Now that May is almost here, the Georgia high school state playoff season is in full swing. For the Pickens baseball team, this has become an annual occurrence on the calendar. This season is no exception, as the Dragons registered a first-round victory over Cairo, last week, by the scores of 10-0 and 13-1.
Ranked #3 heading into the tournament, the Dragons upped their season record to 29-3 while making quick work of the Syrupmakers last Friday night. By doing so, Pickens will now move onto the second round of the GHSA playoffs by hosting Adairsville this week in another best-of-three series.
Pickens notched their 13 and 14th state playoff wins over the past four seasons by limiting Cairo to only two hits in the doubleheader while hammering out 23 hits of their own. The Dragon pitching staff combined to strikeout 20 Cairo batters while walking only six in the two games.
Pickens took command early in the first game with a five-run second inning and steadily increased the lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings before ending the game via the mercy rule with a three-run sixth inning. Senior catcher Kam Jenkins paced the offense with three hits, two runs driven in and a run scored that also included a long home run to left field. Junior outfielder Matthew Davis also had a solid game at the plate with two hits, two runs driven in and a run scored.
That would be more than enough offense for senior pitcher A.J. Rice, who pitched 5.0 innings of hitless mound work to earn the win. He recorded 12 strikeouts while walking three to increase his career pitching record to 37-3 over his four-year career.
The Dragons were right back on the offensive in the game two as they exploded for 13 runs in the first four innings to seal the game away early. After a scoreless first inning, Pickens post three runs in the second inning before posting five runs in both the third and fourth innings to cap the 13-1 victory. The Dragons posted 14 hits and three walks to overwhelm the Syrupmakers’ pitching staff. Jenkins capped off a big night at the plate with two more hits while senior Christian Starks not only pitched a gem on the mound but also went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs driven in and three runs scored. Davis and Rice each contributed a pair of hits with Davis knocking in three and scoring once while Rice contributed a home run while knocking in four and scoring another three.
Starks, who was making only his fourth start of the year on the mound, earned the win as he pitched 4.0 innings and allowed only one hit and one run while striking out five. Junior reliever Dylan Walls came on to pitch the fifth inning and struck out two to close out the win.
By securing the series, the Dragons will advance to their fourth Sweet 16 appearance in the past four years and will once again play host for another playoff series. It will also mark the eighth playoff series Pickens will play host to over that same period. The Dragons welcomeed Adairsville earlier this week with a doubleheader at Dunn Field. If a third game played, the first pitch will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
“Adairsville is a talented team and well-coached,” said Pickens head man Adam Williams. “Coach (Billy) Roper has been there a long time and his teams always show up ready to play. This year will be no different. They played in a really good region this year and they are battle-tested. We will have to play solid baseball in every phase and limit our mistakes. The season can end at any point from here on out, so every little detail matters if we want to keep playing.”
Adairsville enters tonight’s series with a 20-11 record overall after finishing in 4rd place in region 7-AAA with a 10-8 mark in region play. The Tigers reached the second round by virtue of a two-game sweep last Friday over Douglass by the scores of 15-0 and 12-2. This visit will mark the second time that Adairsville has come to Pickens for a state playoff series in two seasons, as the Dragons beat the Tigers to open the 2024 playoffs by the scores of 10-2 and 5-4.
