Pirates Win 3-2 Over Statesboro
The Appling County baseball team played their first home game of the 2012 campaign on Saturday, February 25 against the Statesboro Blue Devils. Throwing out the first pitch was Brayden Simmons who was injured in a recent golf cart accident and had extensive head injuries from the accident. The weather was more suitable for a Friday night football game than baseball with temperatures ranging in the low 60’s at game time.
The cool air did not seem to bother the Pirates’ starting pitcher Byron Buxton. He pitched into the fourth inning without a runner reaching base. He allowed just one earned run on one hit in his five innings of work. The Devils’ first hit came in the fifth inning. Junior Josh Deen came on in relief in the sixth and allowed an unearned run on two hits. Final score was 3-2 in favor of the Pirates.
The Statesboro starting pitcher, Kendrick Thompson had trouble finding the strike zone in the first inning. He walked Josh Barber to start the game. The next batter, Jeremy Ammons was hit by a pitch. After a fielder’s choice erased Barber on the basepaths, Kyle Miller walked to load the bases. Devin Causey followed Miller and drew another walk to plate the Pirates’ first run of the day. The inning ended on a line drive double play off the bat of Guner Sellers, started by a diving catch by the Blue Devil second baseman to double up Miller at second.
The Pirates could only muster five total hits, Josh Barber had a double. Byron Buxton delivered two hits; a double and a triple. Guner Sellers collected two hits of his own and was robbed of a third.
RBI’s would be earned by Devin Causey (walk) Kyle Miller (groundout) and Byron Buxton (hit).
Pirates Beat Ware
The Pirates varsity visited the Ware County Gators of Region 2AAAA on Thursday night, February 23 and came away with a 6-1 win. The Pirates’ bats were held in check most of the night. They could manage only five hits on the evening.
The game began with promise as the Pirates plated three runs on just two hits. Josh Barber lead off with a walk. Jeremy Ammons followed Barber with a single. Kyle Miller walked as well to load the bases. A wild pitch by the Gator pitcher would allow Barber to scamper home for the first run of the game. After Guner Sellers walked Gage Patton hit a ball down the first base line to drive home two runs to make the score 3-0 in favor of the visitors.
The Pirates would not score again until the top of the fourth inning. Juston Javis was hit by a pitch, stole second and later scored on a throwing error by the pitcher.
In the top half of the seventh inning the Pirates plated two more runs after two back-to-back walks to Buxton and Miller to start the inning. They would later score on a double over the centerfielders head by Guner Sellers.
Josh Barber toed the rubber for the Pirates to start the game and pitched well. He would pitch four scoreless innings before giving way to Mathew Shumans. Shumans would give up the only Gator run allowed on the night in the fifth inning on two hits. Shumans pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the sixth.
Jeremy Ammons came on in the seventh to try to close it out but struggled to find the strike zone. Ammons walked the bases loaded before Byron Buxton came on in relief to close the game. Buxton struck out the side on eleven pitches.
Two Pitchers Combine for No-hitter in Opener
Senior Byron Buxton and Junior Josh Deen combined to pitch a no-hitter in a four-inning game in Alma Monday night, February 20. Both pitchers were dominant, allowing only one base runner all night. The Pirates banged out fourteen hits and four homeruns in the rout of the Raiders. The Pirates won handily, 15-0.
The Pirates struck early and often on the hometown Raiders. Josh Barber lead off the game by reaching on an error. Jeremy Ammons followed with a double to move Barber to third. Byron Buxton followed with a double of his own to drive home Ammons. Buxton would later score on a Devin Causey single. The score after one inning was 2-0 Pirates.
The Pirates would plate five more runs in the top of the second. The big blow was a two-run homer by Jeremy Ammons to left field. Josh Barber added a single run in the third with a solo homerun.
The Pirates would seal the game in the top of the fourth with two more solo homeruns by Senior Kyle Miller and Junior Guner Sellers. They would put a seven run inning together to reach the mercy rule.
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