week, Thomas County Central defeated East Coweta 2-1 on March 14. Pitcher RJ Delaney gave up just one unearned run on two hits and a walk in the first inning. He didn't allow a hit the rest of the game. He finished with seven strikeouts to improve his season record to 4-0. Thomas County Central is 12-1 on the season.

Class 3A

Dawson County went 2-1 in a three-game set with Cherokee Bluff last week. Junior catcher Bo Lewis went 4-for-11 with a homer and eight RBIs, while shortstop T.J. Allen was 4-for-10 with two RBIs. Junior Hudson Sapp went 4-for-9 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI. He had four walks, three intentional, scored three runs and stole two bases. On the mound, pitcher Cameron Moore tossed 10 2/3 innings in two games and finished with a combined 13 strikeouts and six walks. 

In a three-game sweep of Lumpkin County in Region 7-3A play, Fannin County pitchers Carson Beavers and Matthew Shirah played key roles in helping the Rebels. Beavers recorded 10 strikeouts in seven innings on the mound, while Shirah finished with seven strikeouts in six innings. Offensively, Gabe Buchanan (5-for-10, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs) and Chandler Kendall (5-for-11, homer, 8 RBIs) had strong performances at the plate. Fannin County is 10-2 on the season.

Ringgold won games over Calhoun, Haralson County and Sonoraville to improve to 11-3 on the season. Perhaps no player had a bigger week on the mound and at the plate than senior Holden Tucker. In a victory over Calhoun on March 12, Tucker earned the complete-game victory on the mound, striking out 12 and allowing no earned runs on four hits. He also went 5-for-12 at the plate. Johnny Camilluci struck out six in a complete-game, five-inning shutout victory over Sonoraville. Offensively, Wyatt Tennant had two homers in the win over Haralson and went 8-for-11 with seven RBIs at the plate. Andre Tarver combined to go 6-for-12 with a homer and six RBIs, Daulton Schley went 4-for-8 with a homer and seven RBIs and Sam Mills combined to go 5-for-11. 

Class 1A Private

Saint Francis won a trio of games last week, including beating Walker twice and an eight-inning victory over Pinecrest Academy. The Knights are 10-3 and unbeaten in Region 6-1A play. Sophomore pitcher Jake Woodliff earned a pair of wins in relief against Walker. In the two games, he tossed seven innings and allowed no earned runs. Senior pitcher Will Clark and junior Jack Gerber combined to strike out 10 and allow just two earned runs in eight innings against Pinecrest. Shortstop Griffin Weaver went 4-for-7 on offense last week with three doubles, two RBIs and scored three runs while drawing four walks.