Madison County’s baseball team added two crucial wins in the past week. Blanking Habersham County last Wednesday, then obliterating Clarke Central Monday night, the boys were ready for the final two games before region tournament play.
On Wednesday, Madison County headed to Flowery Branch to face the Falcons.
The Falcons had their wings clipped Monday night as Winder-Barrow routed them in five innings, 11-0, to take over the sub-region top spot. Madison County looked to defeat Flowery Branch as well. Results from Wednesday's game were unavailable at press time.
Still ahead this week, the Red Raiders host Prince Avenue in a makeup from a postponed game earlier. The Wolverines take on Madison County at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23.
Next week the region tournament begins on Wednesday as the 8-AAAA north and south clash to determine seeding for the state playoffs.
After last week’s games, the Red Raiders improved to 13-7.
Madison County defeated Habersham Central 7-0, last Wednesday as Madison County had good luck in the even innings.
The Red Raiders got things rolling in the second inning, putting two runs on the board. With one out on the board, Bo Hardman doubled. Will McCarty went in as the courtesy runner and would score from second after the catcher fumbled the ball in the dirt on a swing and miss by Jarrett Seawright. Seawright reached first, and McCarty scored while the throw went to first.
Seawright stole second and later scored the second run after a grounder off the bat of J. Ben Hardman.
The Red Raiders extended their lead in the fourth, scoring four runs. Steven Tiller smacked a single that scored two off loaded bases. Haden Martin popped a sac fly over first base that allowed the runner on third to reach.
In the sixth inning, the final run was scored on off Martin’s two out, single.
On the mound, Matt Savage started and added his sixth win for the Red Raiders, improving to 6-1 on the season. Pitching four shutout innings, Savage only allowed two hits and three walks while fanning three. Alex Jordan came on to close down the shutout, pitching three innings for two strikeouts, two hits and a walk.
After the shutout over Habersham, the boys squared off against Heritage Friday evening. Heritage won 8-5.
Heritage got ahead quickly, scoring five in the first inning off an error, a double, two hit batters and a grand slam.
Madison County got on the board in the third as Dylan Chandler crossed the plate off an RBI single from J. Ben Hardman. Heritage responded in the bottom of the third with three additional runs. Reaching again on error, hit batter, a walk, a single and another error that allowed two runs to score.
Martin scored in the fifth after a lead off single got him on base.
Down by six, the Red Raiders buckled down in the sixth inning, as Seawright led off with a solo homer over the left fence. Josh Dalton reached on error then moved around the bags as Martin doubled and D. Chandler singled in both to close the scoring.
From the mound, Aaron Benner started and took the loss, pitching two and two-third innings, allowing eight runs, five earned off only three hits with three hit batters, two walks and one strikeout. Lance Chandler and D. Chandler combined for the remaining three and one-third innings to shutdown Heritage.
Monday night, Madison County annihilated Clarke Central during Senior Night. In a 17-3 game the Red Raiders earned their 13th win.
The deep, 11 man, senior line up was recognized prior to the game. Seniors include Aaron Benner, Lance Chandler, Dylan Chandler, Kyle Dean, Zach Escoe, J. Ben Hardman, Haden Martin, Matt Savage, Jarrett Seawright, Jordon Thomas and Steven Tiller.
