ATHENS JV (7) @ JACKSON JV (5) ...

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The Athens JV Bulldogs made their last away trip of the season Monday night and that trip was to Jackson to battle the JV Ironmen. The game, was a great baseball game played by both teams with the lead changing 3 times, however only one team could WIN and Athens JV was that team tonite....

ATHENS JV -- 003 001 3 -- 7 9 2
JACKSON JV--004 010 0 -- 5 12 2

WP-- Colton Noftz (3-1)
LP -- Josh Cunningham


The Athens JV sent Colton Noftz to the hill as he pitched great for the Bulldogs. Noftz threw a complete game for the JV Dogs as he allowed 12 hits, walked 1, and held the JV Ironmen to 5 runs. Noftz shined with his ability to get batters out at the plate, as he struck out 10. The Jackson JV Ironmen sent Josh Cunningham to the hill as he pitched equally well. Cunningham allowed 8 hits, walked 3 but allowed 7 runs. Cunningham struck out 3 as he threw a complete game suffering the loss.

1st Inning--
Andrew Zoulek got the JV Dogs off and going with a lead off bunt single. Zoulek however would take off for 2nd on a bunt & run when Trey Harris would bunt the ball in the air. Cunningham would grab the ball for out 1 and then throw over to 1st for out 2. Goldsberry would drill a shot to 3rd that would be snagged by Rich Hughes to end the inning,
In the bottom half, Cunningham would ground out to Kevin Deal for out 1. Noftz would then K Fulton and then get Wyant to pop out to him to end the inning. (Tie 0-0)

2nd Inning--
Noftz would flyout to 2nd. Deal then would reach on a walk. Shad McCollum then would sacrifice bunt Deal over to 2nd. Then Cunningham would K Robbie Gerren to end the inning.
In the bottom half, Tyler Anders would lead off with a single shot through the infield. Then Noftz would K both Josh Aldridge & Shea Malone before getting Hughes to ground back to the mound. (Tie 0-0)

3rd Inning--
Athens would get the scoring started. Tanner Weaver would reach on an error to lead off the inning. Joey Germano then would send a huge shot to left field to move Weaver to 2nd. Zoulek then would lay a sacrifice bunt to move the 2 Athens runner into scoring positions. Harris then would step in. Harris sent a shot down to 3rd to score Weaver, and managed to reach base putting 2 on. Goldsberry would flyout to 2nd. Noftz then would single scoring Germano and moving Harris to 3rd. With runners on the corners Athens then would successfully complete a rundown pickle. Noftz left early for 2nd getting Cunningham to step off, Noftz then stop to force Cunningham to throw to 2nd. Harris would take off for home when the ball was thrown to 2nd and scored as Noftz took the base. Noftz would then take 3rd on a passed ball. Deal would then reach via a hit-by-pitch. McCollum would flyout to 3rd to end the inning.
In the bottom half, Jackson would answer. Noftz would strikeout Travis Walker to lead the inning. Zach Miller then would walk. Cunningham would then single to move Miller to 2nd. Fulton then would single to load the bases. Wyant then would single to left as he scored Miller & Cunningham on the hit. Anders then would reach on an error as both Fulton & Wyant. Aldridge would flyout to left. Malone then would single to right. Hughes then would flyout to short to end the inning. (Jackson lead 4-3)

4th Inning--
Cunningham would shutdown Athens 1-2-3 as Gerren flyed out to center, Weaver grounded out to short and Germano K'ed.
Noftz would allow a leadoff single before K'ing Miller, getting Cunningham out on a sacrifice bunt and K'ing Fulton. (Jackson lead 4-3)

5th Inning--
Cunningham would get Zoulek out on strikes and Harris to ground out to short before Goldsberry drilled a double off the outfield fence before Noftz flew out to end the inning.
Wyant would single to start the inning. Noftz then would K both Anders & Aldridge. Malone then would single to score Wyant who moved to 3rd on a steal & pass ball. Hughes then would single before Noftz would get Walker to ground back to the mound. (Jackson lead 5-3)

6th Inning--
Deal would start the inning with a hard single that would bounce over the 3rd baseman. Deal then would take 2nd on a McCollum sacrifice bunt. Deal would then take 3rd on a Gerren sacrifice fly to right. Deal, then would show some savvy as he would steal home as a passed ball would scoot behind the Jackson catcher but would not get too far. Deal had a great jump and played the passed ball perfect as he timed it up. Weaver would ground out to short to end the inning.
After a leadoff single by Miller and then a single by Cunningham. Jackson would return a double play favor to Athens. (Athens got doubled up in the 1st by the same result with a pop up bunt.) Fulton would try to sacrifice bunt his teammates into scoring position but would pop back to Noftz on the mound. Noftz would then fire the ball to 2nd to get out Miller. Wyant would ground out to Deal to end the inning. (Jackson lead 5-4)

7th Inning--
Germano would send a ball deep into short, as he would reach and then move to 2nd as the throw got away from the 1st baseman. Michael Bailey would then enter the game as a pinch-runner for Germano. Bailey represented the tying run. Zoulek then would step in and battle Cunningham. Zoulek battle to a full count as he fouled off 8 pitches in his at bat. Then reached on a walk. Harris then sent a single through the leftside scoring Bailey and moving Zoulek to 2nd. Zoulek would then steal 3rd. Goldsberry then would sacrifice fly to deep 2nd scoring Zoulek who represented the go ahead run. Zoulek would fake like he taking off for home forcing Walker to throw the ball, the ball then bounced away letting Zoulek cross and moving Harris to 3rd. Noftz then would single right behind the pitcher mound scoring Harris. Noftz then would move to 2nd on a Deal sacrifice bunt. McCollum would then hit a ball to shallow right that the Jackson JV Ironmen's Zach Miller would make a great catch on to end the Inning.
In the bottom half, Anders would single to start. Then would be thrown out by Robbie Gerren attempting to steal 2nd. Then Noftz would take control. Noftz struckout Stephen Long & Malone to end the game. (ATHENS JV WINS 7-5)

THE JACKSON JV IRONMEN KEY AT-BATS
CUNNINGHAM (2 SINGLES)(SAC BUNT)
WYANT (2 SINGLES)
MALONE (2 SINGLES)
MILLER (SINGLE)(BB)
FULTON (SINGLE)
ANDERS (SINGLE)
LONG (SINGLE)
HUGHES (SINGLE)
WALKER (SINGLE)

TEAM TOTALS -- 12 HITS, 1 WALK, 10 STRUCKOUT, 5 RUNS

ATHENS JV BULLDOGS KEY AT-BATS
NOFTZ (2 SINGLES)
HARRIS (2 SINGLES)
GERMANO (2 SINGLES)
DEAL (SINGLE)(BB)(HBP)(SAC BUNT)
ZOULEK (SINGLE)(BB)(SAC BUNT)
GOLDSBERRY (DOUBLE)(SAC FLY)
MCCOLLUM (2 SAC BUNTS)
GERREN (SAC FLY)

TEAM TOTALS -- 9 HITS, 3 WALK/HBP, 3 STRUCKOUT, 7 RUNS

THIS WAS THE FINAL GAME FOR THE ATHENS JV SQUAD AS THEY COMPLETED A VERY SUCCESSFUL SEASON WITH SOME UPS AND DOWNS. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE EFFORT FROM THE TEAM THIS YEAR AND LOOK FOR THEM TO BE REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN THE FUTURE...

ATHENS JV FINISHES THE 2008 SEASON AT
(11-8)