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INSIDE
g/ I
Relay benefit horseshoes
v
tourney set for Saturday
— Page 2B
IB
April 12, 2012
BASEBALL
Raiders down Hab
... then drop 2 as offense sputters, errors made
By Dallas Bordon
dallasb32@yahoo.com
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County’s base
ball team rallied to defeat
Habersham Central on the road
during the middle of spring
break last week, but the squad
was flat in two other show
downs, falling to Heritage and
Clarke Central, while posting a
total of two runs in the losses.
The Raiders are now 7-10
overall this season, with a 4-3
record in the sub-region and
5-5 region record.
Madison County was sched
uled to host Clarke Central
Wednesday, but results weren’t
available as of press time. The
team has five games remain
ing in the regular season: vs.
Loganville at 6:30 p.m. Friday,
at Flowery Branch, April 16;
vs. Flowery Branch, April 18;
at Salem, April 20; and vs.
Prince Avenue, April 21.
Here’s a look at Raider base
ball action over the past week:
Clarke Central 6
Madison County 1
Madison County struggled
at the plate and in the field
Monday in a road loss at Clarke
Central.
The Red Raiders, who gave
up four unearned runs in the
first two innings off of four
errors, fell to the Gladiators 6-1
in Athens.
Madison County opened
the first and second innings
with back-to-back errors. The
Gladiators jumped on top in
the first on an RBI single and a
passed ball that allowed a run.
After two Red Raider errors
in the second inning, Clarke
Central pulled ahead 4-0 on a
two-run triple.
The picture wasn’t much bet
ter at the plate.
Madison County struggled
all day versus starter Patrick
Matthews and managed just
two hits: a single by Zeke
Smallwood in the top of the
third and an RBI single by
Daniel Brooks in the top of the
sixth that scored Will McCarty,
who was hit by a pitch.
Madison County's Brock
Turner took the loss, allow
ing six runs — four unearned,
four hits and two walks, while
striking out nine in six innings.
Lee Griffeth pitched an inning
in relief.
Will McCarty crosses the plate Monday for Madison County’s lone run Monday
at Clarke Central. Zach Mitcham/staff
Turner fell to 3-3 on the sea
son, with a .93 ERA. He’s
given up 29 hits and 16 walks,
while fanning 66 batters in 37
2/3 innings.
Heritage 8
Madison County 1
It took just two innings for
the Heritage Patriots to steal
a win from the Raiders at the
tail end of Madison County's
spring break Friday.
Heritage posted four runs in
each of the third and fourth
innings to defeat the Raiders
8-1 last Monday in Danielsville.
The Patriots sent nine men to
the plate in the third inning
and used a two run homer
from Matt Reeves and also
took advantage of two Raider
errors to jump on top. Madison
County committed a throw
ing error on a bunt attempt
and later committed an out
field error to open up the flood
gates for Heritage. The Patriots
added four more to their lead in
the fourth inning after sending
eight men to the plate, with the
first four reaching base. A dou
ble, a bunt single, a walk and
an error allowed the Patriots
to build to their lead ending
the night for Raider starter Lee
Griffeth midway through the
fourth inning.
Griffeth was the pitcher of
record, allowing all eight runs
on seven hits, four walks, while
striking out two batters in three
innings of work. Griffeth
departed midway through the
fourth inning without recording
an out, giving way to Austin
Dean who inherited two run
ners on base. Dean worked
the next three innings, allow
ing two hits and no runs while
striking out one batter. Brock
Turner tossed the final inning
allowing one hit, while striking
out one batter.
Madison County was held
hitless until Logan Pace opened
the third inning with a single to
right. Pace was left stranded
after both Griffeth and Daniel
Townsend was victim to back
to back strikeouts to end the
— See “Baseball” on 2B
SOCCER
Madison Co. to host Winder, Franklin Co.
The regular season is wind
ing down for the Madison
County varsity soccer squads.
The teams will face Winder
at home Friday on “Middle
School Night” with the girls
taking the field at 5:30 p.m.
and the boys at 7:30 p.m. The
teams will then conclude the
regular season Tuesday, April
17, on “Senior Night” against
Franklin County with 5:30/7:30
game times.
GIRLS’ACTION
Madison County girls’ coach
Molly McCarty was pleased
with her team’s recent thrilling
2-1 victory over Cedar Shoals
in a March 28 match that went
to a shootout.
Cedar scored on a penalty
kick 10 minutes into the game.
But Madison County's Emmie
Fouche scored off an assist
from Alyssa Duncan with 34
minutes left in the game to
knot the score at one.
Madison County came out
on top in the shootout. Kim
Cooper, goalie, made two div
ing saves during the shoot
out. Ashlyn Blalock, Kayla
Harper and Alyssa Duncan all
contributed to PK’s. Candice
Hammond made the game win
ning PK for Madison County.
“Chelsea Ford, keeper, also
made two incredible saves to
keep us in the game with 10
minutes left prior to overtime,”
said McCarty. “Overall, every
one on the team contributed to
this win. Last year, the game
did not go in our favor with the
PK shootout.”
McCarty said she had a feel
ing that the team needed some
preparation on penalty kicks.
“We recognized our stronger
kickers and utilized this dur
ing that shootout,” she said.
“Therefore, we already were
preparing for this to occur and
I believe prepping for it helped.
We could not have asked for
more effort out of both of our
keepers. Their kicks were cen
tral and strong throughout the
game which gave us an edge
on the attack. But, it was ulti
mately Kim Cooper who made
the two diving saves for us to
come out on top!”
Madison County then drove
all the way to Baldwin County
March 30, but the game was
called due to weather after 15
minutes of play.
“However, Alyssa Duncan
had a beautiful goal with 1:03
into the game,” said McCarty.
“We will not be making this
game up due to travel.”
The coach noted that the
summer soccer camp regis
tration will be placed on the
school website Friday, April
20. Camp dates are June 4,
5, and 7 at the MCHS Soccer
Complex. All those interested
in attending camp can down
load the registration form or
email mmccarty@madison.
kl2.ga.us after this date.
BOYS’ACTION
Madison County fell 5-3 to
Apalachee Tuesday, after pull
ing ahead 2-0 in the first 15
minutes of action.
Captain Joel Kellum finished
off a series of one touch passes
by drilling the ball into the cor
ner to put Madison County in
front. Captain Myles Chasteen
scored a few minutes later by
using his weaker left foot to
bounce the ball off the post for
a goal.
But Madison County coach
Trevor Mangan said an early
lead can have a bad effect.
“Being up 2-0 in soccer is
the most dangerous lead a team
can have,” said Mangan. “It
tends to cause you to relax and
take your foot off the accel
erator, which is exactly what
happened.”
The coach said his team gave
up a soft goal by not clos
ing down one of Apalachee's
players.
Things could have gotten
worse when the referee gave
Apalachee a penalty kick, but
goalkeeper Sebastian Jones
turned the shot away and then
pounced on the rebound.
But Apalachee tied the game,
and then scored off a corner
kick that the Raiders couldn’t
clear with five seconds to go
in the half.
“I was furious with how we
ended the half, we basically
gave control of the game to
Apalachee,” said Mangan.
In the second half, Apalachee
scored off of a throw-in to go
— See “Soccer” on 2B
MAJOR LEAGUES
Westbrook picks up
first win of 2012
Madison County’s Jake
Westbrook etched his name into
baseball history this past fall when
he earned a victory in Game 6 of
the 2011 World Series, arguably
the most dramatic Fall Classic
game of all time.
Westbrook started his 2012 sea
son in pretty fine form, too, pick
ing up the win in the Cardinals’
7-1 victory over Cincinnati
Monday.
The former Red Raider star
went seven innings, giving up
one run, three hits and four walks
while striking out two.
With two outs in the bottom of
JAKE WESTBROOK
the fifth inning, Reds leadoff hit
ter Brandon Phillips lined a base
hit to center field that snapped
Westbrook’s no-hit bid after 4 2/3
innings.
TENNIS
MCHS netters gearing
up for region tourney
The Red Raider tennis teams are wrapping up the regular
season and getting ready for next week's region tournament at
Madison County.
The guys have secured a number one seed in the tournament,
while the girls have a two seed.
Both teams downed Hart County 4-1 at home Monday, with
the boys improving to 15-2 overall and 10-0 in the region. The
girls improved to 13-4 and 8-2 in the region. Meanwhile, the
junior varsity boys downed the Bulldogs 3-0 and remained
undefeated on the year (10-0, 7-0), while the girls also won 3-0
and improved to 5-4, 4-2.
Madison County was scheduled to wrap up its regular season
Wednesday against Athens Academy (results weren’t available
as of press time.)
Here's a recap of Madison County’s matchup with Hart
County:
Varsity girls — Madison County 4, Hart County 1
•#1 singles — Savannah Mainland lost to Sara Francis Smith
6-1, ret.
•#2 singles —Audra Minish defeated Kailey Quinn 6-3, 6-1.
•#3 singles — Abby Thrasher defeated Augusta Marsh 6-2,
6-3.
•#1 doubles — Adrienne Fitzpatrick and Kay Lee Bates
defeated Ashton Stewart and Lauren Callaway 6-2, 6-3.
•#2 doubles — Abby Morgan and Morgan Dooley defeated
Drew Dennis and Ashton Jones 6-2, 6-3.
Varsity boys — Madison County 4, Hart County 1
•#1 singles — Trey Morris defeated Matt Quinn 6-0, 6-0.
•#2 singles — Ben Strickland defeated Alex Ballenger 6-0,
6-0.
•#3 singles — Tyler Terrell lost to Zach Jones 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
•#1 doubles — Connor Hancock and Jared Osborne defeated
Sam Perry and Clint Campbell 6-1, 6-4.
•#2 doubles — Josh Dooley and Zach Peneguy defeated
Jayden Moss and Dillon Davis 6-1, 6-3.
JV girls — Madison County 3, Hart County 0
•#1 singles — Morgan Dooley defeated Katrina Eberhardt
8-2.
•#2 singles — Kassey Conner defeated Mary Standridge 8-1.
•#1 doubles — Mackenzie LaZear and Anna Crouse defeated
Kaleesha Hudson and Savanna Brown 8-4.
JV boys — Madison County 3, Hart County 0
•#1 singles —Adam Sartain defeated John Grant 8-3.
•#2 singles — Koti Nguyen defeated Caleb Cox 8-3.
•#1 doubles — Aaron Sartain and Hayden Colquitt defeated
Andrew Miller and Elie Grant 8-1.
Madison County’s Josh Dooley tosses the ball for
a serve during tennis action this spring.