SGA Warriors defeat Brookwood and Fullington
by Paul Bridges

SGA infielders meet at the mound against Brookwood.

The SGA Warriors won a couple hard fought games in Damascus at Ted Bush Field last week. Tuesday, April 22, the Warriors hosted Brookwood, the first place team in region 3AA. The game was one the Warriors needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. SGA overcame some sloppy defensive play with a monstrous hitting attack and pounded their way to victory, 16-10.

After holding Brookwood scoreless in the top of the first inning, SGA jumped ahead by scoring 4 runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Miles Lee led off with a single and stole second and third base. Lee scored on a sacrifice by Danny Doster. With two out, Chandler Ray drew a walk, and Austin Boyd reached on an error. Michael Fincher drove in both with a triple to deep right center. Alex Wilson drove in Fincher with a double in the left center gap, putting SGA up 4-0.

Brookwood scored a run in the second inning and added 2 more in the top of the third inning to make it a 4-3 ball game.

Brookwood took advantage of some errors and walks and appeared to have taken control of the game by scoring 6 more runs in the top of the fourth inning to go ahead 9-4.

The Warriors came right back, though, and started chipping away at the Brookwood lead in the bottom half of the inning. SGA scored 2 runs using the big sticks. Lee and Doster both pounded solo home runs to cut Brookwood's lead to 9-6.

After holding Brookwood scoreless in the top of the fifth inning, SGA pounded out 6 hits with 4 walks to score 7 runs in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead, 13-9. Boyd, Fincher, Wilson, Beau Clenney, Drew Bridges, and Ray had hits in the inning for the Warriors.

SGA added 3 insurance runs in the sixth inning with Lanton, Bridges, and Doster scoring to go up 16-9.

Brookwood added a run in the top of the seventh inning to make the final score, 16-10.

Miles Lee got the win on the mound for the Warriors in relief of Bridges. Lee entered the game in the fourth inning and allowed only a single run in the fifth through the seventh innings to secure the victory for the Warriors.

Offensively, every starter for SGA got at least one hit and scored at least one run. SGA hit 2 home runs (Lee, Doster), 1 triple (Fincher), and 6 doubles (Bridges, Ray, Boyd, Fincher, Wilson, Clenney) in the game.

SGA hosted Fullington Academy Wednesday, April 23, in a non-region game. The Warriors beat Fullington 16-1 in the first game of the season in Pinehurst, but the victory would not be so easy in Damascus. The Warriors still came out victorious, but this time it was a hard fought 9-7 victory.

Miles Lee led off the bottom of the first inning for SGA with a single, and Drew Bridges and Danny Doster followed with walks to load the bases. All three came around to score and give SGA an early 3-0 lead.

Fullington came back with a run in the second inning and two in the third inning to tie the game up at 3-3.

In the bottom of the third inning, SGA answered right back to retake the lead. Michael Fincher, Beau Clenney, and Blake Lanton came around to score on a 2 RBI single by Lee and an RBI single by Bridges, putting SGA back on top 6-3.

Fullington scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to cut SGA's lead to 6-5, but SGA answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to push their lead back up to three runs at 8-5.

Fullington scored two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, and SGA added a single run to make it a 9-7 ball game going to the last inning.

Austin Boyd pitched a perfect seventh inning to secure the Warriors' victory.

Beau Clenney got the win on the mound for SGA pitching four innings. Austin Boyd picked up the save, pitching the final three innings in relief.

Miles Lee led the Warriors at the plate, picking up 2 hits, a walk, 2 RBIs, and a run scored.

SGA has a couple of huge region games this week. Tuesday Tiftarea comes to Damascus, and Friday SGA travels to Valwood. Both games' first pitch are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Go, Warriors!