FOOTBALL GAMES CANCELLED
BY JOEY MARCHANT
Dodge County High School has cancelled its football games with West Laurens, scheduled for September 18th, and Fitzgerald, scheduled for September 25th.
A Dublin High School football player tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday September 16th after playing against Dodge County five days earlier. On Friday morning, 24 Dodge County players were notified by Dodge County High School that they were quarantined for 14 days and would not be allowed to practice or attend in person classes.
The Dublin player allegedly felt symptoms on Friday, yet he played against Dodge that day. Therefore, contact tracing for 48 hours prior to and including Friday, September 11th resulted in the quarantine of the Dodge players who had played for at least 15 minutes against Dublin.
Therefore, with virtually the entire starting lineup quarantined, Dodge had no choice at that point but to cancel its next two games. This is a strange turn of events considering that no player on the Dodge, West Laurens or Fitzgerald teams has a known active case of COVID-19.
Dodge has a scheduled off week on October 2, visits Bleckley County on October 9 and has an off week on October 16. At this point, it is unclear if Dodge will try to schedule an opponent on either off week. However, Fitzgerald would appear out of the question as they moved to quickly schedule a date with Jefferson County in place of the Dodge game.
Dodge County High School Softball Coach Dr. Jennifer Belflower has rescheduled or cancelled some of the team’s games until October 5 due to some of the team’s players that have been exposed to the Coronavirus.
Sports
SPORTS
Russ’s Sports Review
By Russ Ragan
This week had a little bit of everything. The Braves continued to hit for the most part. Unfortunately they lost their big off-season pick up for the year.
The Falcons made more bad football history. We are less than five days away from the opening game and the Bulldogs still don’t have a starting quarterback.
The Braves are in the middle of their key four game series against the Marlins. The Braves are currently leading 5-3 in the seventh in Monday night’s game. A week would give them a four game lead with just six to play in the wild game 60 game sprint. The offense has been a huge part of it as MVP candidate Freddie Brewer has led a great offense but they got a huge win from an unlikely source. Kyle Wright, who has been mostly real bad, looked like John Smoltz for a day anyway as he pitched six shutouts innings with six strikeouts.
Wright’s role just got bigger as Cole Hanel’s year and time with the Braves is over. Monday, the team put him on the ten day injured list and said his season was done. It wasn’t a terrible idea to pick up the veteran, it just didn’t work out. At least it was just a one-year deal. It looks like a Fried, Anderson and Wright rotation for the playoffs.
440-0, that’s the record for NFL teams that scored 39 or more points and making no turnovers. The Falcons did those things Sunday and made that record 440-1. The birds did the impossible and lost a nine-point lead and lost to the Cowboys 40-39 in Dallas. Ridley and Matt Ryan had good games but honestly this team is the laughing stock of all sports, not just football. The Falcons just looked at an onside kick in the final two minutes and it set up the game winning points. Did the team know the onside kick rules? Obviously, they got the kick off and punt rules mixed up!
I honestly don’t know what Arthur Blank is waiting for, as Dan Quinn has to go and go now. The defensive guru can’t lead his teams to any big stops with the game on the line. With three minutes to play Sunday, they had a 99.9 percent chance to win, really! So never give up on the Falcons.
The Bulldogs kickoff Saturday and there is one tiny issue; they don’t know who will be the starting quarterback. Kirby Smart says he doesn’t know just yet but I don’t buy it. But we will all know Saturday against Arkansas. I am going against the odds and say D’wan Mathes will be QB against the Hogs! Remember, I said he would start, not necessarily finish.
By Russ Ragan
This week had a little bit of everything. The Braves continued to hit for the most part. Unfortunately they lost their big off-season pick up for the year.
The Falcons made more bad football history. We are less than five days away from the opening game and the Bulldogs still don’t have a starting quarterback.
The Braves are in the middle of their key four game series against the Marlins. The Braves are currently leading 5-3 in the seventh in Monday night’s game. A week would give them a four game lead with just six to play in the wild game 60 game sprint. The offense has been a huge part of it as MVP candidate Freddie Brewer has led a great offense but they got a huge win from an unlikely source. Kyle Wright, who has been mostly real bad, looked like John Smoltz for a day anyway as he pitched six shutouts innings with six strikeouts.
Wright’s role just got bigger as Cole Hanel’s year and time with the Braves is over. Monday, the team put him on the ten day injured list and said his season was done. It wasn’t a terrible idea to pick up the veteran, it just didn’t work out. At least it was just a one-year deal. It looks like a Fried, Anderson and Wright rotation for the playoffs.
440-0, that’s the record for NFL teams that scored 39 or more points and making no turnovers. The Falcons did those things Sunday and made that record 440-1. The birds did the impossible and lost a nine-point lead and lost to the Cowboys 40-39 in Dallas. Ridley and Matt Ryan had good games but honestly this team is the laughing stock of all sports, not just football. The Falcons just looked at an onside kick in the final two minutes and it set up the game winning points. Did the team know the onside kick rules? Obviously, they got the kick off and punt rules mixed up!
I honestly don’t know what Arthur Blank is waiting for, as Dan Quinn has to go and go now. The defensive guru can’t lead his teams to any big stops with the game on the line. With three minutes to play Sunday, they had a 99.9 percent chance to win, really! So never give up on the Falcons.
The Bulldogs kickoff Saturday and there is one tiny issue; they don’t know who will be the starting quarterback. Kirby Smart says he doesn’t know just yet but I don’t buy it. But we will all know Saturday against Arkansas. I am going against the odds and say D’wan Mathes will be QB against the Hogs! Remember, I said he would start, not necessarily finish.
SPORTS
Lady Indians have 1-1-1 week of play
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team stepped out of region play with three games. On Tuesday, Dodge defeated Northside, Warner Robins Thursday, Dodge returned to Houston County to play Westfield Academy out of Perry. The game was tied at 1-1 in the second when the rain came in and the game was rained out. Dodge returned home on Saturday to face a good West Laurens team. Dodge would lead early but the Lady Raiders came back to win 8-3.
The Northside game started out as a pitchers duel. Brooke Perdue started on the mound for Dodge. She rolled through the first two innings as she had a pair of strikeouts.
Dodge got things started in the third. Bailey Harvey would reach on an error and Ava Maxwell would be hit by a pitch. Jessica Joiner would make a nice bunt getting runners to second and third. Logan White drove in Harvey with a ground out for a 0-1 lead. Ava Roland singled home Maxwell and the lead reached 2-0.
Perdue had an easy third and then the bats came alive in the fourth. Dylana Barton would be hit by a pitch. Singles by Perdue and Gracie Lewis would load the bases with no outs. Harvey would single home Barton and Perdue for a 4-0 lead. Logan White would single home Lewis for a 5-0 lead.
Perdue would go through the fourth and fifth with ease. She struck out the side in the fifth. Perdue ran into some trouble in the sixth as she allowed a pair of unearned runs. The freshman would breeze through the seventh including her sixth strikeout of the game.
Dodge hosted West Laurens on a breezy Saturday morning. The Lady Raiders scored first on an unearned run for a 1-0 lead. Dodge would battle back in their half.
Dylana Barton led off with a double to left center. Jessica Joiner would single to left to score Barton to tie the game at 1-1. Dodge would take the lead as Brooke Perdue would triple to deep left center that scored Logan White and Makiyah Roberson for a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Raiders would use the long ball in a big way in this one. A pair of wind blown shots, it was blowing straight out. The Lady Raiders take a 5-3 lead. They hit a three run shot in the fourth to take an 8-3 lead and that would be the final.
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team stepped out of region play with three games. On Tuesday, Dodge defeated Northside, Warner Robins Thursday, Dodge returned to Houston County to play Westfield Academy out of Perry. The game was tied at 1-1 in the second when the rain came in and the game was rained out. Dodge returned home on Saturday to face a good West Laurens team. Dodge would lead early but the Lady Raiders came back to win 8-3.
The Northside game started out as a pitchers duel. Brooke Perdue started on the mound for Dodge. She rolled through the first two innings as she had a pair of strikeouts.
Dodge got things started in the third. Bailey Harvey would reach on an error and Ava Maxwell would be hit by a pitch. Jessica Joiner would make a nice bunt getting runners to second and third. Logan White drove in Harvey with a ground out for a 0-1 lead. Ava Roland singled home Maxwell and the lead reached 2-0.
Perdue had an easy third and then the bats came alive in the fourth. Dylana Barton would be hit by a pitch. Singles by Perdue and Gracie Lewis would load the bases with no outs. Harvey would single home Barton and Perdue for a 4-0 lead. Logan White would single home Lewis for a 5-0 lead.
Perdue would go through the fourth and fifth with ease. She struck out the side in the fifth. Perdue ran into some trouble in the sixth as she allowed a pair of unearned runs. The freshman would breeze through the seventh including her sixth strikeout of the game.
Dodge hosted West Laurens on a breezy Saturday morning. The Lady Raiders scored first on an unearned run for a 1-0 lead. Dodge would battle back in their half.
Dylana Barton led off with a double to left center. Jessica Joiner would single to left to score Barton to tie the game at 1-1. Dodge would take the lead as Brooke Perdue would triple to deep left center that scored Logan White and Makiyah Roberson for a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Raiders would use the long ball in a big way in this one. A pair of wind blown shots, it was blowing straight out. The Lady Raiders take a 5-3 lead. They hit a three run shot in the fourth to take an 8-3 lead and that would be the final.
SPORTS
Dodge defeats Dublin, 33-20
By Joey Marchant
Dodge bounced back in a big way with a 33-20 victory over the Dublin Irish. The coaching staff came up with a good game plan, and the players executed. Dublin won the toss and deferred to the second half. A high angling kickoff gave Dodge the ball on its 25 yard line. It was apparent from the start that Dodge wanted to get Mikhail Carr and Daylon Gordon plenty of touches on offense. Carr lined up at quarterback and gained 6 tough yards on the ground. Hunter Kirkley came in at quarterback and handed to Gordon who gained 16 yards. Kirkley then hit Keldrick Beck for a gain of eight yards. Gordon rushed for gains of seven yards and two yards. Carr lined back up at quarterback and gained four yards. Carr then handed to Beck who gained four yards. Kirkley handed to Gordon for gains of 11 yards and four yards. Reco Caines came in to relieve Gordon and carried for four yards. Carr carried for five yards, and Gordon capped the drive with a three yard touchdown run. Mason Mangham added the extra point for a 7-0 Dodge lead.
Mangham’s high angling kickoff was fair caught by Dublin at the 25 yard line. After gaining one first down on the ground, it appeared Dublin would complete a pass for a first down in Dodge territory, but Carr came over and shoved the receiver out of bounds before he could get a foot down. A rugby style punt by Dublin netted 59 yards down to the Dodge five yard line.
Dodge could not move the football, and Mangham would have to punt from near his own goal line. He got off a 40 yard punt, and Dublin took over on its 44 yard line. Three personal foul penalties overshadowed some nice defensive plays by Carr and Quinn Whitehead and set Dublin up with first and goal from the Dodge 5 yard line. Dublin quarterback Markelle Mitchell powered the ball across the goal line for the score. The extra point made it 7-7.
Beck returned a squib kick to the Dodge 25 yard line. Facing third and long on the first play of the second quarter, Kirkley threw a 36 yard pass to Beck who made a leaping catch on the Dublin 40 yard line. Kirkley completed a 10 yard pass to Tyrese Johnson. Carr took a direct snap and started left before reversing his field and gaining 18 yards. Gordon rushed for gains of three yards, six yards and two yards to give Dodge a first down on the 5 yard line of Dublin. Caines took it in for the touchdown from there behind the blocks of Landynn Powers and Davis Marchant. The extra point attempt was blocked by a man coming off the edge. Dodge led 13-7.
Dublin returned the squib kick to its own 42 yard line. Then Dodge turned one of its worst defensive plays of the night into one of its biggest. Dublin ran left where Dodge’s defensive end collapsed and the corner and outside linebacker were kicked out leaving a huge running lane. Both safeties over pursued, and the ball carrier cut it up field with nothing but green grass between him and the goal line. However, safety Keldrick Beck stayed with the play and ran the running back down from behind tackling him on the Dodge two yard line. Dublin then attempted to take advantage of having a 6’2’’ 220 plus pound quarterback. The Dodge defensive front led by Noah Cummings stopped Mitchell after a gain of one yard on first down and no gain on second down. On third down, Mitchell fumbled the snap and had the ball ripped from his hands by Daylon Gordon as he tried to recover. Gordon returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was again blocked, and Dodge led 19-7.
The kickoff was returned to the Dublin 41 yard line. Mitchell again fumbled the snap and was pulled from the game in favor of Kendall Wade. Kade Harpe tackled the running back for a yard loss on second down. Daylon Gordon sacked the quarterback on third down, but Dodge was called for holding giving Dublin new life. The Irish executed a counter trap play for a 52 yard touchdown run. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 19-14, and it would remain that way at the end of the first half.
Dublin got the ball to start the second half and dominated the time of possession in the third quarter as Dodge did not run a single offensive play in the quarter. Dodge still managed to score when Jaylon Jaynes pressured Wade who floated a pass that was intercepted by Demron Gordon and returned 94 yards for a touchdown. Mangham’s extra point made it 26-14 Dodge.
Dublin turned it over on downs to end the third quarter, and Beck gained 35 yards on a jet sweep on the first play of the fourth quarter. Daylon Gordon would later run 35 yards for a touchdown. Mangham’s extra point made the score 33-14 Dodge. Dublin would add one meaningless touchdown late to make the final score Dodge 33 Dublin 20.
The victory was Dodge’s fifth win in its last seven games against Dublin. Dodge improves to 1-1 on the young season and plans to travel to Dexter on Friday September 18th to take on the AAAA West Laurens Raiders. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 pm. The Raiders are 0-2 having lost to Bleckley County 27-19 and Veterans 35-0.
Stats for Dodge were
Passing
Passing:
Hunter Kirkley was 4 of 7 for 56 yards
Rushing: Daylon Gordon had 19 carries for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns
Keldrick Beck had 3 carries for 38 yards
Mikhail Carr had 4 carries for 31 yards
Reco Caines had 5 carries for 11 yards and 1 touchdown.
Receiving:
Keldrick Beck had 2 catches for 44 yards
Tyrese Johnson had 1 catch for 10 yards
Daylon Gordon had 1 catch for 3 yards
Defense:
Daylon Gordon returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown.
Demron Gordon returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown
Special Teams:
Mason Mangham was 3 for 5 on extra points and punted 3 times for an average of 31 yards
Lady Indians split Two region games
BY Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team split a pair of games last week. Last Thursday; Dodge defeated Lamar County, 8-1. On Saturday, Dodge dropped a tough game to long time rival Bleckley County, 6-5. Dodge will step out of the region for their next two games. Thursday Dodge will head to Perry to play a very good Westfield team. The game has a 5:30 start. Saturday, Dodge will host West Laurens with a 10:00 a.m. start with the junior varsity game and the varsity will follow at 12:00 noon.
Dodge hosted region newcomer Lamar County last Thursday. Brooke Perdue got the start on the mound for Dodge. The pitcher had control of this one early as we were scoreless going to the Dodge second. Dodge got a two out rally on hits from Ava Roland and Gracie Lewis. Bailey Harvey would single home runner Carson Ethridge and Lewis would score on an error to give Dodge a 2-0 lead.
Perdue would have an easy third that would include her third strikeout. Dodge would load the bases to start the third on singles by Logan White; Mikaya Roberson and Dylana Bartons hit would score White for a 3-0 lead.
Ava Roland would hit a sacrifice fly to score Roberson for a 4-0 lead.
Perdue would have an easy fourth and Dodge would add to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Ava Maxwell would get hit by a pitch for the second time of the game and steal second. One out later, Logan White would unload for her sixth homer of the season for a 6-0 lead.
Perdue ran into trouble for the first time in the fifth. Lamar cut the lead to 6-1 but the bases were still loaded with two outs. Lamar hit a deep drive headed for the right center field gap but Ava Maxwell made a great leaping catch at the fence and the Dodge lead stayed at 6-1.
The Lady Indians added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth again with the long ball. Dylana Barton got a leadoff double/ Two outs later, Bailey Harvey would hit a deep drive to center for a two run homer and a 8-1 lead.
Lamar would get base runners in the sixth and seventh but Perdue would work around them and Dodge would take the 8-1 win.
Saturday wasn’t a good day for Dodge. The defense had a rough day with three errors that preceded a pair of unearned runs. Dodge cut the Lady Royal lead to 6-5 in the sixth on an RBI hit by Perdue. The Lady Indians could not get any closer and that would be the final. Ava Maxwell went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk and an RBI. Ava Roland also had two hits and a pair of RBI’s.
By Joey Marchant
Dodge bounced back in a big way with a 33-20 victory over the Dublin Irish. The coaching staff came up with a good game plan, and the players executed. Dublin won the toss and deferred to the second half. A high angling kickoff gave Dodge the ball on its 25 yard line. It was apparent from the start that Dodge wanted to get Mikhail Carr and Daylon Gordon plenty of touches on offense. Carr lined up at quarterback and gained 6 tough yards on the ground. Hunter Kirkley came in at quarterback and handed to Gordon who gained 16 yards. Kirkley then hit Keldrick Beck for a gain of eight yards. Gordon rushed for gains of seven yards and two yards. Carr lined back up at quarterback and gained four yards. Carr then handed to Beck who gained four yards. Kirkley handed to Gordon for gains of 11 yards and four yards. Reco Caines came in to relieve Gordon and carried for four yards. Carr carried for five yards, and Gordon capped the drive with a three yard touchdown run. Mason Mangham added the extra point for a 7-0 Dodge lead.
Mangham’s high angling kickoff was fair caught by Dublin at the 25 yard line. After gaining one first down on the ground, it appeared Dublin would complete a pass for a first down in Dodge territory, but Carr came over and shoved the receiver out of bounds before he could get a foot down. A rugby style punt by Dublin netted 59 yards down to the Dodge five yard line.
Dodge could not move the football, and Mangham would have to punt from near his own goal line. He got off a 40 yard punt, and Dublin took over on its 44 yard line. Three personal foul penalties overshadowed some nice defensive plays by Carr and Quinn Whitehead and set Dublin up with first and goal from the Dodge 5 yard line. Dublin quarterback Markelle Mitchell powered the ball across the goal line for the score. The extra point made it 7-7.
Beck returned a squib kick to the Dodge 25 yard line. Facing third and long on the first play of the second quarter, Kirkley threw a 36 yard pass to Beck who made a leaping catch on the Dublin 40 yard line. Kirkley completed a 10 yard pass to Tyrese Johnson. Carr took a direct snap and started left before reversing his field and gaining 18 yards. Gordon rushed for gains of three yards, six yards and two yards to give Dodge a first down on the 5 yard line of Dublin. Caines took it in for the touchdown from there behind the blocks of Landynn Powers and Davis Marchant. The extra point attempt was blocked by a man coming off the edge. Dodge led 13-7.
Dublin returned the squib kick to its own 42 yard line. Then Dodge turned one of its worst defensive plays of the night into one of its biggest. Dublin ran left where Dodge’s defensive end collapsed and the corner and outside linebacker were kicked out leaving a huge running lane. Both safeties over pursued, and the ball carrier cut it up field with nothing but green grass between him and the goal line. However, safety Keldrick Beck stayed with the play and ran the running back down from behind tackling him on the Dodge two yard line. Dublin then attempted to take advantage of having a 6’2’’ 220 plus pound quarterback. The Dodge defensive front led by Noah Cummings stopped Mitchell after a gain of one yard on first down and no gain on second down. On third down, Mitchell fumbled the snap and had the ball ripped from his hands by Daylon Gordon as he tried to recover. Gordon returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was again blocked, and Dodge led 19-7.
The kickoff was returned to the Dublin 41 yard line. Mitchell again fumbled the snap and was pulled from the game in favor of Kendall Wade. Kade Harpe tackled the running back for a yard loss on second down. Daylon Gordon sacked the quarterback on third down, but Dodge was called for holding giving Dublin new life. The Irish executed a counter trap play for a 52 yard touchdown run. The extra point cut the Dodge lead to 19-14, and it would remain that way at the end of the first half.
Dublin got the ball to start the second half and dominated the time of possession in the third quarter as Dodge did not run a single offensive play in the quarter. Dodge still managed to score when Jaylon Jaynes pressured Wade who floated a pass that was intercepted by Demron Gordon and returned 94 yards for a touchdown. Mangham’s extra point made it 26-14 Dodge.
Dublin turned it over on downs to end the third quarter, and Beck gained 35 yards on a jet sweep on the first play of the fourth quarter. Daylon Gordon would later run 35 yards for a touchdown. Mangham’s extra point made the score 33-14 Dodge. Dublin would add one meaningless touchdown late to make the final score Dodge 33 Dublin 20.
The victory was Dodge’s fifth win in its last seven games against Dublin. Dodge improves to 1-1 on the young season and plans to travel to Dexter on Friday September 18th to take on the AAAA West Laurens Raiders. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 pm. The Raiders are 0-2 having lost to Bleckley County 27-19 and Veterans 35-0.
Stats for Dodge were
Passing
Passing:
Hunter Kirkley was 4 of 7 for 56 yards
Rushing: Daylon Gordon had 19 carries for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns
Keldrick Beck had 3 carries for 38 yards
Mikhail Carr had 4 carries for 31 yards
Reco Caines had 5 carries for 11 yards and 1 touchdown.
Receiving:
Keldrick Beck had 2 catches for 44 yards
Tyrese Johnson had 1 catch for 10 yards
Daylon Gordon had 1 catch for 3 yards
Defense:
Daylon Gordon returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown.
Demron Gordon returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown
Special Teams:
Mason Mangham was 3 for 5 on extra points and punted 3 times for an average of 31 yards
Lady Indians split Two region games
BY Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team split a pair of games last week. Last Thursday; Dodge defeated Lamar County, 8-1. On Saturday, Dodge dropped a tough game to long time rival Bleckley County, 6-5. Dodge will step out of the region for their next two games. Thursday Dodge will head to Perry to play a very good Westfield team. The game has a 5:30 start. Saturday, Dodge will host West Laurens with a 10:00 a.m. start with the junior varsity game and the varsity will follow at 12:00 noon.
Dodge hosted region newcomer Lamar County last Thursday. Brooke Perdue got the start on the mound for Dodge. The pitcher had control of this one early as we were scoreless going to the Dodge second. Dodge got a two out rally on hits from Ava Roland and Gracie Lewis. Bailey Harvey would single home runner Carson Ethridge and Lewis would score on an error to give Dodge a 2-0 lead.
Perdue would have an easy third that would include her third strikeout. Dodge would load the bases to start the third on singles by Logan White; Mikaya Roberson and Dylana Bartons hit would score White for a 3-0 lead.
Ava Roland would hit a sacrifice fly to score Roberson for a 4-0 lead.
Perdue would have an easy fourth and Dodge would add to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Ava Maxwell would get hit by a pitch for the second time of the game and steal second. One out later, Logan White would unload for her sixth homer of the season for a 6-0 lead.
Perdue ran into trouble for the first time in the fifth. Lamar cut the lead to 6-1 but the bases were still loaded with two outs. Lamar hit a deep drive headed for the right center field gap but Ava Maxwell made a great leaping catch at the fence and the Dodge lead stayed at 6-1.
The Lady Indians added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth again with the long ball. Dylana Barton got a leadoff double/ Two outs later, Bailey Harvey would hit a deep drive to center for a two run homer and a 8-1 lead.
Lamar would get base runners in the sixth and seventh but Perdue would work around them and Dodge would take the 8-1 win.
Saturday wasn’t a good day for Dodge. The defense had a rough day with three errors that preceded a pair of unearned runs. Dodge cut the Lady Royal lead to 6-5 in the sixth on an RBI hit by Perdue. The Lady Indians could not get any closer and that would be the final. Ava Maxwell went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk and an RBI. Ava Roland also had two hits and a pair of RBI’s.
SPORTS
Lady Indian Jr. Varsity softball team coasts past Wheeler
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge High School Lady Indians junior varsity softball team played the only game of the week as they hosted Wheeler County last Wednesday. Dodge got off to a quick start with a six run first and they coasted to a 12-0 win.
Jessica Joiner got the start on the mound for Dodge. She stranded a pair of runners in the first with a pair of strikeouts. Ava Maxwell and Dylana Barton walked to lead off the Dodge first. Joiner helped herself by bunting the runners to second and third. Reagan Graham singled to right scoring Maxwell and Barton to give Dodge a 2-0 lead. Graham, Med Lewis, Mavah Flowers and Javey Hickman would score runs as Dodge grabbed a 6-0 lead.
Joiner would lead off the second with a double and would come home on a single by Meg Lewis for a 7-0 lead. Joiner coasted on the mound through the fourth with four strikeouts.
Dodge would finish things off in the home half of the fourth. Maxwell would lead off with a single and she would score on a double by Barton for an 8-0 lead.
A double by Joiner would score for a 9-0 lead. An error would score Joiner for a 10-0 lead. Flowers would wrap things up with a single that would score Carson Ethridge and Meg Lewis for the 12-0 final.
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge High School Lady Indians junior varsity softball team played the only game of the week as they hosted Wheeler County last Wednesday. Dodge got off to a quick start with a six run first and they coasted to a 12-0 win.
Jessica Joiner got the start on the mound for Dodge. She stranded a pair of runners in the first with a pair of strikeouts. Ava Maxwell and Dylana Barton walked to lead off the Dodge first. Joiner helped herself by bunting the runners to second and third. Reagan Graham singled to right scoring Maxwell and Barton to give Dodge a 2-0 lead. Graham, Med Lewis, Mavah Flowers and Javey Hickman would score runs as Dodge grabbed a 6-0 lead.
Joiner would lead off the second with a double and would come home on a single by Meg Lewis for a 7-0 lead. Joiner coasted on the mound through the fourth with four strikeouts.
Dodge would finish things off in the home half of the fourth. Maxwell would lead off with a single and she would score on a double by Barton for an 8-0 lead.
A double by Joiner would score for a 9-0 lead. An error would score Joiner for a 10-0 lead. Flowers would wrap things up with a single that would score Carson Ethridge and Meg Lewis for the 12-0 final.
Sports
Lady Indians roll past Washington and Jasper
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team began region play this past week with games against Washington County and Jasper County. Dodge rolled over Washington 10-2. Dodge won a tough road game in a 4-3 win over Jasper County. The Lady Indians, now 8-2 on the year, are currently ranked number two in the state AA polls in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
It took the Lady Indians a little while to get going against Washington County. They trailed 2-0 going to the better of the first. Logan White got Dodge on the board with a single to right that scored Ava Maxwell who doubled to left center to lead off the inning.
Linzy Bowen then got things under control on the mound. She had four strike outs over the next two innings. Dodge got even in the bottom of the third as White hit a long homer deep over the centerfield fence for a 2-2 game. It was her fifth homer of the year.
Bowen had an easy fourth and then came the Dodge bats. Gracie Lewis got a triple to right with one out and she would score on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead. The Lady Indians added to the lead as Brooke Perdue singled home Kyla Howell and Ava Maxwell for a 5-2 lead.
Dodge played long ball to add to the lead in the fifth. Catcher Ava Roland hit a deep drive over the left center field fence for her second homer of the year and a 6-2 Dodge lead going to the sixth. Bowen had an easy sixth with a pair of strikeouts in the game.
Makiyah Roberson pushed the Dodge County lead to 7-2 as she singled home Maxwell. The freshman lead off batter scored three runs in the game. Gracie Lewis would end the game as she would single home Roberson and Dylana Barton for the 10-2 final.
Dodge hit the road last Thursday to play region newcomer Jasper County.
The Lady Indians would get the scoring underway in the second. Ava Roland would reach on an error and Dylana Barton would single to lead off the inning. Both Carson Ethridge who ran for Roland and Barton would score on wild pitches and Dodge would take a 2-0 lead. Gracie Lewis would walk and score on a ground out by Jessica Joiner for a 3-0 Dodge lead.
Brooke Perdue would double to lead off the third and score on a wild pitch for a 4-0 lead. Yes, Dodge scored three runs on wild pitches in the game.
Brooke Perdue got the start on the mound for Dodge. The lead remained 4-0 going to the bottom of the fifth. Jasper had four hits, including three infield flies, to get three runs and cut the Dodge lead to 4-3. Perdue would be strong and retire the final six batters in order. She had six strikeouts in the game.
By Russ Ragan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians softball team began region play this past week with games against Washington County and Jasper County. Dodge rolled over Washington 10-2. Dodge won a tough road game in a 4-3 win over Jasper County. The Lady Indians, now 8-2 on the year, are currently ranked number two in the state AA polls in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
It took the Lady Indians a little while to get going against Washington County. They trailed 2-0 going to the better of the first. Logan White got Dodge on the board with a single to right that scored Ava Maxwell who doubled to left center to lead off the inning.
Linzy Bowen then got things under control on the mound. She had four strike outs over the next two innings. Dodge got even in the bottom of the third as White hit a long homer deep over the centerfield fence for a 2-2 game. It was her fifth homer of the year.
Bowen had an easy fourth and then came the Dodge bats. Gracie Lewis got a triple to right with one out and she would score on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead. The Lady Indians added to the lead as Brooke Perdue singled home Kyla Howell and Ava Maxwell for a 5-2 lead.
Dodge played long ball to add to the lead in the fifth. Catcher Ava Roland hit a deep drive over the left center field fence for her second homer of the year and a 6-2 Dodge lead going to the sixth. Bowen had an easy sixth with a pair of strikeouts in the game.
Makiyah Roberson pushed the Dodge County lead to 7-2 as she singled home Maxwell. The freshman lead off batter scored three runs in the game. Gracie Lewis would end the game as she would single home Roberson and Dylana Barton for the 10-2 final.
Dodge hit the road last Thursday to play region newcomer Jasper County.
The Lady Indians would get the scoring underway in the second. Ava Roland would reach on an error and Dylana Barton would single to lead off the inning. Both Carson Ethridge who ran for Roland and Barton would score on wild pitches and Dodge would take a 2-0 lead. Gracie Lewis would walk and score on a ground out by Jessica Joiner for a 3-0 Dodge lead.
Brooke Perdue would double to lead off the third and score on a wild pitch for a 4-0 lead. Yes, Dodge scored three runs on wild pitches in the game.
Brooke Perdue got the start on the mound for Dodge. The lead remained 4-0 going to the bottom of the fifth. Jasper had four hits, including three infield flies, to get three runs and cut the Dodge lead to 4-3. Perdue would be strong and retire the final six batters in order. She had six strikeouts in the game.
Lady Indians win two out of three last week
BY RUSS RAGAN
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians won two out of three on the softball field last week including a long marathon.
The marathon would be last Monday as Dodge hosted Northside of Warner Robins. Dodge would never lead until Logan White hit a walk off double for a 9-7 win. Dodge traveled to Cordele over the weekend for the Watermelon Tournament. The Lady Indians were sharp in game one as they beat a good Laurens County team, 9-4. Dodge wasn’t quite as sharp in game two as they dropped a 4-2 game to Pierce County. Dodge will host Bleckley County next Tuesday in a big region match up.
Linzy Bowen got the start as Dodge hosted Northside. The Lady Eagles grabbed the early lead with a three run first. Bowen settled down in the second with an easy inning. Dodge would get on the board in the second as Bailey Harvey reached on an error with one out. She would score on a ground out by Ava Roland to cut the lead to 3-1.
Bowen had an easy third and Dodge would continue to chip away at the plate. Dodge would get within a run in the fourth. Bailey Harvey would single to lead off the inning and steal second and once again, score on a ground out by Ava Roland to cut the lead to 3-2.
Northside would add to the lead in the fifth with three runs for a 6-3 lead. Things didn’t look good but the Lady Indians would battle back. Ava Maxwell would hit a one out single and steal second. She would score on a ground out by Logan White for a 6-3 game.
Bowen would strand a pair of runners in the sixth at second and third on a fly ball to Makiyah Roberson in centerfield. Dodge, yet again, would chip away in the bottom of the sixth. Ava Roland would reach on an error and would advance to third on a pair of wild pitches. Gracie Lewis would single her home for a 6-4 game. Brooke Perdue would single home Carson Ethridge who was running for Lewis for a 6-5 game going into the seventh.
Bowen got a big strikeout with two runners on to keep the game at 6-5 going to the bottom of the seventh. Dylana Barton would walk with one out and she would score the tying run on a double from Ava Roland and Dodge would finally tie the game at 6-6 and to extra innings we go.
Both teams had their chances in the eighth. Both teams left two runners on so to the ninth we go still tied at 6-6. The Lady Eagles would take the lead on an unearned run in the ninth to take a 7-6 lead but Dodge would have the last swing.
Gracie Lewis would double to left center to lead off the Dodge ninth. Ava Maxwell would walk for the third time and that set the table for Brooke Perdue. Things would then get strange. The freshman hit a deep drive to left center and it looked like a walk off three run homer but some how the ball dropped in between the sign and the fence and was still in play. Anyway, Lewis scored and Maxwell would be at third and Perdue was at second for Logan White. The senior hit a deep drive to right center to score both of the freshman runners and Dodge, despite never leading walks it off for a 9-7 win in a game that lasted better than three hours. Linzy Bowen went the whole way for the win.
Dodge had their hands full on Saturday morning as they faced a good Lanier County team. Ava Maxwell reached on an error to lead off the game and he stole second and scored on a ground out by Logan White for a 1-0 Dodge lead. Brooke Perdue got the start for Dodge. She had an easy first including a strikeout. Lanier tied the game on an unearned run in the second but back come the Dodge bats. Perdue walked with one out and Logan White followed up with a single to right center. Makiyah Roberson would double to left center scoring Jessica Joiner who ran for Perdue for a 2-1 Dodge lead. Remember in softball you can run for the pitcher and catcher with no penalty. Dylana Barton would drive in White and Roberson on an error and the Dodge lead would reach 4-1. Lanier would fight back with a pair of runs in the third. Barton would strand the tying run at second with a strikeout and Dodge took a 4-3 lead to the fourth. Dodge would have a strong fourth at the plate. Maxwell would walk with one out. Perdue would double to left center putting runners at second and third. Logan White would single home Maxwell for a 5-3 lead. Roberson would be hit by a pitch to load the bases for Bailey Harvey. The senior came through with a single that scored Joiner and White for a 7-3 game. Roberson would score on an error for an 8-3 game. With two outs, second baseman Dylana Barton would hit a long homer to left center for a 9-3 lead. Perdue would fight off a late rally for a 9-4 Dodge win. The game was called after five innings due to the tournament 90-minute time limit.
Dodge faced Pierce County in their second game. This just wasn’t a good game for Dodge. Linzy Bowen pitched well as she only allowed three earned run but the only Dodge runs came from a hit from Gracie Lewis in the seventh inning scoring Harvey and Roberson but Dodge came up short in a 4-2 loss.
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians won two out of three on the softball field last week including a long marathon.
The marathon would be last Monday as Dodge hosted Northside of Warner Robins. Dodge would never lead until Logan White hit a walk off double for a 9-7 win. Dodge traveled to Cordele over the weekend for the Watermelon Tournament. The Lady Indians were sharp in game one as they beat a good Laurens County team, 9-4. Dodge wasn’t quite as sharp in game two as they dropped a 4-2 game to Pierce County. Dodge will host Bleckley County next Tuesday in a big region match up.
Linzy Bowen got the start as Dodge hosted Northside. The Lady Eagles grabbed the early lead with a three run first. Bowen settled down in the second with an easy inning. Dodge would get on the board in the second as Bailey Harvey reached on an error with one out. She would score on a ground out by Ava Roland to cut the lead to 3-1.
Bowen had an easy third and Dodge would continue to chip away at the plate. Dodge would get within a run in the fourth. Bailey Harvey would single to lead off the inning and steal second and once again, score on a ground out by Ava Roland to cut the lead to 3-2.
Northside would add to the lead in the fifth with three runs for a 6-3 lead. Things didn’t look good but the Lady Indians would battle back. Ava Maxwell would hit a one out single and steal second. She would score on a ground out by Logan White for a 6-3 game.
Bowen would strand a pair of runners in the sixth at second and third on a fly ball to Makiyah Roberson in centerfield. Dodge, yet again, would chip away in the bottom of the sixth. Ava Roland would reach on an error and would advance to third on a pair of wild pitches. Gracie Lewis would single her home for a 6-4 game. Brooke Perdue would single home Carson Ethridge who was running for Lewis for a 6-5 game going into the seventh.
Bowen got a big strikeout with two runners on to keep the game at 6-5 going to the bottom of the seventh. Dylana Barton would walk with one out and she would score the tying run on a double from Ava Roland and Dodge would finally tie the game at 6-6 and to extra innings we go.
Both teams had their chances in the eighth. Both teams left two runners on so to the ninth we go still tied at 6-6. The Lady Eagles would take the lead on an unearned run in the ninth to take a 7-6 lead but Dodge would have the last swing.
Gracie Lewis would double to left center to lead off the Dodge ninth. Ava Maxwell would walk for the third time and that set the table for Brooke Perdue. Things would then get strange. The freshman hit a deep drive to left center and it looked like a walk off three run homer but some how the ball dropped in between the sign and the fence and was still in play. Anyway, Lewis scored and Maxwell would be at third and Perdue was at second for Logan White. The senior hit a deep drive to right center to score both of the freshman runners and Dodge, despite never leading walks it off for a 9-7 win in a game that lasted better than three hours. Linzy Bowen went the whole way for the win.
Dodge had their hands full on Saturday morning as they faced a good Lanier County team. Ava Maxwell reached on an error to lead off the game and he stole second and scored on a ground out by Logan White for a 1-0 Dodge lead. Brooke Perdue got the start for Dodge. She had an easy first including a strikeout. Lanier tied the game on an unearned run in the second but back come the Dodge bats. Perdue walked with one out and Logan White followed up with a single to right center. Makiyah Roberson would double to left center scoring Jessica Joiner who ran for Perdue for a 2-1 Dodge lead. Remember in softball you can run for the pitcher and catcher with no penalty. Dylana Barton would drive in White and Roberson on an error and the Dodge lead would reach 4-1. Lanier would fight back with a pair of runs in the third. Barton would strand the tying run at second with a strikeout and Dodge took a 4-3 lead to the fourth. Dodge would have a strong fourth at the plate. Maxwell would walk with one out. Perdue would double to left center putting runners at second and third. Logan White would single home Maxwell for a 5-3 lead. Roberson would be hit by a pitch to load the bases for Bailey Harvey. The senior came through with a single that scored Joiner and White for a 7-3 game. Roberson would score on an error for an 8-3 game. With two outs, second baseman Dylana Barton would hit a long homer to left center for a 9-3 lead. Perdue would fight off a late rally for a 9-4 Dodge win. The game was called after five innings due to the tournament 90-minute time limit.
Dodge faced Pierce County in their second game. This just wasn’t a good game for Dodge. Linzy Bowen pitched well as she only allowed three earned run but the only Dodge runs came from a hit from Gracie Lewis in the seventh inning scoring Harvey and Roberson but Dodge came up short in a 4-2 loss.
SPORTS
Lady Indians win against Perry, 14-6 and Harlem, 8-4
BY RUSS REGAN
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians got back on the winning track on the softball field with a pair of wins.
On Monday, Dodge rallied from four runs down for a 14-6 win over Perry. On Saturday, Dodge recorded an 8-4 win over Harlem. Dodge does have a schedule change this week as the double header with Southwest Macon has been postponed. It was to be the home region opener. The Lady Indians will travel to West Laurens on Monday and they will host Washington County in the region opener on Tuesday.
Dodge trailed 4-0 to Perry before coming to bat but would get things going with more two out magic. Ava Maxwell led by getting hit by a pitch. Two out later, Makiyah Roberson singled to put two runners on. Back to back hits by pitches to Bailey Harvey and Dylana Barton got Dodge on that board at 4-1. A wild pitch would score Roberson for a 4-2 game. Ava Roland would draw a walk to re-load the bases for Gracie Lewis. The senior came through with a double to right that would unload the bases and five Dodge a 5-4 lead after the first.
The game would be tied at 5-5 before Dodge would take the lead in the bottom of the second. Maxwell would lead off by getting hit by a pitch, for the second time. Dodge would get hit by four pitches in the game. She would score on a sacrifice fly by Makiyah Roberson for a 6-5 Dodge lead.
Perry would tie the game for the last time in the third at 6-6. Dodge would get things going in the bottom of the fourth. Brooke Perdue would lead off the evening with a walk. The Lady Indians would lead for good as Logan White hit a long homer to left for a 8-6 lead. Dodge would carry the momentum to the fifth as Brooke Perdue had a pair of strikeouts for a one, two, three inning.
The Dodge bats would come alive in the bottom of the fifth. Ava Roland would single to lead off the inning. Kyla Howell would walk with one out to put Dodge in business. A wild pitch would score Roland for a 9-6 game. Maxwell would walk and the Perdue would help herself with a hit that would score Howell for a 10-6 game.
That would bring up the hot hitting Logan White. The senior would hit a 3-0 pitch deep over the left field fence for her second homer of the game and fourth of the year for a 13-6 lead. Roberson would follow that with a single. She would score on a triple by Bailey Harvey and that would wrap the game up for the 14-6 win. Brooke Perdue would be the winning pitcher in the game.
The Lady Indians would trail 1-0 to Harlem going to the bottom of the first. Ava Maxwell would lead off with a walk. One out later, Logan White would single and Makiyah Roberson would be hit by a pitch to load the bases. walk for a 2-1 Dodge lead. Bailey Harvey would be hit by a pitch and that would be the game as Maxwell scored for a win. Dylana Barton would have a four pitch walk for a 2-1 Dodge lead. A throwing error would give the Lady Indians the lead in the second. Maxwell led off with a single and then stole second. One out later, she scored a hit to center from Logan White for a 4-1 Dodge lead.
Harlem got back in the game with a pair of runs in the third to make it a 4-3 Dodge lead. Dodge got the bats going with one out in the fifth. Roberson and Harvey would both get singles. Dylana Barton would double to left that would score Roberson for a 5-3 lead. The would bring up sophomore catcher Ava Roland. She had a long nine pitch at bat. She won the battle with style with a long three run homer to left and a big 8-3 lead. Dodge would take a 8-4 win. Brooke Perdue was the winning pitcher for Dodge County.
Last week I left out a long homer by Bailey Harvey in Dodges 8-0 win over Lincoln County. I am very sorry for the mistake.
BY RUSS REGAN
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians got back on the winning track on the softball field with a pair of wins.
On Monday, Dodge rallied from four runs down for a 14-6 win over Perry. On Saturday, Dodge recorded an 8-4 win over Harlem. Dodge does have a schedule change this week as the double header with Southwest Macon has been postponed. It was to be the home region opener. The Lady Indians will travel to West Laurens on Monday and they will host Washington County in the region opener on Tuesday.
Dodge trailed 4-0 to Perry before coming to bat but would get things going with more two out magic. Ava Maxwell led by getting hit by a pitch. Two out later, Makiyah Roberson singled to put two runners on. Back to back hits by pitches to Bailey Harvey and Dylana Barton got Dodge on that board at 4-1. A wild pitch would score Roberson for a 4-2 game. Ava Roland would draw a walk to re-load the bases for Gracie Lewis. The senior came through with a double to right that would unload the bases and five Dodge a 5-4 lead after the first.
The game would be tied at 5-5 before Dodge would take the lead in the bottom of the second. Maxwell would lead off by getting hit by a pitch, for the second time. Dodge would get hit by four pitches in the game. She would score on a sacrifice fly by Makiyah Roberson for a 6-5 Dodge lead.
Perry would tie the game for the last time in the third at 6-6. Dodge would get things going in the bottom of the fourth. Brooke Perdue would lead off the evening with a walk. The Lady Indians would lead for good as Logan White hit a long homer to left for a 8-6 lead. Dodge would carry the momentum to the fifth as Brooke Perdue had a pair of strikeouts for a one, two, three inning.
The Dodge bats would come alive in the bottom of the fifth. Ava Roland would single to lead off the inning. Kyla Howell would walk with one out to put Dodge in business. A wild pitch would score Roland for a 9-6 game. Maxwell would walk and the Perdue would help herself with a hit that would score Howell for a 10-6 game.
That would bring up the hot hitting Logan White. The senior would hit a 3-0 pitch deep over the left field fence for her second homer of the game and fourth of the year for a 13-6 lead. Roberson would follow that with a single. She would score on a triple by Bailey Harvey and that would wrap the game up for the 14-6 win. Brooke Perdue would be the winning pitcher in the game.
The Lady Indians would trail 1-0 to Harlem going to the bottom of the first. Ava Maxwell would lead off with a walk. One out later, Logan White would single and Makiyah Roberson would be hit by a pitch to load the bases. walk for a 2-1 Dodge lead. Bailey Harvey would be hit by a pitch and that would be the game as Maxwell scored for a win. Dylana Barton would have a four pitch walk for a 2-1 Dodge lead. A throwing error would give the Lady Indians the lead in the second. Maxwell led off with a single and then stole second. One out later, she scored a hit to center from Logan White for a 4-1 Dodge lead.
Harlem got back in the game with a pair of runs in the third to make it a 4-3 Dodge lead. Dodge got the bats going with one out in the fifth. Roberson and Harvey would both get singles. Dylana Barton would double to left that would score Roberson for a 5-3 lead. The would bring up sophomore catcher Ava Roland. She had a long nine pitch at bat. She won the battle with style with a long three run homer to left and a big 8-3 lead. Dodge would take a 8-4 win. Brooke Perdue was the winning pitcher for Dodge County.
Last week I left out a long homer by Bailey Harvey in Dodges 8-0 win over Lincoln County. I am very sorry for the mistake.
SPORTS
By Russ Regan
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians opened their 2020 season with three road games. Dodge opened things up on a strong note last Thursday as they took a 10-1 decision over Telfair County.
On Saturday, Dodge traveled to Harlem to play a pair of games in the Harlem Classic. In their first game, Dodge beat Leneola County 8-0. Dodge dropped an 11-5 decision to Jefferson County.
They will host Harlem this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Lady Indians will host Northside Warner Robins on Monday at 4:00 p.m. for the junior varsity game and 5:30 for the varsity game.
Dodge County wasted no time getting on the board in the first at Telfair. Area Maxwell walked to lead things off after an eight pitch at bat. One out later, senior third baseman, Logan White hit a deep drive well over the left center field fence for a 2-0 Dodge lead.
Linzy Bowen got the call on the mound in the opener. The Lady Trojans picked up a run to cut the lead to 2-1. Bowen got a pair of strikeouts to keep the lead at 2-1.
Dodge would add to the lead in the third with a two out rally. Bailey Harvey would double to right center. Dylana Barton would follow with a double down the left field line for a 3-1 game. Gracie Lewis would score Barton with a single for a 5-1 lead.
The Dodge outfield defense would then come up big. A single and double would set the Lady Trojans up at second and third and nobody out. The Lady Trojans tried to score on a fly ball to center but Makiyah Roberson made a perfect throw to the plate and Ana Roland made the tag for the double play. Bowen would get a ground ball out to end the inning.
Dodge would put the game on ice with a big fourth and again it was with some big two out hitting. Dylana Barton would single home Logan White for a 5-1 game. Ava Roland would drive home Roberson with a single and the lead reached 6-1. Gracie Lewis got her third hit of the game and Barton scored for a 7-1 lead. Kyla Howell got a two run single that would score Carson Ethridge and Jessica Joiner for a 9-1 lead.
The Lady Trojans got their first two runners on base to start the bottom of the fourth. The Dodge defense would come up big once more.
Freshman left folder Ava Maxwell made a great diving catch for the out. Bowen got the next two and Dodge took a 9-1 lead to the fifth.
Dodge would wrap up the scoring in the fifth. Brooke Perdue would drive in Ava Maxwell for a 10-1 game. Bowen would work around a walk to finish things up in five innings for the 10-1 game.
Dodge got things going in the first inning against Lincoln County. Logan White would single with two out. Makiyah Roberson would double her home for a 1-0 lead.
Freshman Brooke Perdue made her debut on the mound for Dodge. She worked around a one out single with a pair of strikeouts.
The freshman breezed through the next two innings that included four strikeouts.
Dodge went to the long ball to increase the lead in the third. It a deep homer by Logan White to left center to give Dodge a 2-0 lead.
Dodge would finish things up in the sixth. Ava Roland would single home Bailey Harvey with for a 5-0 game. Barton would score on a wild pitch for a 6-0 lead.
Kyla Howell would single home Roland for a 7-0 game. Dodge would wrap up things on a sacrifice fly from Perdue to score Gracie Lewis for the 8-0 final.
The second game didn’t go very well for Dodge. Dodge dropped and 11-5 decision.
Logan White went three for three with a run scored and an RBI. Linzy Bowen added two singles. Makiyah Roberson added a pair of RBI’s and Bailey Harvey and Dylana Barton added RBIs.
The Dodge County High School Lady Indians opened their 2020 season with three road games. Dodge opened things up on a strong note last Thursday as they took a 10-1 decision over Telfair County.
On Saturday, Dodge traveled to Harlem to play a pair of games in the Harlem Classic. In their first game, Dodge beat Leneola County 8-0. Dodge dropped an 11-5 decision to Jefferson County.
They will host Harlem this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Lady Indians will host Northside Warner Robins on Monday at 4:00 p.m. for the junior varsity game and 5:30 for the varsity game.
Dodge County wasted no time getting on the board in the first at Telfair. Area Maxwell walked to lead things off after an eight pitch at bat. One out later, senior third baseman, Logan White hit a deep drive well over the left center field fence for a 2-0 Dodge lead.
Linzy Bowen got the call on the mound in the opener. The Lady Trojans picked up a run to cut the lead to 2-1. Bowen got a pair of strikeouts to keep the lead at 2-1.
Dodge would add to the lead in the third with a two out rally. Bailey Harvey would double to right center. Dylana Barton would follow with a double down the left field line for a 3-1 game. Gracie Lewis would score Barton with a single for a 5-1 lead.
The Dodge outfield defense would then come up big. A single and double would set the Lady Trojans up at second and third and nobody out. The Lady Trojans tried to score on a fly ball to center but Makiyah Roberson made a perfect throw to the plate and Ana Roland made the tag for the double play. Bowen would get a ground ball out to end the inning.
Dodge would put the game on ice with a big fourth and again it was with some big two out hitting. Dylana Barton would single home Logan White for a 5-1 game. Ava Roland would drive home Roberson with a single and the lead reached 6-1. Gracie Lewis got her third hit of the game and Barton scored for a 7-1 lead. Kyla Howell got a two run single that would score Carson Ethridge and Jessica Joiner for a 9-1 lead.
The Lady Trojans got their first two runners on base to start the bottom of the fourth. The Dodge defense would come up big once more.
Freshman left folder Ava Maxwell made a great diving catch for the out. Bowen got the next two and Dodge took a 9-1 lead to the fifth.
Dodge would wrap up the scoring in the fifth. Brooke Perdue would drive in Ava Maxwell for a 10-1 game. Bowen would work around a walk to finish things up in five innings for the 10-1 game.
Dodge got things going in the first inning against Lincoln County. Logan White would single with two out. Makiyah Roberson would double her home for a 1-0 lead.
Freshman Brooke Perdue made her debut on the mound for Dodge. She worked around a one out single with a pair of strikeouts.
The freshman breezed through the next two innings that included four strikeouts.
Dodge went to the long ball to increase the lead in the third. It a deep homer by Logan White to left center to give Dodge a 2-0 lead.
Dodge would finish things up in the sixth. Ava Roland would single home Bailey Harvey with for a 5-0 game. Barton would score on a wild pitch for a 6-0 lead.
Kyla Howell would single home Roland for a 7-0 game. Dodge would wrap up things on a sacrifice fly from Perdue to score Gracie Lewis for the 8-0 final.
The second game didn’t go very well for Dodge. Dodge dropped and 11-5 decision.
Logan White went three for three with a run scored and an RBI. Linzy Bowen added two singles. Makiyah Roberson added a pair of RBI’s and Bailey Harvey and Dylana Barton added RBIs.
SPORTS
BY RUSS REGAN
It was a wild first week for Major League Baseball. Several more games have been postponed due to the virus. The Marlins and the Phillies have only played three games and none in more than a week. The Braves’ bats have been really good early but will the back end of the rotation give them a chance? We now have seven inning double headers, and it makes sense. We have our answers from college football and it included some big surprises.
Let’s start off with the Braves. It was a good week as they went 5-2, but can they hit enough to overcome the back end of the rotation? A combination of Wright, Toussant, Foltynewicz and Newcomb wasn’t very good to say the least. The foursome went just 23 innings and allowed 24 earned runs. They also walked 18, yet somehow the team is winning. Toussant wasn’t as bad the second time but pitch count got him out of the game after four innings. The week was bizarre for Felty, he was horrible on Monday, a week ago, against Tampa Bay and he was immediately designated for assignment. That means that the team had enough games to trade him or put him on Warriors. They couldn’t deal him so they put him out and every team declined him and the Braves sent him to the alternate camp. That is a shocker for the 2018 all-star. I hope we see top pitching prospect Ian Anderson.
So how are the Braves winning? First of all, the bullpen has been real good. A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek have been great. In just ten innings they have walked just one and struck out 17. Fred and Soroka have been real good and let’s hope it continues.
The offense has been good but not the “usual suspects”. The top of the order is Acuna, Abbies and Freeman and they have struggled. They’ve had 37 strikeouts in the first ten games. It did look like Acuna was snapping out of it as he had a homer on Saturday and a pair of hits on Sunday.
Where is the offense coming from you ask? Shortstop Dansly Swanson has a pair of homers and 11 RBIs with a .368 average. New outfielder, Marcell Pzuna has three homers and new catcher Travis D’Armond made a huge impact. He had five RBIs on Friday, including a bases loaded double that was the game changer on Friday night.
We have another big rule change, for the year anyway. All double headers are now seven inning games. It looks like there will be a bunch of mess. All minor league double headers are seven inning ones. That’s another rule, along with these rules, that will probably go away after this year. I do like the extra inning rule and I guess it will have a chance to stick around, but I really don’t think so.
The Big 5 College Conferences have made their decisions and I am very surprised. The SEC announced that it will do a ten game conference only schedule with no plus one. That means for the first time since 1924 there will be no Georgia-Georgia Tech game. I really thought you would see a conference plus one schedule especially after the ACC approved the plus one. The season will open September 26 against someone to be determined. On Sunday night, former Bulldog Matt Stafford of the Lions went on the Covid list. This means he has it or has been in contact with someone who’s tested positive. That is different than opting out. He can come back off the Covid list, but once they opt out, their season is over.
More pro football to wrap up and it’s out of the Falcons camp. They signed free agent corner back Darqueze Dennard. He is a former number one draft pick and he played high school ball at Twiggs County. Ironically, he signed with Atlanta the same day Twiggs elected to not play this season due to the virus. The 28 year old will certainly help a very young secondary.
It was a wild first week for Major League Baseball. Several more games have been postponed due to the virus. The Marlins and the Phillies have only played three games and none in more than a week. The Braves’ bats have been really good early but will the back end of the rotation give them a chance? We now have seven inning double headers, and it makes sense. We have our answers from college football and it included some big surprises.
Let’s start off with the Braves. It was a good week as they went 5-2, but can they hit enough to overcome the back end of the rotation? A combination of Wright, Toussant, Foltynewicz and Newcomb wasn’t very good to say the least. The foursome went just 23 innings and allowed 24 earned runs. They also walked 18, yet somehow the team is winning. Toussant wasn’t as bad the second time but pitch count got him out of the game after four innings. The week was bizarre for Felty, he was horrible on Monday, a week ago, against Tampa Bay and he was immediately designated for assignment. That means that the team had enough games to trade him or put him on Warriors. They couldn’t deal him so they put him out and every team declined him and the Braves sent him to the alternate camp. That is a shocker for the 2018 all-star. I hope we see top pitching prospect Ian Anderson.
So how are the Braves winning? First of all, the bullpen has been real good. A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek have been great. In just ten innings they have walked just one and struck out 17. Fred and Soroka have been real good and let’s hope it continues.
The offense has been good but not the “usual suspects”. The top of the order is Acuna, Abbies and Freeman and they have struggled. They’ve had 37 strikeouts in the first ten games. It did look like Acuna was snapping out of it as he had a homer on Saturday and a pair of hits on Sunday.
Where is the offense coming from you ask? Shortstop Dansly Swanson has a pair of homers and 11 RBIs with a .368 average. New outfielder, Marcell Pzuna has three homers and new catcher Travis D’Armond made a huge impact. He had five RBIs on Friday, including a bases loaded double that was the game changer on Friday night.
We have another big rule change, for the year anyway. All double headers are now seven inning games. It looks like there will be a bunch of mess. All minor league double headers are seven inning ones. That’s another rule, along with these rules, that will probably go away after this year. I do like the extra inning rule and I guess it will have a chance to stick around, but I really don’t think so.
The Big 5 College Conferences have made their decisions and I am very surprised. The SEC announced that it will do a ten game conference only schedule with no plus one. That means for the first time since 1924 there will be no Georgia-Georgia Tech game. I really thought you would see a conference plus one schedule especially after the ACC approved the plus one. The season will open September 26 against someone to be determined. On Sunday night, former Bulldog Matt Stafford of the Lions went on the Covid list. This means he has it or has been in contact with someone who’s tested positive. That is different than opting out. He can come back off the Covid list, but once they opt out, their season is over.
More pro football to wrap up and it’s out of the Falcons camp. They signed free agent corner back Darqueze Dennard. He is a former number one draft pick and he played high school ball at Twiggs County. Ironically, he signed with Atlanta the same day Twiggs elected to not play this season due to the virus. The 28 year old will certainly help a very young secondary.
SPORTS
BY RUSS REGAN
Well, it was mostly a great week as Major League Baseball got underway, all be it without fans in the stands. The Braves’ start was good as they won two of the three in New York. Then came Monday morning and the news wasn’t as good. A total of 13 Miami Marlins players and the coaches tested positive for the virus. Let’s hope this doesn’t become a pattern for the short season. Also at anytime we should hear from the SEC and the ACC about the non-conference football games from this fall.
The Braves didn’t get off to the best of starts with the bats anyway against the Mets. They lost the opener on Friday 1-0 despite six shutout innings from Mike Soreka.
The news of Friday started rough as catchers Tyler Flowers and Travis D’ Armand were both not feeling well and were left home despite testing negative for the virus.
Saturday wasn’t looking any better as they trailed 2-1 with two outs in the ninth. Newcomer Marcell Ozuna hit an opposite field homer that tied the game at 2-2 and forced the new extra innings, better known as the “International Tie Breaker”, from the softball people. Dansby Swanson got a lead off RBI single to give the Braves the lead and an eventual 5-3 win.
Finally, the bats came alive on Sunday night. They got homers from Swanson, Albreas, Ozuna and a monster 458 shot from Riley in the 14-1 win. Freeman and Acuna still aren’t hitting just yet but it’s early, sort of. An interesting note, all 30 major league teams have a win and a loss after just three games for many teams.
The last time this happened was 1953, Let’s hope things stay on the field and there is very little talk about off the field. Let’s change things a little and talk football. This week the SEC and the ACC are support to make their decisions about the non-conference football schedule. A possibility that there will be a ten game conference schedule and a plus one. That probably means a rival game like Georgia-Georgia Tech or Florida-Florida State. We should hear something no later than Friday.
Finally, there is NFL news. It is now official that there will be no pre-season games this year. Pre-season camp started yesterday (Tuesday) and will be extended. As was the case with baseball, opting out of contracts this year. One rumor says that it is certainly possible that new Falcons running back Todd Gurley could opt out if the NFL policy doesn’t change. We should hear more soon.
Well, it was mostly a great week as Major League Baseball got underway, all be it without fans in the stands. The Braves’ start was good as they won two of the three in New York. Then came Monday morning and the news wasn’t as good. A total of 13 Miami Marlins players and the coaches tested positive for the virus. Let’s hope this doesn’t become a pattern for the short season. Also at anytime we should hear from the SEC and the ACC about the non-conference football games from this fall.
The Braves didn’t get off to the best of starts with the bats anyway against the Mets. They lost the opener on Friday 1-0 despite six shutout innings from Mike Soreka.
The news of Friday started rough as catchers Tyler Flowers and Travis D’ Armand were both not feeling well and were left home despite testing negative for the virus.
Saturday wasn’t looking any better as they trailed 2-1 with two outs in the ninth. Newcomer Marcell Ozuna hit an opposite field homer that tied the game at 2-2 and forced the new extra innings, better known as the “International Tie Breaker”, from the softball people. Dansby Swanson got a lead off RBI single to give the Braves the lead and an eventual 5-3 win.
Finally, the bats came alive on Sunday night. They got homers from Swanson, Albreas, Ozuna and a monster 458 shot from Riley in the 14-1 win. Freeman and Acuna still aren’t hitting just yet but it’s early, sort of. An interesting note, all 30 major league teams have a win and a loss after just three games for many teams.
The last time this happened was 1953, Let’s hope things stay on the field and there is very little talk about off the field. Let’s change things a little and talk football. This week the SEC and the ACC are support to make their decisions about the non-conference football schedule. A possibility that there will be a ten game conference schedule and a plus one. That probably means a rival game like Georgia-Georgia Tech or Florida-Florida State. We should hear something no later than Friday.
Finally, there is NFL news. It is now official that there will be no pre-season games this year. Pre-season camp started yesterday (Tuesday) and will be extended. As was the case with baseball, opting out of contracts this year. One rumor says that it is certainly possible that new Falcons running back Todd Gurley could opt out if the NFL policy doesn’t change. We should hear more soon.
SPORTS
BY RUSS REGAN
It’s finally here! Major League Baseball will get things underway Thursday with the Nationals and Yankees. The Braves and the Mets start off things Friday in the big apple. It was a good and bad week for the Braves and both had to do with the virus. It was a wild week on the pro golf tour. So let’s start with baseball.
It looks like the long awaited start to major league baseball is going to happen. There was only one major league player that tested positive for the Covid virus and that a great sign but the one was almost officially a Brave. The deal died on the table as the 29 year old outfielder tested positive. Due to top prospect Christian Pache begin out with an ankle injury, the Braves are short on outfielders. One food bat available is former Brave and Cardinal Matt Adams. He would make a real good d.h. and he could play a little first base. The good news for the Braves is that Freddie Freeman looks to be ready to start the season. The All-star first baseman tested positive on July 4 and really had a rough time. His temperature shot over 104 and things looked rough for a few days. He started practicing last Friday so hopefully he will be ready to go.
There was other injury news from the Braves camp and it has to do with two off-season pick-ups. Projected closer Will Smith and return starter Cole Hamills will start the season on the injured list. So that means that rookies Kyle Wright or Ian Anderson could have some early season roles. Mike Soroka has been named opening day starter. Max Fried will go in game two. Sean Newsome and Mile Foltmedicz will be in the rotation as well, but who knows after that. I am sure that Melancon will be the closer for a little while until Will Smith is ready to come back.
Don’t forget that there are two other significant rule changes other that the designated hitter. Extra innings will start with a runner on second, just like softball “International Tie Braker”.
Also, all relief pitchers must face at least three batters each. So no more situational lefties. That’s one rule I really like. The 2020 season should be very interesting!
The pro golf tour had its sixth event with the Memorial tournament at Meerfield Village, better know as “Jack’s Place” right outside of Dubler, Ohio. Pro golf is another that is real odd for me to watch with empty stands. The tournament seemed normal until the weekend and then the course got tough.
The greens were hard, the brush was thick and the wind started to really blow. John Rahn from Spain almost blew an eight shot lead with nine holes to go but he hung on the win by three. He received a two shot penalty when he made his ball move in the rough on the 16th hole. Ironically, he chipped the ball in the hole for what would have been a birdie. He became the new worlds number one player with the win.
During Sundays telecast, tournament host, Jack Nicklaus announced that he and his long time wife Barbara both tested positive for Covid back in March. Fortunately both of them are now healthy and they were at the event this weekend.
It’s finally here! Major League Baseball will get things underway Thursday with the Nationals and Yankees. The Braves and the Mets start off things Friday in the big apple. It was a good and bad week for the Braves and both had to do with the virus. It was a wild week on the pro golf tour. So let’s start with baseball.
It looks like the long awaited start to major league baseball is going to happen. There was only one major league player that tested positive for the Covid virus and that a great sign but the one was almost officially a Brave. The deal died on the table as the 29 year old outfielder tested positive. Due to top prospect Christian Pache begin out with an ankle injury, the Braves are short on outfielders. One food bat available is former Brave and Cardinal Matt Adams. He would make a real good d.h. and he could play a little first base. The good news for the Braves is that Freddie Freeman looks to be ready to start the season. The All-star first baseman tested positive on July 4 and really had a rough time. His temperature shot over 104 and things looked rough for a few days. He started practicing last Friday so hopefully he will be ready to go.
There was other injury news from the Braves camp and it has to do with two off-season pick-ups. Projected closer Will Smith and return starter Cole Hamills will start the season on the injured list. So that means that rookies Kyle Wright or Ian Anderson could have some early season roles. Mike Soroka has been named opening day starter. Max Fried will go in game two. Sean Newsome and Mile Foltmedicz will be in the rotation as well, but who knows after that. I am sure that Melancon will be the closer for a little while until Will Smith is ready to come back.
Don’t forget that there are two other significant rule changes other that the designated hitter. Extra innings will start with a runner on second, just like softball “International Tie Braker”.
Also, all relief pitchers must face at least three batters each. So no more situational lefties. That’s one rule I really like. The 2020 season should be very interesting!
The pro golf tour had its sixth event with the Memorial tournament at Meerfield Village, better know as “Jack’s Place” right outside of Dubler, Ohio. Pro golf is another that is real odd for me to watch with empty stands. The tournament seemed normal until the weekend and then the course got tough.
The greens were hard, the brush was thick and the wind started to really blow. John Rahn from Spain almost blew an eight shot lead with nine holes to go but he hung on the win by three. He received a two shot penalty when he made his ball move in the rough on the 16th hole. Ironically, he chipped the ball in the hole for what would have been a birdie. He became the new worlds number one player with the win.
During Sundays telecast, tournament host, Jack Nicklaus announced that he and his long time wife Barbara both tested positive for Covid back in March. Fortunately both of them are now healthy and they were at the event this weekend.
SPORTS
BY RUSS REGAN
As we near opening day at last, in major league baseball there are still several questions. In Atlanta, the Braves are starting to run a little short on outfielders and then will their first baseman be ready? I think college football will play, but how many games? I feel confident that the NFL will also but how many people will watch it in person?
Let’s start in Atlanta where the Braves are only a week away from starting the sprint that will be the 60 game season.
There has been very little Freddy Freeman talk since he tested positive for Covid-19. I feel pretty certain that he will not be ready for next Friday’s opener against the Mets. I’d still like Adam Duvall to get a chance to start in Freeman’s place. The Braves will be an outfielder short all year and that is for sure. The question is, who will be the fourth outfielder of Ozona, Arena for sure.
The question is who will be the fourth outfielder? I know Pat Riley and Camargo have seen some action out there and Adam Duvall is an established outfielder but keep in mind that there is a designated hitter this season. The one to look out for is top prospect Christian Pace. He is considered one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball period.
The only question is can he hit enough? I think he will get his chance this year. He is on the Braves 40 man roster so I do expect him to get a chance. Also, veteran-starting pitcher Cole Hands is iffy to start the season due to injury. Word is it isn’t Covid related. Hopefully we will have some questions answered in the next week.
Now, for college football. It looks more and more like non-conference games will not be played this fall. The Big 10 and the PAC 10 have already gotten rid of all non-conference games. The SEC hasn’t made a decision just yet, but I think it’s more likely that it will be an all conference schedule. One scenario is that the Dogs would add Arkansas and Mississippi State to the schedule and play a ten all conference season. That would likely mean NO Georgia-Georgia Tech game this year. They have played every year since 1925. I think we will know something for sure real soon.
If you wondered about football independent Notre Dame? I guess for one year, they could play in the ACC, like they do for all other sports or they could play NAVY, also an independent and call the season good.
We will stay on the football field with the pros to wrap up this week. The question is, how many, if any, fans will be allowed to watch games in person.
The first team that has announced is Jacksonville. The Jags said they go with 25 percent capacity or roughly 16,000 fans. That will probably be the new normal for the 2020 season.
The Falcons will probably be in front with 18 to 20 thousand fans.
Finally, did you know that Georgia’s new smash ball team won the 2019 national championship/ They beat Texas A&M 2-0 in sets for the crown.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 they didn’t have the spring small ball season.
As we near opening day at last, in major league baseball there are still several questions. In Atlanta, the Braves are starting to run a little short on outfielders and then will their first baseman be ready? I think college football will play, but how many games? I feel confident that the NFL will also but how many people will watch it in person?
Let’s start in Atlanta where the Braves are only a week away from starting the sprint that will be the 60 game season.
There has been very little Freddy Freeman talk since he tested positive for Covid-19. I feel pretty certain that he will not be ready for next Friday’s opener against the Mets. I’d still like Adam Duvall to get a chance to start in Freeman’s place. The Braves will be an outfielder short all year and that is for sure. The question is, who will be the fourth outfielder of Ozona, Arena for sure.
The question is who will be the fourth outfielder? I know Pat Riley and Camargo have seen some action out there and Adam Duvall is an established outfielder but keep in mind that there is a designated hitter this season. The one to look out for is top prospect Christian Pace. He is considered one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball period.
The only question is can he hit enough? I think he will get his chance this year. He is on the Braves 40 man roster so I do expect him to get a chance. Also, veteran-starting pitcher Cole Hands is iffy to start the season due to injury. Word is it isn’t Covid related. Hopefully we will have some questions answered in the next week.
Now, for college football. It looks more and more like non-conference games will not be played this fall. The Big 10 and the PAC 10 have already gotten rid of all non-conference games. The SEC hasn’t made a decision just yet, but I think it’s more likely that it will be an all conference schedule. One scenario is that the Dogs would add Arkansas and Mississippi State to the schedule and play a ten all conference season. That would likely mean NO Georgia-Georgia Tech game this year. They have played every year since 1925. I think we will know something for sure real soon.
If you wondered about football independent Notre Dame? I guess for one year, they could play in the ACC, like they do for all other sports or they could play NAVY, also an independent and call the season good.
We will stay on the football field with the pros to wrap up this week. The question is, how many, if any, fans will be allowed to watch games in person.
The first team that has announced is Jacksonville. The Jags said they go with 25 percent capacity or roughly 16,000 fans. That will probably be the new normal for the 2020 season.
The Falcons will probably be in front with 18 to 20 thousand fans.
Finally, did you know that Georgia’s new smash ball team won the 2019 national championship/ They beat Texas A&M 2-0 in sets for the crown.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 they didn’t have the spring small ball season.
SPORTS
BY RUSS REGAN
We are now right at the two-week mark of the 2020 baseball season and the Braves potentially got some bad news. The Bulldogs saw a big recruit go another way. We also see the NFL preseason get cut in half, at least. It wasn’t a great week in Georgia sports but hopefully it will get better. Let’s start with the Braves.
The fourth of July didn’t start well as four players tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. All star first baseman Freddie Freeman and new closer Will Smith were among the four. Touki Touseant and utility infielder Pete Kozma were the other two. The news wasn’t so bad for Smith and Touseant as they were A-symptomatic. The news wasn’t as good for Freeman as he was starting to show symptoms. Let’s hope the all star can make a speedy recovery. If he isn’t ready to start the season, my guess is that Adam Duvall may get his chance to play there for a little while. If he is pressed into action, it will be interesting to see what he can do if he can get some steady bats.
The Braves lost another player that was related to the virus but he wasn’t sick. Starting pitcher Felix Hernandez has opted out of his deal. “The King” has a non-roster invite to spring training and it looked like he was going to make the big league club. It’s too bad because I would have liked to have seen if he had something left in the tank. Braves first base coach Eric Young Sr. also has opted out for the 2020 season. And it’s lead by new Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, David Price. There are a couple of huge names that say they are on the fence. San Francisco catcher, Buster Posey and the game’s best player Mike Trout from the Angels haven’t completely made up their minds.
It was a big day last Tuesday (June 30) for the Bulldogs as the nation remembered one cornerback, Tony Grimes as he was announcing his college decision. The Bulldogs were in his final four with North Carolina, Texas A&M and Ohio State. The consensus had him heading to North Carolina and sure enough he is going to be a Tar Heel. I guess being on a winning team wasn’t his top priority. On a better note, 2021 Bulldog to be Brock Handagriff had a huge pro day at the Elite II quarterback camp. He will be in the mix to have a shot at the starting job in Athens next fall.
There was some NFL news this week. The league has decided to shrink the preseason down to just two games. The players association took things one-step further by rioting to get rid of the preseason games all together. It will be interesting to see where that one winds up.
We are now right at the two-week mark of the 2020 baseball season and the Braves potentially got some bad news. The Bulldogs saw a big recruit go another way. We also see the NFL preseason get cut in half, at least. It wasn’t a great week in Georgia sports but hopefully it will get better. Let’s start with the Braves.
The fourth of July didn’t start well as four players tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. All star first baseman Freddie Freeman and new closer Will Smith were among the four. Touki Touseant and utility infielder Pete Kozma were the other two. The news wasn’t so bad for Smith and Touseant as they were A-symptomatic. The news wasn’t as good for Freeman as he was starting to show symptoms. Let’s hope the all star can make a speedy recovery. If he isn’t ready to start the season, my guess is that Adam Duvall may get his chance to play there for a little while. If he is pressed into action, it will be interesting to see what he can do if he can get some steady bats.
The Braves lost another player that was related to the virus but he wasn’t sick. Starting pitcher Felix Hernandez has opted out of his deal. “The King” has a non-roster invite to spring training and it looked like he was going to make the big league club. It’s too bad because I would have liked to have seen if he had something left in the tank. Braves first base coach Eric Young Sr. also has opted out for the 2020 season. And it’s lead by new Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, David Price. There are a couple of huge names that say they are on the fence. San Francisco catcher, Buster Posey and the game’s best player Mike Trout from the Angels haven’t completely made up their minds.
It was a big day last Tuesday (June 30) for the Bulldogs as the nation remembered one cornerback, Tony Grimes as he was announcing his college decision. The Bulldogs were in his final four with North Carolina, Texas A&M and Ohio State. The consensus had him heading to North Carolina and sure enough he is going to be a Tar Heel. I guess being on a winning team wasn’t his top priority. On a better note, 2021 Bulldog to be Brock Handagriff had a huge pro day at the Elite II quarterback camp. He will be in the mix to have a shot at the starting job in Athens next fall.
There was some NFL news this week. The league has decided to shrink the preseason down to just two games. The players association took things one-step further by rioting to get rid of the preseason games all together. It will be interesting to see where that one winds up.
SPORTS
BY RUSS REGAN
There is still a whole lot more talking than action in the world of sports right now. I still think that Major League Baseball will play but the big question will be how many games will be played. The pro golf tour will get back underway this weekend. They also announced when at least some fans would be able to attend events. There was also some big news from the Augusta National Golf Club.
Let’s start on the diamond with baseball. The players and owners have agreed to some things; there will be a designated hitter in both leagues for this year anyway. I wouldn’t be shocked to see that stay for good.
The second agreement is that the players will have their contracts pro-rated based on the number of games played. That is where things have hit a big standing point. The players purposed a 114 game season, meanwhile, the owners purposed a season that would only be 50 to 60 games. I know that is a bunch apart, but both sides think there will be a deal done. I still think we will have baseball by July 4.
Also, unfortunately, there will be no minor league season this year. All teams will have a real big team this year. The exact number hasn’t been announced yet.
The baseball draft will be held this week. It will only be five rounds this year compared to 40 in the past.
There are a couple of Georgia baseball pitchers that should go in the first round. Right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox should hear their names called early. Hancock should be a top 10 pick.
The Bulldogs were ranked number two in the nation when the season got shutdown in March.
The Braves have the 25th pick on Wednesday night. The draft will be televised by the Major League Baseball network and ESPN this Wednesday (tonight) and Thursday night starting at 7:00 p.m.
Let’s talk Braves for a minute. They will be well prepared for the designated hitter this year. They can use Austen Riley, Nick Markakes and even give Freddie Freeman a night off to be designated hitter.
Speaking of the draft, I think they will go after more starting pitching. They always seem to draft a bunch of starters. They didn’t go that route last year, so we will have to see.
We all remember the greatest moment in Atlanta Braves history when Marquis Grissom caught Carlos Baerga’s fly ball to end the 1995 World Series. Awesome night! The announcer said, “The team of the 90s finally has their world championship.” That was a great moment, without question, but were they the team of the 90s? True they won the division eight times and made it to the World Series five times and those were impressive, but only the one championship. It took four first ballot hall of famers, Chipper, Maddox, Glavine and Smoltz and McGriff should be.
The Yankees won three championships in the 90s and the Blue Jays and the Marlins had two a piece.
The Marlins, as you may recall, won both as wildcard teams.
The Nationals won the 2019 championship also as a wild card team. Of course, the Braves won the division all three times. The Braves had a real good run for 15 years but you can’t confuse them with Jordan and the Bulls, they were six for six in championship series.
Also, they was no Brady and New England because they know how to finish. On the football field, not the golf course.
How many of those division championships would you give back to win another series? One or two? If you see me around, let me hear your opinion.
Speaking of golf, the PGA tour returns this weekend. The tour returns to Colonial Country Club starting Thursday. It is a loaded field, even though Tiger will not be there.
There will be no fans but the team did announce when some fans will be back. Jack Nicklaus’ tournament, the memorial, will welcome 8000 fans, (about 20% of regular fans) will be allowed to watch. The event was re-scheduled for July 16-19 at Meer Field Village in Columbus, Ohio. It is good to see some attempt at normalcy.
There was also some big news from Augusta National Golf Club. If you have ever been to the Masters, you know it’s in downtown Augusta. There is a shopping center across from the club. It includes the Fresh Market grocery store and other stores like Wendy’s and Publix.
The Augusta National Golf Club, for right at 27 million, has bought all the property. That puts it right at 67 million the club has spent on property in the last 20 years.
I would guess the land would be used for a parking lot, but knowing the club, who knows? On thing is for sure, it will probably be ready to go by the November 12 date for the year’s first round.
There is still a whole lot more talking than action in the world of sports right now. I still think that Major League Baseball will play but the big question will be how many games will be played. The pro golf tour will get back underway this weekend. They also announced when at least some fans would be able to attend events. There was also some big news from the Augusta National Golf Club.
Let’s start on the diamond with baseball. The players and owners have agreed to some things; there will be a designated hitter in both leagues for this year anyway. I wouldn’t be shocked to see that stay for good.
The second agreement is that the players will have their contracts pro-rated based on the number of games played. That is where things have hit a big standing point. The players purposed a 114 game season, meanwhile, the owners purposed a season that would only be 50 to 60 games. I know that is a bunch apart, but both sides think there will be a deal done. I still think we will have baseball by July 4.
Also, unfortunately, there will be no minor league season this year. All teams will have a real big team this year. The exact number hasn’t been announced yet.
The baseball draft will be held this week. It will only be five rounds this year compared to 40 in the past.
There are a couple of Georgia baseball pitchers that should go in the first round. Right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox should hear their names called early. Hancock should be a top 10 pick.
The Bulldogs were ranked number two in the nation when the season got shutdown in March.
The Braves have the 25th pick on Wednesday night. The draft will be televised by the Major League Baseball network and ESPN this Wednesday (tonight) and Thursday night starting at 7:00 p.m.
Let’s talk Braves for a minute. They will be well prepared for the designated hitter this year. They can use Austen Riley, Nick Markakes and even give Freddie Freeman a night off to be designated hitter.
Speaking of the draft, I think they will go after more starting pitching. They always seem to draft a bunch of starters. They didn’t go that route last year, so we will have to see.
We all remember the greatest moment in Atlanta Braves history when Marquis Grissom caught Carlos Baerga’s fly ball to end the 1995 World Series. Awesome night! The announcer said, “The team of the 90s finally has their world championship.” That was a great moment, without question, but were they the team of the 90s? True they won the division eight times and made it to the World Series five times and those were impressive, but only the one championship. It took four first ballot hall of famers, Chipper, Maddox, Glavine and Smoltz and McGriff should be.
The Yankees won three championships in the 90s and the Blue Jays and the Marlins had two a piece.
The Marlins, as you may recall, won both as wildcard teams.
The Nationals won the 2019 championship also as a wild card team. Of course, the Braves won the division all three times. The Braves had a real good run for 15 years but you can’t confuse them with Jordan and the Bulls, they were six for six in championship series.
Also, they was no Brady and New England because they know how to finish. On the football field, not the golf course.
How many of those division championships would you give back to win another series? One or two? If you see me around, let me hear your opinion.
Speaking of golf, the PGA tour returns this weekend. The tour returns to Colonial Country Club starting Thursday. It is a loaded field, even though Tiger will not be there.
There will be no fans but the team did announce when some fans will be back. Jack Nicklaus’ tournament, the memorial, will welcome 8000 fans, (about 20% of regular fans) will be allowed to watch. The event was re-scheduled for July 16-19 at Meer Field Village in Columbus, Ohio. It is good to see some attempt at normalcy.
There was also some big news from Augusta National Golf Club. If you have ever been to the Masters, you know it’s in downtown Augusta. There is a shopping center across from the club. It includes the Fresh Market grocery store and other stores like Wendy’s and Publix.
The Augusta National Golf Club, for right at 27 million, has bought all the property. That puts it right at 67 million the club has spent on property in the last 20 years.
I would guess the land would be used for a parking lot, but knowing the club, who knows? On thing is for sure, it will probably be ready to go by the November 12 date for the year’s first round.
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