Joining Chamblee Bulldog head baseball coach Brian Ely (far left) at the 2020 DCSD Baseball Media Day were (l-r) Hunter Flowers, Leon Schmidt, Isaac Harkins, Ryan Bray and Michael Sarzen. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Dreary weather once again caused numerous postponements in the first week of high school baseball last week.
DeKalb County schools only managed to play 26 of the 54 games that were on the schedule. Druid Hills emerged as the only local squad to post a perfect record.
Dunwoody graduate Eric Love registered a victory in his high school debut as a head coach at Druid Hills. The Red Devils rolled to a 12-2 triumph over Whitefield Academy Feb. 15 at home in getting off to a 1-0 start.
Chamblee and Redan escaped with the only other winning records among the 10 DeKalb squads that played at least one game.
Coach Brian Ely’s Chamblee Bulldogs registered victories over Mt. Pisgah Christian (5-2) Feb. 13 and Tucker (8-6) Feb. 15 before dropping a tough 8-7 loss to St. Pius in finishing the week with a 2-1 mark.
Junior Pete Constantinides played the lead role for Chamblee in a 5-2 season-opening home triumph over Mt. Pisgah Feb. 13. Constantinides tossed four strong innings of relief on the pitching mound, striking out 2 and allowing three hits and two runs to pick up the decision. Junior Patrick Scott started and struck out five while allowing two hits over two and one-third innings. Sophomore Leon Cohen paced a seven-hit offensive attack, going 2-3 with two RBI. Senior Hunter Flowers (1-2), sophomore Connor Pressnall (1-3; 2 RS; 2 SB), senior Leon Schmidt (1-2), junior Finn Allers (1-3; 1 RS; 1 RBI) and junior Ryan Bray (1-3) delivered one hit each.
Chamblee pounded out eight hits in a heart-breaking 8-7 road loss to St. Pius Feb. 15. Pressnall took center stage on the individual side, finishing 3-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Junior Isaac Harkins went 2-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Sophomore Taylor Flowers shined brightest among three Bulldog pitchers in the contest, striking out two and allowing six hits, two walks and one earned run over four innings.
Chamblee then closed out the week with an exciting 7-6 victory over Tucker Feb. 15 at St. Pius. Senior Michael Sarzen started and secured the pitching decision, striking out four and allowing only two hits and one walk over four scoreless innings. Pressnall (1-3; 1 RS; 1 SB), Taylor Flowers (1-4; 2 RS; 2 SB), Hunter Flowers (1-2; 3 RBI; 1 RS), Constantinides (1-3; 1 RBI), Bray (1-3), junior Mason Pasley (1-3; 1 RS), Schmidt (1-4) and junior Lleyton Leonard (1-3; 1 RS) posted one hit each to lead the offensive charge.
Redan hit the road to Lake Point for three games, matching Chamblee with a 2-1 start. Coach Alexander Wyche’s Raiders opened with a thrilling 11-8 triumph over Kell Feb. 14, dropped a 3-0 decision to Cambridge Feb. 15 and then easily took care of Starr’s Mill by a 13-3 margin in the second and final game on Feb. 15.
Cedar Grove romped past Rockdale County to the tune of 20-6 Feb. 12. Junior William Flounary (2-4; 3 RBI; 2 SB; 1 2B) registered multiple hits, while junior Demond Dollison (1-1; 3 RS; 2 RBI; 2 SB), sophomore Jared Holiday (1-3; 1 RB) and junior Montrae Amis (1-2; 2 RS; 1 RBI) served as other offensive standouts. Senior Jairus Fanning started and claimed the pitching triumph, striking out four and allowing three walks, one hit and one earned run over two innings. Junior Keelan Hardnett (3) and Dollison (2) also combined for five strikeouts over two innings of relief for a Saint mound rotation that posted 11 strikeouts overall.
Tucker received strong offensive outings from a pair of sophomores in an 11-4 road defeat at the hands of St. Pius Feb. 15. Barry Manning finished 3-3 with one RBI in the contest, while Noah Grayson went 2-3 with two runs scored.
See link below for first week scores: