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Cook splits first two games with Blessed Trinity
Teams play deciding game 3 today at 4 p.m.
ADEL — Cook and Blessed Trinity traded 5-0 wins Tuesday in their Class AA baseball quarterfinal series, setting up a deciding third game today.
The Hornets (28-5) and Titans (23-9) will clash again at 4 p.m. today at Bruce Long Field, with the winner advancing to the state semifinals.
Cook’s D.J. Johnson carried his team to a game 1 win with a dominant 15-strikeout, three-hit performance. But Blessed Trinity’s Alex Cruz was equally good for his team in game 2, and kept the Titans alive.
Cook head coach Bob Owsley switched his rotation for the third round, and started Johnson in game 1. The junior right-hander, who is now 3-0 in the postseason, responded with another fine outing. He struck out the side in the first, fourth and fifth innings, and had at least one strikeout in every inning. Blessed Trinity got two singles in the third and one in the fifth, but that was it.
Kaleb Cowart’s first-inning home run gave Cook a lead it would not relinquish. With Johnson on second and one out, Cowart blasted a pitch from Blessed Trinity starter J.D. Sabo over the fence in right field to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead.
After that, the game turned into a pitcher’s duel, as Johnson and Sabo traded zeroes on the scoreboard for the next four innings.
Blessed Trinity came close to scoring in the top of the fifth. Rock Rucker and Matt Kinney walked, then Jake Skole fought off several two-strike pitches before singling to right. But Johnson fanned Andy Vogel, then on a full count, struck out Ricky Kleban looking to escape the jam.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth, when Cook scored three runs to pull away.
Leading off the sixth, Cook cleanup hitter Wes Warren beat out an infield single, then Tyler Norton reached on a bunt single, putting two men on with no outs. One out later, Palmer Betts was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Trevor Hand ripped a pitch off of the fence in left center. Courtesy runner Skyler Lindsey, Betts and Austin Steele raced home to score, increasing Cook’s lead to 5-0.
Johnson closed the door with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Cowart homered and doubled, and drove in two runs. Johnson, Norton and Hand also had two hits.
Cruz went to the mound in game 2 and turned in a dominant performance. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and shut down Cook’s hard-hitting lineup. The Hornets’ only hit was Barks’ double in the fifth.
The Titans scored a run in the first and two in the second, then added single runs in the fourth and fifth.
Cowart only allowed five hits and struck out eight, but he also hit five batters in the loss.
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Stewart takes his 1st Cup win of the year
Ten drivers have locked up spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
No one is feeling better about his chances than Tony Stewart. -
Column: Blazers stick together
Last week, David Dean told the crowd at his radio show that he really liked his team’s chemistry and unity.
From an outside point of view, that was hard to see. For everyone outside of the coaching staff and locker room, that had to be proven on the field. -
Chesley Gunn repeats as Jack Oliver Invitational champion
Chesley Gunn repeated as the Jack Oliver Invitational champion, shooting a 67 on Sunday and winning the tournament by two strokes at the Valdosta Country Club.
Gunn finished the 54-hole golf tournament with a seven-under-par 209. It was his second consecutive Jack Oliver title. -
Blazers survive, 25-22
VALDOSTA — A freshman quarterback and a kicker came to the rescue for Valdosta State’s football team in one of the most thrilling season openers in the Blazers’ 29-year history.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Whitmire came off the bench midway through the third quarter, and led three field goal drives, the last one a game-winner, to lead the Blazers to a 25-22 victory over the Wingate Bulldogs on Saturday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. -
Hogan, Gunn share Jack Oliver lead
VALDOSTA — Two former champions sit atop the leaderboard at the Jack Oliver Invitational.
Sam Hogan has won the Jack Oliver Invitational three times, and Chesley Gunn is the tournament’s defending champion. The two former Valdosta State golfers share the lead at 142 heading into today’s final round at the Valdosta Country Club. -
Column: Five Thoughts
There is an awful lot to digest after Lowndes’ thrilling game against McEachern. That was about as wild of a game as I can remember, certainly the most entertaining and exciting Lowndes game I’ve covered in two years. Here are a few thoughts about it, and what I think it means.
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Seminoles give Fisher win No. 1
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Jimbo Fisher era at Florida State began with a win.
Following an offseason of hype, renewed expectations and a plethora of changes throughout the program, Florida State officially unveiled its first new head football coach in over 30 years on Saturday against Samford at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida State dominated Samford in Fisher’s debut as a head coach, winning 59-6.
“Any time you make plays, it means something,” Fisher said in his first postgame news conference as the Seminoles’ head coach. “We are going to play one way only, and that’s with effort and passion.” -
Valiants win again, rout Fullington, 54-16
Valwood’s football team won for the second consecutive week, routing Fullington Academy 54-16 Friday night.
Alex Waldron scored six touchdowns, J.B. Bahnsen threw four touchdown passes and the Valiants dominated the final three quarters on Friday. -
Another road heartbreaker
POWDER SPRINGS — The Lowndes Vikings’ road woes continue, and they reached a whole new level on Friday night at McEachern.
McEachern quarterback Dondre Purnell scored on a 9-yard run with three seconds left to give the Indians an improbable, almost miraculous, 23-22 win over the Vikings at Walter H. Cantrell Stadium. -
Wildcats dominate Hawks, 36-0
VALDOSTA — For the second week in a row, the Valdosta High football team dominated the first half, built a big lead before halftime and won by a large margin on Friday night.
Valdosta routed Hardaway 36-0 Friday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Wildcats scored five touchdowns, including one on defense and one on special teams, and posted their second consecutive shutout. - More Local Sports Headlines
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Stewart takes his 1st Cup win of the year
