Warhawk baseball keeps winning and winning

What a week to be a part of Veterans High School baseball.

Not only do the Warhawks keep winning and winning and winning (12 in a row going into Friday’s game at Westside-Macon), but also they overcame one of the major obstacles between them and a repeat as region champions.

The events of the last seven days conclude today with the biggest surprise of them all.

But in the sixth, Tyler Daughtry and Dave Shiplett reached base and stood at the corners when Dempsey batted. Coffey said it was a sharply hit grounder that the Raider third baseman could not get a hold of, the result being the tying and lead runs.

Veterans went to 9-0 in Region 2-AAAA, two games ahead of Howard High and three in front of West Laurens.

TROUNCES TIFT

The Warhawks ran their winning streak to 12 straight on Wednesday with a 15-6 non-region home victory against Tift County High of Class AAAAAA.

Zane Conlon had an interesting game in left field, and his time at the plate was every bit as fun with three hits and three runs batted in. Shiplett drove home two runs on ground outs and Zach Johnson ripped a two-run double.

Preston Sparks started at pitcher for Coffey and gave up an unearned run in the top of the first. Tift led off with a single and moved into scoring position on an error.

Dempsey singled to start Veterans’ big first and Mickey Dugan – on base every time he had the chance – was hit by a pitch. Conlon singled up the middle to plate Dempsey, and that was it for Warhawk hits … but not runs.

Tift pitching issued three walks and Zach Wilkes reached on an error. Two runs scored on one wild pitch and two more scored on passed balls. Shiplett’s first RBI out made it 6-1.

Dugan and Conlon singled back-to-back in the home second, and both scored on RBI from Daughtry and Kyle King (8-1).

Tift got into a little exchange of one run here and there, first by plating another unearned run in the top of the third. Conlon got that back on a sacrifice fly as Shiplett and Dugan singled in the home half.

It was 9-3 going into the fifth when the Blue Devils chased Sparks after three straight hits and two runs (one unearned). Against Harrison Casey, Tift scored one more on a bunt and cut the margin to three, 9-6.

Tift batters had kept Conlon busy in left with three put-out chances, but Conlon had to get on the grass for a diving catch in the fifth. The chance for a hit looked good to the baserunner, so much that he was far away enough for Conlon to double him up.

Conlon also had the inning-ending catch.

The rest of the offense belonged to Veterans, Johnson doubling in two in the home fifth and the Warhawks scoring four in the sixth. RBI came from Shiplett, Conlon and Micah Wells.

Brett Decker pitched a perfect sixth with three grounders. Daughtry pitched the seventh.

• Talk about the ultimate high school experience for a baseball player: a real game on a Major League field.

As it turns out, Coffey learned there is one day when prep clubs get to use the Braves’ field, but the schedule for 2013 – at that time – was full.

“A couple of months ago, a spot came open,” said Coffey. “I would dare say all of this is dreamed about. You watch (the Braves) on TV every night.”

By the way, there will be no adjustments to the dimensions. Warhawk batters will get the same distances as the Upton brothers, so, as Coffey said, they will have to hit it good to get it out.

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