Chamblee’s Sydyk Ross dives safely back into first base as Decatur first baseman James White tries to come up with a low throw on a pick-off attempt. Decatur won the Region 5-5A game 11-3. (Photo by Mark Brock)
A six-run third inning by the Decatur Bulldogs pushed them past the Chamblee Bulldogs 11-2 in a Region 5-5A matchup at Chamblee on Monday afternoon.
The two teams had battled to a 4-3 decision last week with Decatur pulling out the win in the first meeting of the two region foes.
Decatur (11-4, 4-0) was holding a slim 2-1 lead heading into the top of the third inning when the visiting Bulldogs struck for the big six-run inning to take command of the game.
Dysan McCray started the inning with a single to right followed by a Chamblee error on Brady Jones infield grounder to bring up Griffin Knabe. Knabe lined a shot into right field for a double to plate McCray to make it 3-1. Cole Turner laid down a nice bunt the Chamblee defense could not get to allowing Jones to score and putting runners on first and third with nobody out.
Chamblee starter Taylor Flowers struck out the next Decatur batter only to have Justin Weaver to single into left plating Knabe to push the lead out to 5-1. Reliever Jake Potthoff came on for Chamblee and got Levi Clark to ground out with Turner crossing the plate to extend the lead to 6-1.
Mekhi Lloyd followed with a single into left to score Weaver. An error on Marshall Toole’s fly ball scored Lloyd before Potthoff got the final out on a fly ball to right to end the inning with Decatur leading 8-1.
Another Chamblee error in the top of the fourth led to two more runs as Weaver lined a shot down the left field line with two out in the inning to drive in a pair of runs to up the lead to 10-1.
Chamblee (7-6-1, 0-2) picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth as Sydyk Ross singled and scored on a groundout by Fabian Walker to cut the lead to 10-2 heading into the fifth inning.
Chamblee lefty Patrick Scott pitched four sold innings of relief for Chamblee. (Photo by Mark Brock)
McCray pushed the lead back out to nine at 11-2 for Decatur with a sacrifice fly to center to score Toole who had walked, stolen second and moved to third on an error.
Chamblee scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh with benefit of three consecutive errors on Decatur. Chris Anastasi was the first to reach and scored on a double-play by the Decatur defense for the final of 11-3.
Chamblee reliever Patrick Scott pitched the final four innings allowing three unearned runs, struck out four, walked two and gave up five hits to slow down the Decatur lineup. Taylor Flowers took loss and had one of two hits by Chamblee along with Sydyk Ross. Fabian Walker had an RBI.
Justin Weaver was 2-3 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead Decatur. Cole Turner was 2-3 with a RBI and two runs scored to join Weaver with two hits in the game. Dysan McCray, Griffin Knabe and Mekhi Lloyd each had a RBI in the game while Levi Clark drove in two runs.
Brady Jones picked up the win for Decatur going five innings allowing two runs (1 earned), striking out 7, walking one and allowing two hits.