Wednesday, April 24, 2024
UPSON
BEACON
ig Lights Kaplng ttatdi on
Savannah Unfriendly to U-l Soccer, Tennis
Andrew Carroll
Sports Editor
acarroll@upsonbeacon.com
Upson-Lee soccer
made the long trip to Sa
vannah on April 18 with
both boys’ and girls’
teams facing Savannah
Country Day. However, it
was not meant to be for
the Knights, as the Hor
nets jumped out early in
both games.
For the Lady Knights,
the Hornets went up by
six goals before the end of
the second half, and the
Lady Knights were unable
to respond. The team
ended the season with a
record of 9-10, 3-5 in re
gion.
For the Knights, the
team came in sleepwalk
ing after the long trip
southeast. U-L surren
dered five goals within the
first 40 minutes of play.
Although U-L woke up
and kept the Hornets
from scoring again in the
second half, the Knights
were unable to cut into
the lead and dropped the
match 5-0.
The Knights ended the
season with a record of 11-
7, 3-5 in region. However,
compared to the 2023
boys’ soccer team, the
2024 rendition was a
markedly enhanced team
which improved from a
two-win season the year
prior to an 11-win season,
including a playoff ap
pearance in one of the
best regions in the state.
In a similar manner,
the U-L tennis teams
made a long drive to Sa
vannah on Tuesday, April
16, with the Knights drop
ping both games to Savan
nah Christian, 5-0.
Blakeney, Oglesbee Win Gold
at Doc Holiday Pickleball Tourney
Multiple Upson County Players Score Podium Finishes
The largest tournament
of the year for Spalding
County Pickleball Associa
tion was held April 12-14,
with the Doc Holiday Pick
leball Tournament draw
ing hundreds to the courts
of Wyomia Tyus Olympic
Park in Griffin.
Several Upson County
players picked up podium
finishes, and three fin
ished at the top of their re
spective divisions.
Pam Blakeney scored
gold in the women’s 2.5
singles.
Blakeney and Alan Cor
tez of Norman Park then
went on to score silver in
3.0 mixed doubles.
Randy and Mike Ogles
bee scored gold in 3.5 70-
plus men's doubles.
Jenna Dunaway and
Tracie Hawkins won silver
in 3.5 women's doubles.
Bruce Dunaway and AJ
Pollard scored silver in the
4.5 men's doubles division.
Tony Martinez scored
silver in 3.0 men's singles.
John Davis and Chuck
Bankston picked up
bronze in the 4.0 men’s
doubles division.
Martinez and Wayne
Green won bronze in
men's doubles 3.0 70-plus
men's doubles.
Pam Blakeney wins gold
Pam Blakeney and Alan Cortez win silver
HOLDING COUNTY
CKLEBALL
.
r
Randy and Mike Oglesbee, center, win gold
Jenna Dunaway and Tracie Hawkins win silver
PflLDINC COUNTY PICKLEBflL
Tony Martinez, left, wins silver
spaldingpickl
idingpickle
Bruce Dunaway and AJ Pollard win silver
John Davis and Chuck Bankston win bronze
Tony Martinez and Wayne Green, right, win bronze
Page 9A
Trey Webb makes one of his numerous catches against Jackson
on April 19. Andrew Carroll/Upson Beacon
Throwing Error leads
to Jackson 54 Walk-Off
Knights Miss Playoffs
Andrew Carroll
Sports Editor
acarroll@upsonbeacon.com
A brutal throwing error
in the seventh inning of
the series-deciding base
ball game against Jackson
led to the Red Devils walk
ing off with a 5-4 victory
over Upson-Lee on Friday
and taking the fourth and
final spot in the playoffs,
leaving the Knights on the
outside looking in.
Hunter Smith’s even
ing on the mound started
rocky as he attempted to
nail down the strike zone.
Smith walked the first two
batters and Jackson
turned those walks into
runs, adding two more
runs on base hits to take a
4-0 lead before the third
out was recorded.
With U-L in a hole
early, the Knights looked
to a batting rotation that
has been a struggle this
season. The Knights fi
nally found success in the
third inning with Jax Har
rison picking up a two-
RBI single, followed by
Trey Webb, who turned in
a second two-RBI single to
tie the game.
Smith’s pitching im
proved throughout the
game, and, by the sixth in
ning, Smith blazed
through the inning with
two strikeouts.
Moreover, U-L short
stop Webb put on a show.
Webb made catch after
catch as Jackson batters
hit balls in his direction,
and he picked up four outs
by himself.
The Knights could not
get base runners home.
The Knights left two
runners in scoring posi
tion in the fifth inning,
and another in the sixth. A
one-two-three inning put
the Knights on defense in
the bottom of the seventh.
Unfortunately, Smith’s
luck ran out with a lead-
off double putting a
runner in scoring position,
and a bunt by the next
batter led to disaster for
the Knights since a throw
ing error allowed the
runner to score to end the
season with a 5-4 loss to
the Red Devils.
The loss capped the
season with a four-game
losing streak after the
Knights were swept by the
Pike County Pirates. The
Knights lost game one by a
score of 3-2, game two 2-
1, and game three 11-6.
With the loss to Jack-
son, U-L finished the sea
son 7-20 (2-7 in region)
with the Knights missing
the playoffs - a disappoint
ing end for a team that
many expected to compete
for a region champion
ship.
If there are any upsides
to the 2024 season, the
2025 rendition of the
Upson-Lee Knights will
feature a good mix of vet
erans on the mound. With
injuries to U-L’s senior
pitchers Jackson Blakely
and Colby Hemphill,
younger pitchers like
Hunter Smith, Trey Webb,
Jayden Wise, Camron
Murphy, and Jaxon
Creamer have had to step
into pitching roles far
sooner than anticipated.
It remains to be seen
just how much that extra
experience will play a role
in the coming years.
Friday, 16, 101H
0UrtS@ 8:30 PM.
galbxies, qnd more with the Flint
. River Astronomy Club.
■illll V
100 fyrewell Bluff Rofircf, T^o^cto^, 6A 30186
