Raiders down Hab then drop 2 as offense sputters, errors made

The Raiders are now 7-10 overall this season, with a 4-3 record in the sub-region and 5-5 region record.

Madison County was scheduled to host Clarke Central Wednesday, but results weren’t available as of press time. The team has five games remaining in the regular season: vs. Loganville at 6:30 p.m. Friday, at Flowery Branch, April 16; vs. Flowery Branch, April 18; at Salem, April 20; and vs. Prince Avenue, April 21.

Here’s a look at Raider baseball action over the past week:

Clarke Central 6 Madison County 1

Madison County struggled at the plate and in the field Monday in a road loss at Clarke Central.

The Red Raiders, who gave up four unearned runs in the first two innings off of four errors, fell to the Gladiators 6-1 in Athens.

Madison County opened the first and second innings with back-to-back errors. The Gladiators jumped on top in the first on an RBI single and a passed ball that allowed a run. After two Red Raider errors in the second inning, Clarke Central pulled ahead 4-0 on a two-run triple.

The picture wasn’t much better at the plate.

Madison County struggled all day versus starter Patrick Matthews and managed just two hits: a single by Zeke Smallwood in the top of the third and an RBI single by Daniel Brooks in the top of the sixth that scored Will McCarty, who was hit by a pitch.

Madison County’s Brock Turner took the loss, allowing six runs — four unearned, four hits and two walks, while striking out nine in six innings. Lee Griffeth pitched an inning in relief.

Turner fell to 3-3 on the season, with a .93 ERA. He’s given up 29 hits and 16 walks, while fanning 66 batters in 37 2/3 innings.

Heritage 8 Madison County 1

It took just two innings for the Heritage Patriots to steal a win from the Raiders at the tail end of Madison County’s spring break Friday.

Heritage posted four runs in each of the third and fourth innings to defeat the Raiders 8-1 last Monday in Danielsville. The Patriots sent nine men to the plate in the third inning and used a two run homer from Matt Reeves and also took advantage of two Raider errors to jump on top. Madison County committed a throwing error on a bunt attempt and later committed an outfield error to open up the flood gates for Heritage. The Patriots added four more to their lead in the fourth inning after sending eight men to the plate, with the first four reaching base. A double, a bunt single, a walk and an error allowed the Patriots to build to their lead ending the night for Raider starter Lee Griffeth midway through the fourth inning.

Griffeth was the pitcher of record, allowing all eight runs on seven hits, four walks, while striking out two batters in three innings of work. Griffeth departed midway through the fourth inning without recording an out, giving way to Austin Dean who inherited two runners on base. Dean worked the next three innings, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out one batter. Brock Turner tossed the final inning allowing one hit, while striking out one batter.

Madison County was held hitless until Logan Pace opened the third inning with a single to right. Pace was left stranded after both Griffeth and Daniel Townsend was victim to back to back strikeouts to end the inning. The Raiders made an attempt to push home their first runs of the game in the fourth inning. Daniel Brooks opened the frame with a single to right and advanced to second after the Patriots’ second baseman couldn’t handle a grounder off the bat of Alex Jordan. Brooks ended up at third base on a wild pitch that also moved Jordan into scoring position at second. Both runners were left on base when the inning ended on a grounder back to the mound by Hayden Frey.
Madison County was able to push across their only run coming in the bottom of the sixth inning. Daniel Townsend lined a double to the gap in left center field and moved to third on a wild pitch before crossing home on Heritage’s second error of the game. Madison County then went quietly in the final inning allowing the Patriots to leave town with the 8-1 win.
The Raiders stranded a total of 4 men on base while visiting Heritage left 7 runners hanging. Daniel Brooks, Logan Pace, and Daniel Townsend had the only 3 hits of the night for the Raiders.

Madison County 8 Habersham 7

Madison County rallied from a late deficit to top Habersham Central 8-7 in eight innings on the road April 4.
The Raiders jumped ahead early, posting two runs in the top of first on an RBI double by Brock Turner and a sacrifice fly RBI by Alex Jordan.

But the lead was short-lived as the Raiders from Mt. Airy answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. However, Madison County rallied for three runs in the top of the third on a two-run single by Jordan and an RBI on a sacrifice fly by Hayden Frey. Habersham answered with a run in the bottom of the third and three in the bottom of the fifth to carry a 7-5 lead into the sixth.

The boys from Danielsville then knotted the score in the sixth on an RBI on a sacrifice fly by Daniel Brooks and a bases loaded walk by Jordan.

Neither team scored in the seventh. Madison County scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth when Brooks, who smacked a one-out triple, scored on a wild pitch.

Frey picked up the win for Madison County, pitching three innings in relief for Jordan, who went five innings as the starter. Frey gave up no runs and fanned two batters, improving to 3-0 on the season with a 2.07 ERA.

Daniel Townsend led the Raiders at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple. Brooks was 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Turner was 2-for-2 with two doubles, an RBI and three walks, while Jordan was 1-for-2 with four RBIs.