Warhawks blitz Burke in state first round

mbrown@sunmulti.com

Conditions were nearly similar Friday to last season’s season-ending series for the Veterans High baseball team: a lot of wind, some rain … but that’s where the comparisons end.

The Warhawks made quick work of the visiting Burke County High Bears in a 2-0 sweep of the GHSA AAAA opening round playoff series on the Veterans campus. Both games ended in five innings, 11-1 and 12-1, and in both games Burke County scored first before seeing everything break down in terms of defense and relentless hitting from David Coffey’s lineup.

The coach was also able to spread out the 10 innings of pitching among four of his hurlers, three of which threw from the left side. When it was done, the Warhawks continued a winning streak at 22 in a row, one they will put on the line in the GHSA ‘Sweet 16’ round at home.

It was in the 2012 second round that Cartersville put out Coffey’s region champions in a sweep amid less than pleasant playing conditions. This year, Veterans hosts Dutchtown High from Henry County for a doubleheader today (Wednesday) beginning at 4 p.m. Game 3, if needed, will be Thursday.

In the series with Burke County, the No. 4 seed from Region 3-AAAA, lefty Ross Martin had the starting assignment in Game 1. The Bears scored in the top of the first inning as, with two outs, Martin had his first lefty-lefty matchup with Bobby Gay. The result was a hit batter.

That brought up catcher Jay Johnson, and he sent a double off the chalk on the third-base line. As Veterans had a hard time coming up with the baseball in the corner, Gay was waved home.

From that point, the defense behind Martin was practically flawless, even when he had to labor a bit on the mound. In the top of the second, Burke County had two on base with no outs on a walk and Chris Skinner’s single. First baseman Zach Johnson charged in and hit the ground to catch a popped-up bunt. Third baseman David Shiplett started a double play with Johnson leaping to catch a high throw and land on the base in time.

The Bears even made the third inning interesting with three straight one-out singles loading the bases. Those safeties came from pitcher Jonathan Wilson, Gay and Johnson. Despite the influence of the wind, shortstop Tyler Daughtry was able zero in on a short liner tailing away from him and catch the second out.

Skinner hit a harder line drive short-hopped by second baseman Mickey Dugan, who easily retired the side.

Defense proved to not be Burke’s strong suit as Veterans scored three runs on two infield hits and two errors in the bottom of the first. The baseball never left the infield, and the damage began with a one-out walk to Dugan. Zane Conlon hit what could have been a tailor-made double play, but Burke got no outs due to a fielding miscue at second base.

Catcher Micah Wells next hit a grounder that wasn’t a double-play ball. However, Burke blew any chance for an out as the shortstop couldn’t get a hold of it, and as it kicked away Coffey waved Dugan home with the tying run.

With two outs, the Warhawks took the lead 2-1 on a passed ball. Daughtry went up the middle for a single (another mishandled ball in the infield) to drive in Veterans’ third run.

The Warhawks added four runs to the lead in the home third as Conlon grounded a single through and stole his way to third base. He scored on Johnson’s fielder’s choice grounder (4-1).

Daughtry laced a single to left, and designated hitter Kyle King also went to left on an RBI hit (5-1). A walk loaded the bases for Shiplett, the No. 9 hitter, and though Burke managed a force out at second, a relay error to first brought in two more Warhawks.

Martin pitched around two walks in the fourth before giving way to right-hander Preston Sparks. In one inning, Sparks faced four batters with one walk allowed and one strikeout.

Conlon, reaching the 100-hit mark for his high school career, had three in the opener. He singled and scored on Daughtry’s sacrifice fly in the fourth. He ripped the only extra-base hit for Veterans, a two-run double that ended the game in the fifth.

GAME 2

Warhawk bats produced 10 straight singles before Zach Wilkes had the one and only extra-base hit of the nightcap, a fifth-inning RBI double.

Veterans only had one hit, though, in the first inning, that from Dugan. He was retired, though, when Conlon’s high chopper was speared by the third baseman for a force play. The Warhawks still had two on with two outs when Gay, the starting pitcher, threw away a pick-off attempt.

Burke recorded the inning-ending out at second base, and that allowed the Bears to take the early 1-0 lead for the second time. Facing left-hander Brett Decker, Burke loaded the bases and scored on a hit batter. Decker also struck out the side, leaving the bases loaded.

He went on to fan three in a row in the second and wound up with seven in all after a scoreless third.

Gay wasn’t in danger of running up a pitch count as the Warhawks scored six times in the top of the second. Playing as the visitors on the scoreboard, Veterans had three straight first-pitch hits among the seven for this turn.

Johnson reached on an infield single to lead off, and Daughtry pulled a hit to right for first-and-third. King crushed a first pitch to tie the game, and then Wilkes put the first delivery he saw on the ground. That set up Kal Dempsey’s first-pitch two-run single (3-1).

Burke gave up one more while overthrowing a double-play try. Dugan singled (on a full-count pitch), and with two down Wells’ base hit brought in two for 6-1.

Lefty R.J. Skeen pitched the remaining two innings for Coffey. He faced seven batters and gave up one hit, an infield safety to Jay Dye (great-nephew of former Auburn football coach Pat Dye).

Veterans ended this game scoring six more times in the top of the fifth. Wilkes’ double brought in one run.

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