Pope right-handed pitcher Braden Zarbnisky hasn’t allowed an earned run in 21 innings this season, and that includes a seven-inning perfect game on Monday in a 4-0 victory over Wheeler. Zarbnisky needed only 57 pitches and struck out five. He also went 3-for-3 at the plate.
A West Virginia signee, Zarbnisky has struck out 18 in his 21 innings, and opposing hitters are batting just .127 against him. Pope is 6-4 heading into Monday's game at nationally ranked Lassiter. Zarbnisky will get the start.
''Braden is a true pitcher,'' Pope coach Jeff Rowland said. "He competes on the mound. He has three pitches that he can throw for a strike in any count, which makes him really tough to hit. West Virginia is getting a good one with him.''
Locust Grove wins 10 straight with pitching
Locust Grove has won 10 straight games after an opening-season loss to Union Grove. That includes victories over Roswell (5-2 in AAAAAA), Allatoona (5-2 in AAAAA) and Mary Persons (10-2 in AAAA). Locust Grove has given up only seven earned runs in eight games. Senior Tyler Sellers (Georgia Regents signee) has pitched 13 innings with 24 strikeouts and no earned runs allowed. Sophomore Ethan Lindow has allowed two runs in 14 1/3 innings and struck out 26. Junior Christian Young has allowed one run in 11 innings and struck out 15. Cotton Bailey, a sophomore shortstop, is batting .424.
Union Grove (9-1) has 10 college signees
Union Grove is 9-1 overall and 6-0 in its subregion of Region 4-AAAAA with victories over Northgate, McIntosh, Stockbridge, Mundy’s Mill and Forest Park. The Wolverines have 10 seniors who have signed or committed to play sports in college, eight in baseball, two in football. They are P Shane Tucker (Georgia), P/DH A.J. Spencer (Middle Tennessee), P Chris Blackwood and OF Jake McFarland (Andrew College), 1B Josh Peters, P Cameron Williams and Casey Selfe (Young Harris) and P David Craft (Andrew College). The football players are Conner Barnell and Jonathan Slade (LaGrange). Athletics director Nicholas Ellis notes that the baseball team is hoping to join the school’s other high finishers for 2014-15 that includes the boys’ cross country team (seventh at state), softball team (fourth), cheerleading team (second) and wrestling team (third).
Norcross beats Archer 15-14 in nine
Hitting hadn’t been Norcross’ forte this season (.239 batting average vs. 3.53 ERA), but the Blue Devils scored a 15-14 victory this week in nine innings against Archer. Sophomore Baron Radcliff was 4-5 with a single, double, two home runs, three runs scored and eight RBI. Also boosting their batting statistics were Jacob Gassert (3-4 with two doubles, one triple) and Zack Walch (3-4, two stolen bases). Norcross is normally a good pitching team. Brooks Buckler (2-1) has a 0.55 ERA over 25 2/3 innings.
Linescore:
Archer 5-2-0-1-1-4-1-0-0 – 14-13-1
Norcross 3-1-5-0-2-0-3-0-1 – 15-15-1
Newnan QB has hot hand on mound
Newnan quarterback Chancellor Johnson is being recruited in football by LSU, Alabama and others, but he’s leading Newnan’s baseball to a 8-3 start, 4-0 in Region 3-AAAAAA. Johnson is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Junior right-hander Sawyer Steele (2-1, 0.66 ERA) is another top Cougar pitcher. Senior Matt Thomley has added depth to the staff after pitching a complete-game shutout last week against Sandy Creek. He pitched to 23 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of them. Thomley added four shutout innings against cross town rival East Coweta in a 2-1 win in nine innings Tuesday night. The Cougars are led offensively by junior LF Brady Barnes (.450, 11 runs, 10 RBI), junior 1B Anthony Marino (.486) and senior Caleb McElwaney (.378, 12 RBI). McElwaney has signed with Mercer.
Pacelli is 8-3 after 3-win season in 2014
St. Anne-Pacelli, which won only three games last season, is 8-3 and sporting a five-game winning streak this spring under coach Randy Grace. The team is led in hitting by senior Adam Hughes (.414, 11 RBI), sophomore Avery Ross (.484, 17 runs, 11-for-11 in stolen bases) and senior Lee Holman (.467). On the mound, senior Eric Hughes is 3-0 in four starts.
Georgia-signed Talley leads Charlton County
Charlton County, a state champion in 2013 and 2014, is ranked No. 1 in the first Class A public-school power rankings. Charlton is 8-2 overall and 6-0 in Region 7-A. SS/P L.J. Talley, a Georgia signee, is batting .480 with four home runs and 11 RBI. CF/P Scott Birchall is batting .400 with 11 RBI. Bandon Dell is 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA. All are seniors.
McIntosh’s Plant holds opponents scoreless through 14
Junior Drew Plant (2-0) has opened the season with 14 scoreless innings for McIntosh (10-3). He had a four-inning no-hitter against Woodland-Stockbridge. Shortstop Duke Kinamon, who also is the football team’s quarterback, is hitting .516 with two home runs, 21 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. He has signed to play at Stanford. Tyler Mowry, the second baseman, has a .500 on-base average and has scored 18 runs with 12 steals. He has signed with Merchant Marines. McIntosh plays Northgate on Saturday in a key subregion game in 4-AAAAA.
Tift County ends Lee County winning streak
Georgia Tech-committed pitcher Connor Thomas of Tift County (10-3) pitched an 84-pitch, 1-hour, 10-minute shutout of Lee County this week. The 2-0 decision ended Lee County’s nine-game winning streak and put Tift, Lee and Valdosta in a three-way tie for first place in Region 1-AAAAA, each with 3-1 records. Thomas, a junior, is 5-0 with an 0.78 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 36 innings.
Chabut makes return from ACL for Loganville
Loganville, a Class AAAAA quarterfinalist last season, is only 6-3 but has wins over several Class AAAAAA teams. The Red Devils are strong on the mound with three junior starters: Mitchell Miller (Mississippi state commit), Drew Franklin and Timothy Elliott. Senior Lucus Cloud (Gordon State College) is the team’s closer. Senior David Chabut (Kennesaw State) made his debut this week after missing the first part of the season with an ACL tear from the fall. He got a hit and scored a run against Winder-Barrow.
Elbert County grads meet in Eastside-Rockdale game
Eastside is 9-2 under first-year coach Bruce Evans., and Rockdale County is 5-6 under new coach Jonathan Brewer. Both are from Elbert County, where Evans coaches for many years, six with Brewer as his assistant coach. This season, they opened the season against each other with a double-header. Rockdale won the first game, giving Brewer his first career victory. Eastside won the second game, giving Evans his 100th career win.
‘Vastly improved’ Macon County exceeds 2014 win total
Macon County is only 5-8, but that’s already better than last season’s 5-18 finish. Coach Jimmy Hughes calls his team ‘’vastly improved.’’ Shortstop Corbin Williams (.450), right fielder Robert Miller (.421) and infielder Dylan Dunn (.414, 13 SB) are among the region leaders in hitting. ‘’We have made strides and look to shock some of the region leaders,’’ Hughes said.
Tattnall Square 11-0 in first GHSA season
Tattnall Square of Macon, playing its first season in the GHSA after the move from GISA, is 11-0 with victories over George Walton Academy, Athens Christian (twice), Veterans (AAAA), First Presbyterian Day and Calvary Day. Top performers include seniors Cole Gaylord (.467, five HR, 16 RBI), and Jonathan Ward (.412, 15 runs) and juniors Nick DiPonzio (.406, four doubles) and Cory Bartholomew (.385, 15 RBI, six extra-base hits). Bartholomew is 5-0 as a pitcher with 27 strikeouts in 18 inings and an 0.39 ERA).
FPD throws two no-hitters in a week
First Presbyterian Day pitchers have thrown two no-hitters in the past week. On March 13, Sam Jones allowed no hits over five innings in a 9-0 victory over Glascock County. He struck out six. On March 16, Austin Cox, who has signed with Mercer, allowed no hits over four innings in a 13-1 victory over Rutland. He struck out seven. Tyler Stubbs pitched final inning and struck out two.
Briefly …
Holy Innocents’ senior right-hander Sam Herrick started the season 3-0 with 19 scoreless innings. The streak was snapped this week in a loss to Greater Atlanta Christian. … Westlake sophomore Drew Bolden pitched a one-hit, six-inning shutout in a 5-0 victory over Douglas County that was Westlake’s fifth straight victory. … Columbia senior Trent Nash was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run and six RBI in a recent 8-1 victory over Chamblee. … Harrison beat Hillgrove 3-2 this week on a suicide squeeze in the 10
th
inning. Jayso Cook laid down the bunt, scoring Cole Austin, who had tripled. … GAC’s Peyton McGuire was 3-for-3 with seven RBI and a home run in a 16-6 victory over Southwest DeKalb.
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