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Sports

Dunwoody High baseball team rallies

Perfect week of 3-0 gives the team momentum

The Dunwoody High School baseball team turned around a slow start to the new season by winning three games last week to Centennial, Arabia Mountain and Cherokee high schools.

The successful week pulls the Wildcats up to 3-4-0, which might help provide a spark to a team that is entering play in its region.

Dunwoody recorded its first win of the season against Centennial early in the week, beating them 10-0.

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The bats came alive for the Wildcats in the game, and they also held the Knights scoreless with strong pitching.

Pitcher Logan Elliot played six innings, holding the AAAAA-team from Roswell to one hit while striking out two. He walked six.

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It was the offense that was the story of the game. Wildcat Jerric Johnson led off the 1st inning with a walk, and eventually was batted in by Jared Martin.

In the 4th Chris Hale led off the inning with a walk. Jerric Johnson hit a single, putting runners on first and third base.

Jerric Johnson stole second base, leaving first base open. Hitter Charlie Madden was intentionally walked. A passed ball on each of the next two batters scored Ryan Lavin, who was pinch running for Chris Hale, and Jerric Johnson. The Wildcats ended the inning with a 3-0 lead.

Dunwoody’s steady hitting scored a run in the 5th and 6th innings, widening the lead to 5-0.

The big inning of the night came in the 7th. Singles were notched by Jared Laidlaw, Jerric Johnson and James Cunningham.  Combined with doubles for Charlie Madden and James Farnell, Dunwoody ended the inning with a lead of 9-0.

Pitcher Ryan Gaines came in for relief work in the 7th inning, recording three outs on four batters to complete the shut out.

Johnson finished the game with outstanding offensive statistics, going 2-2 at the plate, recording three walks, scoring three runs and stealing four bases.

Dunwoody’s next contest came against Arabia Mountain on Saturday, and again the Wildcats’ offense overpowered their opponent.

Arabia Mountain, however was the first to score. Pitcher James Cunningham started off the game with a walk, a hit batter and a single. Tevin Martin scored and the Rams took a 1-0 lead.

It’s the only hit that James Cunningham would give up in the game.

Dunwoody’s offense awakened in the 5th inning. The first 10 batters in a row reached base in the bottom of the 4th inning. The Wildcats scoring centered around base hits to advance the runners.

James Farnell’s hit early in the inning brought home a runner, and Farnell was batted in to end the inning on a sacrifice fly from Will Hudgins.

Dunwoody faced Cherokee High School in the second game Saturday, their second contest against a AAAAA-team last week.

It would be another game with strong offensive output by the Wildcats. Dunwoody started the bottom of the 1st inning with a leadoff walk by Jerric Johnson and a double by Charlie Madden down the third-base line. Jared Martin then stepped up to the plate and knocked in a 3-run homer over the left-field wall.

After a walk by Adam Julian and hit from James Cunnigham, Zach Tonner reached base on an error that scores both runners. Dunwoody ended the 1st inning with a 5-0 lead.

Cherokee challenged in the top of the 3rd inning when three straight singles,  loading the bases and a walk and a hit-by-pitch scored two runs.

Another single scores a third run, but two nice defensive plays ended the Cherokee surge. Jerric Johnson made a diving stop at 2nd base, keeping runners from scoring and a diving catch of a line drive by Eric Yost at first ended the inning.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Dunwoody piled up another 5-run inning. The game was cut short by the run rule and Dunwoody wins 15-5.

This week, Dunwoody starts Region play at home Wednesday versus Miller Grove, and an away game at Douglas on Friday.

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