Roswell started this season as the team to beat and so far they have shown that they can live up to expectations. The Hornets have won their first nine games and owe much of that success to their all-state senior pitcher Andrew Smith. Coming into the year, many scouts predicted that he will be drafted in the June MLB draft. He has been named to the Rawlings All-America First Team. So far this season, Smith has shined in two starts, recording two shutouts. In his last start against Lassiter, he struck out seven batters over 6 2/3 innings and got the win in the 6-4 decision.
Smith’s teammate, Zane Evans was named to the Rawlings Honorable Mention Team at the beginning of the season. That honor proved to be well deserved after his sensational performance against Kell. He pitched five innings, struck out five and allowed only one run on five hits. The senior hit a two-run homerun in the fifth inning to put the Hornets up 5-1. Roswell would go on to win 6-2. The Hornets are ranked No. 1 in the state (according to Gasports.com) and Roswell will now play much of the remainder of the regular season against region foes.
MILTON AND NORTHVIEW WINNING AS WELL …
Sitting in second place in the Region 6, Class 5A is Milton. The Eagles have gotten off to a surprising 7-1 start after their disappointing 7-18 season in 2009. Milton won a tight game against Walton 4-3 last week despite nearly blowing a four-run lead. Manager Joey Ray had the team playing small ball early on. Robert Holmes had a single, then stole second and advanced to third on a balk in the first inning. Mike Martin and Chris Burns each hit run-scoring sacrifice flies. Leftfielder Scott Slappey bunted home two runs on a suicide squeeze that paid off for the Eagles. After the bunt was made, Walton threw the ball into left field enabling the runners to score. Pitcher Will Thomas got in and out of trouble all game until the fifth, when he gave up three runs. Still, Thomas earned the win while striking out three. The scrappy Eagles will face Campbell, Alpharetta and Pope this week.
Northview picked up two wins last week against county rivals Alpharetta and Centennial. The Titans beat the Raiders 3-2, backed by a key seventh inning performance by pitcher Chipper Cornwall, who picked up the win in relief of starter Shaun McLaughlin. Preston Yancey scored the winning run when he beat out a throw to the plate off a ground ball fielder’s choice which was hit by John Holland. Reggie McClain picked up his first win of the season as the Titans defeated Centennial. The junior struck out seven batters in five innings pitched. Shaun McLaughlin had three hits, three stolen bases and scored four runs in the 13-7 win. The team will now start Region 7 play with a 5-3 overall record.
Lovett, ranked No. 9 in Class 2A, has gotten off to a sluggish start. As disappointing as their 5-5 record is this season, it does not show the true potential that the Lions have. And, like last season, three of the losses were against teams from Florida. After early losses last season, Lovett recovered to finish 28-9. After the losses this year the Lions have rattled off three in a row, outscoring their opponents 43-3 during that stretch. If Lovett can keep that pace up, they will repeat as Region 6 champions at the end of the season.
ON THE TRACK …
Banneker’s Robert Brantley set the top 400-meter time of the season by running it in 48.32 seconds at the 12th Annual Stephenson Invite last week. He was also part of the first place finish by Banneker’s team "A" in the 4×400 meters, who finished with a time of 3:20.31. Teammate McNeil Demarco earned 18 points for the Trojans with a second-place finish in the long jump and first place in the triple jump to help Banneker win the boys meet.
On the girls side, Blount Aminah of Westlake won the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.47 seconds. Shani Taylor Chandler, also of Westlake, won the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles. However, the Lady Lions finished fifth in the meet with 53 total points.
At the GAC Invitational, Holy Innocents’ Oneal Wanliss won the 400 meter dash with a time of 48.78 seconds. He also came in second in the 200 meter dash. His team didn’t do much to help the cause though as Westminster won the overall boys’ meet.
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