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Varsity Baseball – April 30
CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS –
DYLAN KELLY, LOGAN LAPAGLIA, MARY ALICE MCBURNEY
Senior Night Season Finale
Filled with Drama, as Knights beat Kell 10-9 with Walk-off Homerun
Senior
night was a resounding success this year, both on and off the
field. The night began with
recognition of our 3 seniors – catcher Dylan Kelly and diamond dolls
Logan LaPaglia and Mary Alice McBurney – and ended with dinner on the
field for the seniors, their families, and the varsity players. In between, fans were treated to
one whale of a ballgame.
Before the night was done, seven Knights had hit for a
combined 12 for 24, scoring 10 runs, and Dylan Kelly had wrapped up
his senior season with a 3 for 4 performance, with a double and a run
scored.
Sophomore
pitcher Dustin Beggs, left hand still in a cast, took the mound for
his second varsity start.
Beggs battled the Longhorns for 3 2/3 innings, and then handed
the reins to reliever Andrew Short.
The Longhorn batters were tough outs for both pitchers, just
as they had been for Centennial pitchers in the loss at Kell earlier
in the season.
The
game started slowly for the Knights, who fell behind 3-0 in the first
inning, 4-0 in the second, and 5-0 by the middle of the third. It could have been worse for
Centennial, but right fielder Wright McCraney cut down a Longhorn
runner at the plate, with a beautiful inning ending, 9-2 double play
in the 2nd.
McCraney
also led a Centennial comeback in the bottom of the 3rd, with
a leadoff walk, followed by a base hit by Dylan Kelley, and another
walk by Andrew Short, loading the bases for cleanup hitter Patrick
Sammons. With nowhere to put
another base runner, Sammons got a 2-0 fastball on the inside corner
of the plate, and drove it into the left field corner for a 2-run
double. Nick Kuse, coming off
a 3-4 hitting performance at Roswell, was next up to the plate. Kuse wasted no time, driving the
first pitch he saw into left-center field for an RBI single. Daniel Karseboom was the next
hitter to draw blood, with a sacrifice fly to left that would score
Sammons for the 4th run of the inning. The rally would end there, but
Centennial had cut Kell’s lead to just one run.
The
game became a defensive battle for both sides in the 4th
inning. Kell started off with
a pair of singles, but then center fielder Andrew Short put on a
defensive show to take control of the inning. With runners at 2nd and
3rd and no outs, Short corralled a fly ball and then fired
a bullet to Dylan Kelly, cutting down the runner at home for an 8-2
double play. Short then came
in to pitch in relief, and struck out the first batter he faced to
end the inning.
Not
be outdone, however, Kell pitcher Evan Koch responded by striking out
the side in the bottom of the inning.
Kell then tacked on another run in the 5th, and
entered the bottom of that inning with a 6-4 lead.
Andrew
Short led off the 5th for the Knights with a single, and then
a stolen base, to set up a runner in scoring position for Patrick
Sammons. Once again, after
taking a couple of pitches off the plate, Sammons got a 2-0 fastball
on the inside corner. This time
he turned on the pitch and launched a towering drive toward the pine
trees behind the left field fence. The ball landed somewhere in the
second grove of trees, and Sammons began his homerun trot, but was
called back when the umpire called the ball foul. Coach Hill argued the call, but the
ball had left the field too far above the foul pole for a definitive
view, and his argument fell on deaf ears. Sammons returned to the plate and
settled in for the next pitch, which he drove into the right-center
field gap. Short scored, and
Sammons hustled into 3rd for a stand-up triple. The triple ended Koch’s night on
the mound, and Nick Kuse stepped up to the plate to face a new
pitcher. This time Kuse took
the first pitch for a strike, and then drove the next one into
right-center for a game-tying RBI single. Daniel Karseboom then reached on an
error by the Kell shortstop, setting up runners at 1st and
2nd. Christian
Peterson laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt just a few inches into
the infield grass, but the Longhorn 1st baseman couldn’t
haul in the throw, so Peterson reached 1st safely and Kuse
scored on the error. The
Knights had taken their first lead of the game, 7-6.
The
lead would be short-lived.
Kell charged back in the 6th, scoring 3 on an
error, single, and homerun.
They would hold the 9-7 lead until the bottom of the 7th
inning.
The
Knights entered the bottom of the last inning still down 2 runs, with
the 6, 7, and 8 batters coming to the plate. Freshman Ken Taylor led off the
inning with a ground ball to short, and hustled to first when the
Kell shortstop couldn’t find the handle. With Taylor aboard, Daniel
Karseboom singled, placing runners at 1st and 2nd
with no outs. Christian
Peterson then laid down his second perfect bunt of the game, to set
up 2 runners in scoring position with one out. After a groundout to 3rd,
leadoff hitter Wright McCraney came to the plate, with 2 outs and
still down by 2 runs.
McCraney, normally a hot hitter, had been in a slump and was
hitless for the night.
McCraney patiently took two balls, and then looked for
something to drive on the 2-0 count.
Kell relief pitcher Grant Morgan didn’t disappoint him. McCraney launched the ball over the
right field fence and onto the practice football field, for a 2-out,
3-run walk off homerun.
McCraney was mobbed at the plate, and both the game and the
season had a storybook ending.
Hitting
Wright
McCraney 1-4 1 R 3 RBI Walk-off
Homerun
Dylan
Kelly 3-4 1 R 2 B
Andrew
Short 1-2 2 R
Patrick
Sammons 3-4 2 R 3 RBI 2 B 3 B
Nick
Kuse 2-4 2 RBI
Ken
Taylor 1-4 1 R
Daniel
Karseboom 1-2 1 R 1 RBI
Pitching
Dustin
Beggs 3
2/3 IP 5 R 10
H 1 K 1 BB
Andrew
Short W 3 1/3 IP 4 R 5 H 5
K 0 BB
Congratulations to the following players for being
selected to the 2010 All Region Team!
1st Team: Jay Baum & Dylan Kelly
2nd Team: Stuart Mals, Sean Muller & Patrick Sammons
Honorable Mention: Wright McCraney
& Andrew Short
Varsity Baseball – April 28
Big Inning Spoils Roswell
Sweep – Roswell 7, Centennial 5
Centennial
travelled to Roswell hoping to for their second big win over the once-mighty
cross town rival Hornets this year.
This time however, it would be the Knights who would bring a
decimated 13-man roster to face a relatively healthy Roswell
team. Even so, it was
Centennial who would have the upper hand for most of the game. The Knights outhit the Hornets 12
to 6, and new starters Ken Taylor, Nick Kuse, and Daniel Karseboom
hit for a combined 6 for 12, with 2 doubles, 3 runs scored, and 2
RBI. Kuse was the hitting star
of the day, going 3-4 at the plate with a double and scoring
twice. Mound ace Sean Muller
pitched 4 sparkling innings, and after Muller ran into trouble in the
5th, “Freshy” Taylor took the mound to shut the Hornets
down. The Knights charged back
with runs in the 6th and 7th, but it wouldn’t
be enough, and in just 2/3 of an inning the Hornets had struck for 7
runs and the win.
Hitting
Wright
McCraney 1-3 1 RBI
Patrick
Sammons 1-4 1 R 2 B
Andrew
Short 2-3 1 R 2 B
Ken
Taylor 2-4 1 R 1 RBI 2 B
Nick
Kuse 3-4 2 R 2 B
Daniel
Karseboom 1-4 1 RBI
Sean
Muller 2-3 1 RBI
Pitching
Sean
Muller L 4 2/3 IP 7
R 6 H 5 K 4 BB
Ken
Taylor 1 1/3 IP 0 R 0 H 0
K 0 BB
Varsity Baseball – April 23
Knights Take Care of
Campbell, 11-2
Centennial
steamrolled a struggling Campbell team on Friday night, winning a much
needed easy region game. The
game was a welcome respite on several fronts, resting pitchers,
offense and defense, and getting several young players in on varsity
action.
The
Knights struck early and hard, when leadoff batter Stuart Mals
rocketed a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall. The homerun was the 4th
for Mals this season, and the 26th overall for the
team. The lead was extended to
2-1 in the second inning, when Andrew Short was driven in by a single
off the bat of Christian Peterson.
The
Spartans cut the lead in half with their first run in the 4th,
but after that the game was all-Centennial. Good pitching and solid defense
kept Campbell off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, with the
exception of a lone run in the bottom of the 7th. The Knights outfield turned in a
number of nice plays, including a 9-3 double play from the arm of
Wright McCraney.
The Knights would bat around
back-to-back in the last 2 innings, burying the Spartans with a
combined 9 runs in the 6th and 7th. Patrick Sammons started things off
with a single in the 6th, and then hustled home from first
on Andrew Short’s 2-strike, RBI double. The Spartans almost stopped the
bleeding there, but freshman Max Valz reached with 2 outs on an error
by the Spartan 3rd baseman. Sean Muller made the Spartans pay
for the error with an RBI single to score Short, and Valz scored when
Stuart Mals doubled to the left field fence. Wright McCraney then singled to
drive in Muller, for a 4-run inning.
Up
6-1 going into the last inning, the Knights would add 5 more to make
it a blowout. Spartan pitching
disintegrated, either walking or hitting six Centennial batters. Then a sacrifice fly by Mals and
singles by Sean Muller and Wright McCraney slammed the door.
Sophomore
Dustin Beggs got the pitching start and the win, allowing just 1 run
on 6 hits, with 5 strikeouts over 5 innings - all while wearing a
cast on his injured left hand.
Andrew Short pitched the final 2 frames, with 1 run on 2 hits,
and 4 strikeouts.
Hitting
Stuart
Mals 2-4 1 R 3 RBI 2 B
Wright
McCraney 3-5 2 RBI
Patrick
Sammons 1-3 2 R
Andrew
Short 1-2 3 R 1 RBI 2 B
Christian
Peterson 1-3 1 R 1 RBI
Sean
Muller 2-3 1 R 2 RBI
Pitching
Dustin
Beggs W 5 IP 1 R 6 H 5 SO 2 BB
Andrew
Short 2 IP 1 R 2 H 4
SO 3 BB
Varsity Baseball – April 21
Wheeler 9, Centennial 6
The
one thing young Centennial hitters will have going for them in coming
seasons is plenty of experience against first class pitching. The Knights fell to Wheeler
Wednesday night, in a valiant effort against, once again, one of the
best pitchers in the state.
Wheeler junior Sam Bragg, sporting a 92-mph fastball and an
early scholarship offer from UGA, held the Knights to 6 runs on 6
hits and 7 strikeouts to secure the complete game win. The game was actually far from
Bragg’s best performance. He
had struck out 5 batters in 2 innings against Milton the previous
week, and then came back two days later and struck out Campbell’s
first 14 batters in a row, finishing the game for a total of 22
strikeouts in 9 innings pitched.
However
the Knights would battle Bragg from the start. Centennial got on the board early
when leadoff batter Stuart Mals was hit by a pitch in the 1st inning
and eventually scored. Mals
took first after a 1-2 pitch was bounced off his helmet, and was then
bunted to second by Wright McCraney.
Dylan Kelly then singled to move Mals to third, and a single
by Andrew Short drove him in for the Knight’s first run. The singles by Kelly and Short were
both crucial 2-out hits.
The
Knights struck again in the 3rd inning when once again a
batter, this time Patrick Sammons, was hit by the pitcher. Dylan Kelly followed up with his
second single in as many trips to the plate, a line drive to right
that moved Sammons to third.
Christian Peterson then walked to load the bases for freshman
shortstop Ken Taylor, filling in for the injured Jay Baum. Taylor stepped to the plate with 2
outs and bases loaded, in only his second varsity at-bat. Taylor responded to the challenge
with a 2-RBI single, scoring both Sammons and Kelly, and moving
Peterson to 3rd.
Taylor then stole 2nd base, to set up two runners
in scoring position for Daniel Karseboom. Karseboom lined the second pitch of
the at-bat into right center field, scoring Peterson and Taylor. The Knights had struck for 4 runs
in the inning, and sent 8 batters to the plate. This time all 4 runs had been
driven in by timely 2-out hitting.
Unfortunately
Centennial batters came up empty in the 2nd, 4th,
5th, and 6th, and even some acrobatic fielding
and a nifty 6-4-3 double play (Taylor-Karseboom-Sammons) could not
keep Wheeler at bay. A
relatively new and inexperienced infield (Daniel Karseboom, Sean
Muller, Andrew Short, Ken Taylor) responded to the challenge and
played well. Veteran Pat
Sammons made the case that 1st basemen can play defense
too, with a couple of diving plays. However, the Wildcats expanded a
6-5 lead with a late 3-run homer by the pitcher Bragg, to put the
game out of reach.
The
Knights did not go down easily, and tried once more to work some
2-out magic in the bottom of the seventh. After fouling several pitches and
ducking some 2-strike chin music, Patrick Sammons bounced a double
off the right field fence. Then Dylan Kelly, with 2 hits under his
belt, launched a deep fly ball to left. The left fielder got a glove on the
ball but couldn’t haul it in, and the ball bounced off the fence just
a few inches short of being a home run. Sammons scored and Kelly cruised
into 2nd, but the rally stalled there and Wheeler took
home the win.
Hitting
Patrick
Sammons 1-3 2 R 2 B
Dylan
Kelly 2-4 1 R 1 RBI
Andrew
Short 1-4 1 RBI
Ken
Taylor 1-3 1 R 2 RBI
Daniel
Karseboom 1-3 2 RBI
Varsity Baseball – April 16
Knights Fall in another
1-Run Loss - Lassiter 11, Centennial 10
Centennial
bats were on fire again at Lassiter.
The Knights scored 10 runs on 11 hits, with 3 doubles and the
team’s 3rd grand slam of the season. Eight Knights hit safely, and five
of them had multiple hits.
However, the offensive display was not enough to outslug a Lassiter
lineup that was both deep and powerful, and the Knights suffered yet
another heartbreaking 1-run loss.
The
fireworks began early with 3 hits in the first 4 Centennial
at-bats. Stuart Mals had a
leadoff single to start the game, and Wright McCraney then reached on
a fielder’s choice. A double
by Jay Baum put 2 runners in scoring position, and both scored when
Patrick Sammons drove a 3-2 fastball to left field.
In
the 3rd inning, Sammons reached on a 2-base throwing error
and was driven in when Dylan Kelly doubled up the middle. Kelly then scored on Christian
Peterson’s sacrifice fly.
After
a see-saw hitting battle over the first 3 innings, the Knights
seemingly blew the game open in the 4th. Sean Muller put the Knights into
business with a leadoff double.
Then McCraney walked and Baum singled to load the bases for
Sammons, who singled to drive in Muller. Kelly’s 3-2 single scored McCraney,
leaving the bases still loaded for Andrew Short. Short didn’t waste time, driving
the first pitch he saw over the fence for his 2nd homerun
of the year. Short’s grand
slam gave the Knights an impressive 10-6 lead after only 4 innings.
However,
pitching changes by Lassiter would bring the Centennial hitting
machine to a halt. The Knights
managed only one base runner over the last 3 innings, when Sammons
reached on an error in the 6th. Lassiter chipped away at the lead,
scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
Andrew
Short and Sean Muller pitched for the Knights, giving up 7 hits each to
the pesky Lassiter lineup.
Centennial’s defense played an outstanding game, committing
only 1 error and making several spectacular plays. Christian Peterson gets the web gem
play of the game for his diving left field catch in the 1st. Muller, Baum and Sammons combined
for a 4-6-3 double play, and sneaky catcher Dylan Kelley picked off
yet another base runner at 1st.
Hitting
Stuart
Mals 2-4
Jay
Baum 2-4 2 R 2 B
Patrick
Sammons 2-4 2 R 3 RBI
Dylan
Kelly 2-4 2 R 2 RBI 2 B
Andrew
Short 2-4 4 RBI GRAND SLAM
Sean
Muller 1-3 2 R 2
B
Pitching
Andrew
Short 6 R 7 H
Sean
Muller L 5 R 7 H
Varsity Baseball – April 14
Pope wins pitching duel,
2-1
Stuart
Mals pitched a near perfect complete game against the defending state
champs, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Greyhounds. However, late hit back-to-back home
runs by Pope scored the only 2 runs they would need to take the win.
Greyhound
pitching continued their trend of mastering opposing hitters. Centennial could muster just 4 hits
in the game. Jay Baum singled
in the 1st inning, Stuart Mals singled in the 3rd,
and Dylan Kelly singled in the 6th, but all were stranded
on base. The Knights lone run
came on a solo homerun by Sean Muller in the bottom of the 7th.
Centennial’s
surprising display of power hitting this season has fortunately been
overshadowed by inability to move base runners. In spite low scoring numbers
overall, 8 Knights have gone long this season, for a total of 21
homeruns in the first 19 games.
Hitting
Stuart
Mals 1-4
Jay
Baum 1-4
Dylan
Kelly 1-3
Sean
Muller 1-3 Homerun
Pitching
Stuart
Mals L 2 R Complete Game
Varsity Baseball - March 26
Sophomores Shutout Wheeler
for 2nd Straight Region Win – Centennial 2, Wheeler 0
A
strong Wheeler team with 2 Division 1 commits (Georgia, Miami) were
no match for Centennial sophomore pitchers Sean Muller and Andrew
Short. The young hurlers
combined for a 3 hit shutout, propelling the Knights past Wheeler in
the game as well as in the region 6-AAAAA standings. Muller got the start and the win,
pitching 6 nearly flawless innings and striking out 5. Short nailed down the save,
striking out 2 in the final frame.
The
Centennial runs came off a pair of back-to-back solo homeruns by
Stewart Mals and Wright McCraney.
It was the second homerun for both, bringing the team’s
homerun total to 13.
Hitting
Stewart
Mals 1-3 HR
Wright
McCraney 1-3 HR
Pitching
Sean
Muller 6 IP 0R 5K
Andrew
Short 1 IP 0R 2K
Varsity Baseball - March 24
Homerun Derby Overwhelms Walton
- Centennial 10, Walton 6
The
Knights’ hitting drought came to an end with a bang, with a home
field power display on Wednesday night. Stuart Mals hit the team’s second
grand slam of the season, and Andrew Short, Patrick Sammons, and Jay
Baum joined in the long-ball show to blast a total of 4 homeruns for
the home crowd. In addition to
the homers, Sean Muller joined Baum for a pair of triples, and
Sammons added a single for a 7-hit, 10-6 win.
Stuart
Mals got the pitching start and the win. It was Stuart’s 2nd win
of the season and the Knights’ 1st region win.
Hitting
Stuart
Mals 1-4 Grand
Slam 4
RBI
Jay
Baum 2-4
HR 3B 2R
Patrick
Sammons 2-4 HR 2 RBI
Andrew
Short 1-3 HR
Sean
Muller 1-3 3B 1R 1 RBI
Todd
Romano 2R
Pitching
Stuart
Mals W 5 IP 4R 6H 2K 3 BB
Andy
WInchester 2
IP 1H 2K 1 BB
Varsity Baseball - March 22
Knights Drop 4th
Straight - Lassiter 11, Centennial 2
The
Knights region woes continue, as they search for their first 6-AAAAA
win. Lassiter pounded out 11
runs on 13 hits Monday night, but Centennial bats remained
silent.
Jay
Baum, however, remained unfazed by the rest of the team’s hitting
slump. Baum had a perfect 3-3
night at the plate, hitting his 4th homerun and scoring
both the team’s runs.
Andrew
Short gets the loss, in his first pitching start of the year.
Hitting
Jay
Baum 3-3 2 R 1 RBI 1 HR
Patrick
Sammons 1-3
Trevor
Czerniawski 1
RBI Sacrifice Fly
Pitching
Andrew
Short L 4 IP 5 R 8 H 7 K 2 BB
Todd
Romano 2
IP 6 R 5 H 2 K
Varsity Baseball - March 19
Defending State Champs Roll
– Pope 6, Centennial 1
The
State Champion Pope Greyhounds have not lost a region game since May
1 of last year, and they would extend that streak on Friday evening
with a 6-1 win over Centennial.
Pope’s best pitcher, on his way to Auburn next season, held
the Knights to just 3 hits.
There
were several bright spots for the Knights. Relief pitcher Sean Muller chalked
up 7 strikeouts against the Greyhounds, holding them to just 1 run on
1 hit. Jay Baum combined 2
hits at the plate with some spectacular play in the field. Trevor Czerniawski had Centennial’s
other hit, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Short.
Hitting
Jay
Baum 2-3
Trevor
Czerniawski 1-2 1R
Andrew
Short Sac Fly 1 RBI
Pitching
Hunter
Young L 1 2/3 IP 5R 7H 2k 0BB
Sean
Muller 4
1/3 IP 1R 1H 7K
2BB
Varsity Baseball - March 18
Alpharetta Jinx continues -
Alpharetta 6, Centennial 1
In
spite of fielding some good teams with good records over the years, the
Centennial baseball senior class has never beaten Alpharetta. That dubious streak would not end
on Thursday night.
Alpharetta
took the lead early and never relinquished it, holding the Knights to
just one run. Centennial
scattered 5 hits over the first 6 innnings, but could not string
together enough offense to score a run. Sean Muller drove in the Knights
lone run in the 7th, but it would be too little, too
late. Meanwhile the Raiders
took advantage of solid hitting and Centennial errors to score 6.
Centennial
hitters and pitchers alike would struggle all night with an
inconsistent strike zone and inexplicable fielding errors, but that
seems to be par for the course when facing the Raiders.
Hitting
Stewart
Mals 1-2
Dylan
Kelly 1-3
Patrick
Sammons 1-3
Trevor
Czerniawski 1-3 1R
Sean
Muller 1-3 1RBI
Pitching
Stewart
Mals L 4 IP 5R 3ER 5H 4K 7BB
Andrew
Short 2
IP 1R 4H 3K 0BB
Varsity Baseball - March 16
Titans Outslug Knights -
Northview 13, Centennial 8
Eight
Centennial hits and eight runs, including a 2nd inning
grand slam, wasn’t enough to hold off a hot-hitting Northview team on
Tuesday. The young but
talented Titans team came to the game ranked 10th in the
state, and combined solid hitting with some sparkling defensive plays
to take the win.
The
Knights had a Jekyll and Hyde night at the plate. While Centennial batters 1 through
4 hit well, the rest of the lineup couldn’t figure out Titans hurler
Reggie McClain. Stewart Mals
and Dylan Kelley led the offensive charge for the Knights, with 3
hits each. Jay Baum added an
RBI hit and scored twice, and Patrick Sammons added an exclamation
point with the 2-out, 2nd inning grand slam. The four-bagger gave the Knights a
temporary lead in a game that was a see-saw battle in the early
going. However the Titans took
advantage of consistant hitting and Knights errors to seal away the
win.
Andy
Winchester and Andrew Short pitched for the Knights, with Winchester
suffering the loss.
Hitting
Stewart
Mals 3-4 2R
Dylan
Kelly 3-4 1R 1RBI 2B
Jay
Baum 1-2 2R 1 RBI
Patrick
Sammons 1-4 4RBI Grand Slam
Pitching
Andy
Winchester L 8R 6 H 5K 5BB
Varsity Baseball – March 9
Centennial Bats Explode for
13 Hits, 4 Homeruns
Knights 10, Wesleyan 6
Centennial
bats have shown signs of life for several games, but caught fire
Tuesday on the short field of nationally ranked Wesleyan. Beating the Wolves at their own
game, the Knights cranked out 10 runs on 13 hits, including 4 homeruns. Jay Baum hit 2 homeruns (his 2nd
and 3rd of the season) and Trevor Czerniawski and Wright
McCraney hit 1 homer each.
The
game was a seesaw battle for the first 2 ½ innings, with each team
scoring 1 run per inning. Then
starting Pitcher Hunter Young held the Wolves scoreless in the bottom
of the 3rd, but the Knights failed to improve on their 1
run lead in the top of the 4th. In the bottom of the 4th,
a 2-run homer gave the Wolves their first and only lead of the
game.
The
Wesleyan lead would be short-lived.
The Knights took the lead right back in the top of the 5th,
with a 2-run Jay Baum homerun.
Centennial would never trail again, adding 5 more in the 7th
to cushion the lead.
Hunter
Young pitched 4 solid innings, striking out 5 and picking up the win
in his first start of the season.
Wright McCraney pitched 2 shutout innings of middle relief,
and Andrew Short finished off the Wolves in the 7th.
Batting
Highlights
Eight
Batters – Stuart Mals, Jay
Baum, Dylan Kelly, Patrick Sammons, Andrew Short, Trevor Czerniawski,
Christian Peterson, and Wright McCraney – hit safely in the game.
Jay
Baum 3-3 2HR 2RBI
Patrick
Sammons 2-3 2RBI
Trevor
Czerniawski 2-4 HR 1RBI
Wright
McCraney 2-3 HR 1RBI
2B 2R
Pitching
Hunter
Young W 4IP 5Ks
Wright
McCraney 2IP
0R
Andrew
Short 1IP
1K
Varsity Baseball – March 8
Knights Mount Thrilling
Comeback to Top West Forsyth, 6-5
Centennial bats lay dormant for 5 innings on
Monday night, only to explode in the 6th to erase a 5-1
deficit to visiting West Forsyth.
When the inning was over, nine Knights had come to the plate
and Centennial had taken a 6-5 lead.
Jay Baum led off the 6th, and at
that time had posted the team’s only 2 hits, a triple and an
RBI. Baum
struck out, but after the pitcher missed (and lost) strike 3 Jay
hustled all the way to 2nd base. A line drive to left off the bat of
Patrick Sammons scored Baum for the inning’s first run. After back to back singles from
Andrew Short and Trevor Czerniawski, the bases were loaded with Sean
Muller at the plate. Muller
hustled down the line to beat out a ground ball to the right side,
and Sammons scored on the play.
Then Wright McCraney came to bat with 1 out and the bases
loaded, and blasted a line drive, 2-run double to tie the game. A sacrifice fly off the bat of
Stuart Mals, the inning’s 9th batter, would drive in the
eventual game-winning run.
Andy Winchester battled on the mound for 4
2/3 innings, striking out 3, but got little run support from the
offense. Todd Romano pitched
the final 2 1/3, holding the Wolverines scoreless to pick up the win.
Varsity Baseball – March 6
Knights Split 2-Game Road
Trip to South Georgia
Coach
Hill returned to his home town of Leesburg to play a Saturday double
header versus local Westover (Albany) and Lee County High teams. The day was quite an event, with a
big crowd in the stands and an Albany TV news cameraman there to film
the start of the Lee County Game.
The day resulted in a split for the Knights, with a win over
Westover and a loss to Lee County, but the big news for Centennial
was that the bats were beginning to show some real signs of life.
Centennial 7, Westover 2
The
Knights were in command for most of the Westover game, with solid
pitching and 7 hits from the lineup, plating 7 runs. Six Knights hit safely, with Stuart
Mals, Jay Baum, and Wright McCraney pounding out extra base
hits.
Patrick
Sammons got the pitching start and the win, holding the Patriots to 2
runs on 2 hits, and striking out 4.
Todd Romano then pitched 2 innings of shutout ball in middle
relief, and Andrew Short slammed the door with 2 strikeouts in the
final frame.
Hitting
Mals
2-3 1R 1 RBI 2B
Kelly
1-4 1R 2 RBI
Baum
1-3 2R 3B
Sammons
1-2 1R 2 RBI
Short
1-2 1 RBI
McCraney
1-3 1R 2B
Pitching
Sammons
W 4IP 2R 2H 4K 3BB
Romano
2IP 0R
Short
1IP 0R 2K
Centennial 10, Lee County 3
The
Knights had 13 good innings and just one bad inning at Leesburg. The 2nd inning of the
Lee County game almost ended with the score deadlocked at 0-0. However a controversial 2-out call
gave the home team new life, and they ran up a 6-0 lead before the
Knights could escape the inning.
The
Knights outhit the Trojans 8-7, but came up short on the
scoreboard. Stuart Mals and
Jay Baum both had perfect 2 for 2 days at the plate, Dylan Kelly was
2 for 3, and Patrick Sammons and Christian Peterson chipped in with a
hit each.
Outside
the suspect 1/3 inning, the Knights played well against a very good
Lee County team. The Trojans remained undefeated as they contend for
their 4th straight region championship. The region 1-AAAA powerhouse posted
a 23-4 record last year.
Hitting
Mals
2-2 1R
Kelly
2-3 1R
Baum
2-2 1R 1RBI 2B
Sammons
1-4
Peterson
1-2
Czerniawski
1RBI
Pitching
Mals 2IP
6 ER 5H 1K
1BB
Muller
3IP 2ER 2H 5K 4BB
McCraney
1IP 1R 1K
Varsity Baseball, February
23
Knights fall to Wesleyan
The nights suffered their first loss of the season
to nationally ranked Wesleyan on Thursday, 2/25. Pitching struggled for the first
time, and that, combined with missed opportunities in the field and
at the plate, resulted in a 10-3 home field loss. The Wolves scored 1
in the top of the first, but the Knights responded in the bottom of
the inning, with a 2-run homer off the bat of Jay Baum. However, Wesleyan scored 4 more in
the 3rd to take the lead for good. Centennial’s 3rd and
final run came in the bottom of the 4th when Wright
McCraney doubled, and was then driven in by Sean Muller.
There were some bright spots for the Knights. Baum continues to have a hot bat,
going 1 for 2 with the 2 RBI homerun. Wright McCraney was 1-2 with a
double. Sean Muller was 1-3
with 1 RBI, and Stuart Mals was 1-3 with a run scored. Hunter Young and Andy Winchester
both pitched well in relief, going one inning each, and not allowing
any runs.
The Wesleyan game is the first of eight games that
the Knights will play against teams with a preseason ranking in the
top 100 in the nation (Perfect Game USA). The remaining seven include a
second Wesleyan game, and 2 games each versus region rivals Roswell,
Pope, and Lassiter.
Varsity Baseball, February
23
Knights Pitching Shuts Out
Northview
Varsity pitchers Stuart Mals, Sean Muller, and
Andrew Short combined for 14 strikeouts on the way to a 3-hit shutout
at Northview on Tuesday night.
The season opening contest became a classic pitching duel,
with neither team able to score in regulation.
Mals started for the Knights, striking out 4 while
allowing only 1 hit for the first 3 innings. Northview threatened to take the
lead in the second inning, with base runners on 1st and 3rd
and 1 out. However, Mals
pitched out of the jam unscathed, striking out 2 in a row to end the
inning.
Muller took over in the 4th, racking up
7 strikeouts in 4 innings, while allowing just 1 hit. The Titans threatened once again in
the bottom of the 7th, loading the bases with no
outs. Muller then struck out
the next 2 batters, and got the 3rd to ground out to first
base.
The bats were silent on both sides, with
Centennial scratching out just 2 hits to Northview’s 3. However that was enough to score
the only run of the game in the top of the eighth. Christian Peterson ended the team’s
hitless streak by squeaking a line-hugging double by 1st base. Todd Romano then drove another
double to left center, scoring Christian.
Short then took the mound in the bottom of the 8th,
with the Knights up by one run.
He slammed the door on the Titans, allowing 1 hit and striking
out 3.
Offense:
Christian Peterson
1-3, 2B, Run scored
Todd Romano 1-1,
2B, Game winning RBI
Defense:
Stuart Mals 3IP,
0 R, 1H, 4Ks
Sean Muller Win,
4IP, 0 R, 1H, 7Ks
Andrew Short Save,
1IP, 0 R, 1H, 3Ks
VARSITY HOME OPENER
THURSDAY NIGHT, FEBRUARY 25, AT CENTENNIAL FIELD!
The
Knights will host perennial powerhouse Wesleyan, 2009 A and 2008 AA
State Champions.
Knights Baseball kicks off
the season with a scrimmage win over Woodstock
Varsity
baseball got off to a winning start with a 3-2 victory in last
Friday’s scrimmage with Woodstock.
Jay Baum led the offense with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, and a
stolen base. Sean Muller,
Dylan Kelley and Patrick Sammons also stepped in with timely hitting. Muller was 1 for 3. Kelley was 1 for 2, with a double,
and also scored. Sammons was 1
for 3, with a game tying RBI double in the bottom of the 5th
inning.
Six
pitchers saw action in the game – Stuart Mals, Dustin Beggs, Patrick
Sammons, Sean Muller, Todd Romano, and Andrew Short combined to hold
Woodstock to just 2 runs on 6 hits.
Mals set the pace with 3 strikeouts in the first inning,
leaving a frustrated Woodstock team with no runs after loading the
bases. After taking the lead
with a 2-run second inning, the Wolverine bats were shut down for the
rest of the night. Sammons
allowed just 1 hit in 2 innings pitched, striking out 2 along the
way. Romano chalked up the
win, hurling a hitless 6th inning. Short then nailed down the save,
striking out 2 for a hitless 7th. Knights pitching tallied 10
strikeouts for the night, while walking only 3.
The
festivities continued on Saturday with a full day at Centennial
field. Not only did all teams,
including the 8th grade Junior Knights, scrimmage each
other, but 18 former Knights did battle in the afternoon’s alumni
game. Several college and
professional players were present in the alumni ranks.
The
Knights official season opener is Tuesday, February 23 at Northview
(6:30 p.m.)
The
home opener is Thursday, February 25 vs. Wesleyan (5:30 p.m.)
JV
baseball opens Tuesday, February 23 at Dunwoody (5:55 p.m.)
Freshmen
open Thursday, February 25 at Milton (5:55 p.m.)
Complete
news, schedules and results are available at
www.centennialknightsbaseball.com.
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