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Rockdale sent home from state
Brandon Evans
Sports Writer
COCHRAN - Rockdale Post 77 made an early exit in the American Legion Baseball State Tournament, losing its first
two games to Leesburg and Gainesville.
Despite the early exit, Rockdale Post 77 coach Jack Murphy said he can't discredit his team for their efforts.
"This is not a bad deal," Murphy said. "We didn't play our best down here, so we didn't show what we're capable of. We
were a little tired, and you could tell. We didn't have that crispness that you need, but that's my fault. We didn't have the
full roster that you need to get through these things. We'll work on that. Still, for a first year team, we won our area,
finished second in two tournaments and made it to state."
Rockdale stumbled in the first round of the state tourney, getting run-ruled in eight innings by Leesburg on Thursday
at Middle Georgia College.
Things didn't go much better Friday as the offense came to a screeching halt. Both teams scored all of their runs in the
first inning. The only problem was that Rockdale scored one and Gainesville scored six.
Jo Jo Bonet provided Rockdale's only RBI of the contest, plating Jeremy Reihn who doubled in the top of the first.
Gainesville then scored six in the bottom half of the inning to cap the game scoring.
Things also started out well for Rockdale against Leesburg, but the tide turned quickly.
Rockdale jumped out to a 2-0 lead in its first at-bat, when Reihn's two-run double played Marcus Smith and Bonet.
However, Leesburg took a 3-2 the lead in the top of the second inning.
Rockdale regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth off a solo homer by Bonet and an RBI grounder by J.C. Dunagan.
But Rockdale's 4-3 lead didn't last.
Leesburg scored three runs in the top of the fifth, three in the sixth, one in the seventh and three more in the eighth to
bring on the mercy rule.
"We just looked like a very tired team. I think we had a hangover from Monday," Murphy said. "We looked like we were a
step and a half behind everything. We made errors we don't normally make. We were flat footed in the outfield. We just had
a bad game. We didn't get good pitching, we were tired and we ran out of gas."
Rockdale played five games in the North Georgia Area Tournament, which used up most of the team's pitching, Murphy said.

New team, same situation for Murphy
Rockdale Post 77 makes first state appearance

Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Jack Murphy has long been associated with Post 77 baseball.

He was an assistant coach for four years and the head coach for another eight.

But in 2006, Murphy walked away from coaching American Legion baseball.

That was, until this year.

Murphy returned to Post 77 this summer to coach a new team - Rockdale Post 77 - and the results have been stellar.

In its first year competing in American Legion baseball, Rockdale Post 77 is going to the state tournament.

Rockdale earned its state tournament berth after finishing second in the North Georgia Area Tournament.

Rockdale hits the field today in its first round matchup, facing off against Leesburg at 1 p.m. at Middle Georgia College in Cochran.

Although he faced Leesburg in the past when he coached for Conyers Post 77, Murphy admits he doesn't know much about the 2008 Leesburg team.

He just knows they're likely to be better rested than his bunch.

"I really don't know much about them. All I know is that they (Leesburg) have been sitting there about a week and a half," he said. "They don't do an area tournament in the South Georgia Area, so they've been sitting there resting. In the meantime, we've been beating ourselves up in the North Georgia Area tournament."

Murphy said his team will need to bring its 'A' game if they are to win a state championship.

"We're going to have play good defense, get good pitching and score runs," Murphy said. "We need timely hitting, which we started to get the past few games. We struggled to score runs this year, but in the tournament, there were a few games in a row where we scored double-digits. The guys were really starting to hit the ball."

Unlike the North Georgia Area Tournament, where the top four teams advanced to the state tournament, only the winner of the state tournament will move on to regionals.

Conyers falls short in state bid

Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CANTON - Conyers Post 77 fell short in its bid of earning one of the four state berths up for grabs as Dawsonville topped Conyers 9-5 Sunday in the North Georgia Area Tournament.

"We are disappointed and frustrated," Conyers Post 77 manager Eddie Bagwell said. "We felt like we had a good enough team to make it to state. We just could not put together enough timely hitting. As was the case with many of the games we lost this year, we didn't do a good job of handling the ball, we didn't play good defense and we didn't come up with any timely hits."

Conyers fell behind early after giving up two unearned runs in the top of the first inning.

Conyers didn't waste any time getting back into the game. Tyler Austin doubled and Taylor Lamb drove him in with an RBI single to make it 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning.

However, Dawsonville scored one run in the second inning and four in the fifth to go up 6-1. Of the six runs scored, four were unearned.

Patrick Jansen hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth, but Dawsonville responded with another run in the top of the sixth to go up 7-2.

Austin kept Conyers in the contest with a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning, but again Dawsonville responded. This time, with two runs in the seventh to go up 9-3.

Conyers' last two runs of the game came in the bottom of the ninth.

Travis Tarleton hit a solo home run to make it 9-4. Cameron Gibson walked and advanced to third on a single by Ryan Jubran. Gibson later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jared Trust to cap the scoring at 9-5.

"We couldn't generate enough hits," Bagwell said. "We also gave up nine runs and only four of them were earned - that made a difference. We didn't play very good defense. If we protect the ball and don't make those errors, I think we win that game, 5-4. We didn't protect the ball, and they took advantage of our mistakes. Our pitching, as it has been all year long, was good enough to win. We had a chance to get to state, we just didn't take advantage of it."

Even though Bagwell feels this team didn't reach its full potential, he can't help but be optimistic about what the future holds for his players.

"Of the 18 guys on our roster, 14 of them can return again," Bagwell said. "If most of our guys come back next year, we'll have a lot of potential, so we're excited. We are sad to lose players like Jake Dyer. Jake played with us for three years and had a great career. We also lose two first-year (legion) guys in Ryan Jubran and Taylor Lamb. Both of those guys did a great job for us this year."

7/26/2008 12:01:00 AM

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Post 77 teams get wins Rockdale
By Sports
CANTON
Rockdale Post 77 shut out Alpharetta 6-0, while Conyers Post 77 dropped a
Facing elimination, Conyers rebounded Friday by run-ruling Canton 10-0 in
Conyers faces the loser of the Rockdale-Gainesville game at 1 p.m. today in
Against Alpharetta, Rockdale received three solid pitching efforts from Jo Jo
"We did well," Rockdale manager Jack Murphy said. "Our
Rockdale went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second off an RBI single by Chris
Flippen's RBI single the next inning put Rockdale up 3-0. Reihn accounted for
"Alpharetta's pitchers did a real good job of keeping us off-balance,
Meanwhile, Conyers fell behind early in its game against Dawsonville and
Even though Conyers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first off a two-run
Conyers closed the gap in the sixth, scoring two runs off singles by Ryan
Patrick Jansen scored on an error in the top of the seventh, and his
Conyers' last two runs came in the top of the ninth off an RBI single by
Conyers manager Eddie Bagwell said his team had a tough time overcoming the
"We put ourselves in a hole, and I take full responsibility for
Things got much better for Conyers on Friday as the team made quick work of
Kelvan Diaz led the way with a masterful pitching performance. Diaz faced the
Conyers took the early offensive against Canton, scoring six runs in the
Conyers added three more runs in the third off an RBI double by Dyer and a
"We scored early and often, which the players more relaxed," at area tourney
tops Alpharetta; Conyers goes 1-1
Brandon Evans
Writer
- Both Post 77 baseball squads hit the field Thursday in the first round of the North Georgia Area Tournament, and with mixed results.
12-8 decision to Dawsonville.
seven innings. Rockdale also played on Friday against Gainesville, but results were not available at press time.
another elimination game.
Bonet, J.C. Dunagan and Chris Boyd. Bonet got the start on the mound. He allowed three hits in five innings of work, while striking out two batters. Dunagan pitched the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, allowing two hits and striking out four. Boyd pitched the ninth, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one.
pitchers were on."
Jackson. Jeremy Reihn made it 2-0 in the bottom of the third when his fielder's choice plated Josh Flippen.
the next run with a solo homer in the fifth. Rockdale added its final two runs of the game in the seventh off a solo homer by Nathan Fawbush and an RBI double by Reihn.
but scratched out some hits," Murphy said.
never recovered.
single by Travis Tarleton, Dawsonville scored nine runs over the first four innings to take a 9-2 lead.
Jubran and Nick Matteen, coupled with a pair of Dawsonville errors. However, Dawsonville added another run in the bottom half of the inning to go up 10-4.
fielder's choice RBI made it 10-7 in the eighth. But Dawsonville added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Tyler Austin.
early deficit.
that," Bagwell said. "We also left 10 guys stranded on base, and that hurt, too."
host Canton.
minimum number of batters through three innings and struck out the first six batters he faced. He pitched all seven innings, allowed just two hits, struck out nine batters and walked two.
bottom of the second inning. The runs came off an RBI double by Jubran, an RBI single by Matteen, an error, a two-run single by Taylor Lamb and an RBI single by Travis Tarleton.
two-run homer by Austin. Conyers made it 10-0 in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI single by Cameron Gibson.
Bagwell said. "We challenged the guys before the game. They knew it was win or go home."

Area next challenge for Post 77
Rockdale, Conyers have top seeds for tournament

By Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Both Rockdale and Conyers Post 77 appear to be ready for the North Georgia Area tournament, which begins Thursday at Cherokee High School in Canton.

And why shouldn't the two teams be?

Rockdale finished first and Conyers took second in the sub-area, giving the two teams No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.

The tournament is double elimination with each team needing to win its first two games to earn a state tournament berth. There are other ways to battle back through the loser's bracket, but Rockdale coach Jack Murphy and Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell said they would much rather get those first two wins out of the way.

Conyers plays Dawsonville at 12:30 p.m., while Rockdale plays Alpharetta at 4:30 p.m.

As the bracket is set up, Rockdale and Conyers could meet in the third round or the finals.

Murphy admits his team has already exceeded his expectations.

"This team, more than any team I've had in the past, has really exceeded my expectations. I didn't anticipate that we'd win our side of the area," Murphy said. "I thought maybe we'd finish third or fourth and make the area tournament. As it turned out, these guys are very solid, they work hard and they want to play baseball.

"We've got good pitching, our guys don't hurt themselves, and for the most part, we play pretty good defense. We're going to face some good pitching in the area tournament, especially in the first few games. If we make it through the first few games, I'll feel pretty good about our chances, because we've got pitching depth."

Murphy said he's not treating Alpharetta like a No. 4 seed.

"I know their record is not that good since they're the fourth-place team from their side, but that's just looking at them on paper. When you get into the tournament, you've got to throw all that stuff out," he said. "Everybody is going to have one, two or three good, quality pitchers. We beat them in the Douglasville tournament earlier this season, but that was after they played three or four games in the tournament, and they might have been low on pitching. What we've got to hope for is that we can get to that third or fourth game where people have started to use up their pitching."

Meanwhile, Bagwell will be facing a relatively unfamiliar foe in Dawsonville.

"I don't know much about them. They're the three seed from the other half of the area," Bagwell said. "According to their coach, it's one of the best teams he's ever had at Dawsonville. Supposedly, their No. 1 pitcher is a real good pitcher from Gilmer County. Other than that, I really don't know much about them.

"At the end of the day, we've got to have good pitching. Hopefully, we'll also be able to carry over some momentum and continue to hit well and play good defense. We swung the bats real well the last two games against Douglasville, if we can continue that, we stand a chance."

7/22/2008 12:01:00 AM

Rockdale sweeps Loganville, clinches top seed

Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Rockdale Post 77 wrapped up its regular season and a No. 1 seed in the North Georgia Area Tournament by sweeping Loganville on Sunday at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

Rockdale rallied to win 6-3 in the opener, before run-ruling Loganville 12-2 in the nightcap.

Josh Stephenson got the win in the first game, scattering five hits and allowing just one earned run in six innings of work. He struck out two batters, walked two and hit one.

Loganville went up 1-0 in the top of the second inning and increased its lead to 2-0 in the top of the third.

However, Rockdale tied it with two runs in the bottom of the third. Kale Blackshear and Chris Jackson both singled. The runners then advanced on a wild pitch. Blackshear later scored on a passed ball, while Marcus Smith plated Jackson on a sacrifice fly.

Loganville regained the lead in the top of the fifth to go ahead 3-2, but Rockdale struck for three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Jason Knight doubled and J.C. Dunagan and Blackshear both walked to load the bases. Jackson was hit by a pitch to plate Knight. Smith then contributed his second and third RBIs of the game with a two-run double. Josh Flippen's RBI single plated Jackson for the last run of the inning, and the game, capping the score at 6-3.

Loganville also jumped out early in the second game, going up 1-0 in the top of the first.

However, Rockdale quickly retaliated with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

The runs came off a two-run single by Dunagan and a RBI single by Blackshear. Rockdale added another run in the bottom of the second off an RBI double by Jo Jo Bonet.

Up 4-1, Rockdale showed its mettle in the fourth. Loganville loaded the bases with no outs, but could not score. Rockdale opened the flood gates in the bottom half of the inning, scoring seven runs.

Rockdale batted around the order as Smith accounted for two RBI singles in the inning, both of which scored Jackson. Bonet, Joseph Lester, Dunagan, Blackshear and Jackson also notched RBI singles in the seven-run fourth.

Loganville added one run in the top of the fifth, but Rockdale evoked the mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI single by Knight, making the final tally 12-2.

Clark Dickinson got the win on the mound. He allowed two earned runs in five innings of work. He struck out three and walked two.

"They played well. They made a few errors in the first game, but overall, both games were real good," Rockdale Post 77 manager Jack Murphy said. "We came back from a deficit in the first game, and we faced what I thought were their two best pitchers that game. We were able to do what we've done all year - take advantage of what the other team gives us. We don't always hit the ball that well, so we've got to have good pitching and play good defense.

"The second game was a little different. Once we got them out after Loganville loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, it totally sucked the wind out of their sails. It picked our guys up. We were able to put together some walks with timely hitting and put some runs on the board. That inning kind of put the game away."

7/19/2008 12:01:00 AM

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Clean sweep
Rockdale Post 77 beats Grayson in doubleheader

Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Rockdale Post 77 broke out the broom Thursday night at Henson-Carr Legion Field, sweeping Grayson by scores of 4-1 and 11-3.

With the sweep, Rockdale maintained its one-game lead over Conyers in the North Georgia Area standings. Rockdale is 11-3 in area play, while Conyers is 10-4.

Against Grayson, Rockdale received complete games from pitchers Jo Jo Bonet and Nathan Fawbush. Bonet allowed one earned run in seven innings of work in Rockdale's 4-1 win in the opening game of the doubleheader, while Fawbush tossed a one-hitter in the nightcap.

In the opener, Rockdale fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. However, Rockdale took the lead in the top of the second and never relinquished it.

Clark Dickinson's two-run single plated Bonet and Joseph Lester in the top of the second to put Rockdale up 2-1.

Rockdale added a run in the fifth off an RBI single by Corbett Tucker, plating Jason Knight. In the seventh, Dickinson doubled and later scored on consecutive wild pitches to cap the scoring at 4-1.

In the second game, Rockdale went up 1-0 in the top of the second inning when Dickinson scored on a wild pitch.

Rockdale then broke the game open with a six-run third inning. The first run of the inning came off an RBI sacrifice fly by Lester, which scored Bonet.

Dickinson scored the next run of the inning on a wild pitch. The last four runs of the inning came off two-run singles by Marcus Smith and Josh Flippen.

Leading 7-0, Rockdale added another run to its tally when Kale Blackshear plated Lester with an RBI single in the top of the fourth.

Grayson scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Rockdale tacked on another run in the top of the fifth off a sacrifice fly RBI by Marcus Smith.

Rockdale made it 10-2 in the top of the sixth off a sacrifice fly RBI by Dickinson. Grayson scored one more run in the bottom half of the inning, but Rockdale capped the game scoring in the top of the seventh when Bonet doubled in Fawbush.

Fawbush got the win on the mound. He struck out three batters and walked four, but allowed only one hit. All three of Grayson's runs were unearned.

Rockdale coach Jack Murphy said he wasn't entirely pleased with the way his team played.

"We just had one of those nights where we were sharp for a little while, then we lost focus," Murphy said. "The first game we were flat, but you're going to have those kind of things happen. Still, when you play bad and still get two wins, it ain't all bad."

Rockdale can wrap up first place in the area a few different ways. Rockdale will clinch first if Conyers gets swept by Douglasville today or if Rockdale sweeps Loganville on Sunday. Rockdale will also clinch first if both teams split their doubleheaders.

7/17/2008 12:01:00 AM

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Douglasville sweeps Conyers Post 77

Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

DOUGLASVILLE - Conyers Post 77's stint atop the North Georgia Area standings was brief. In fact, the team is already back in second place after being swept by Douglasville on Tuesday night at Hunter Park.

Conyers dropped the opener 3-1 before losing a barn-burner in the nightcap 14-12.

With the sweep, Conyers is now 10-4 in area play with two games left on the area schedule before seeding begins for the North Georgia Area Tournament.

In the first game, Douglasville scored single runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings. Conyers scored its only run of the game in the seventh. Taylor Lamb doubled, and Nick Woodward brought him in with an RBI single.

The runs came at a discount price in the nightcap.

Conyers struck first blood in the top of the first inning, going up 1-0 off back-to-back doubles by Jake Dyer and Tyler Austin.

However, Douglasville struck for five runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 5-1 lead.

Conyers regained the lead in the top of the third after scoring five runs. That inning, Conyers strung together five consecutive singles from Austin, Chunk Smith, Patrick Jansen, Taylor Lamb and Travis Tarleton.

Tarleton's two-run single turned into a bases-clearing, inside-the-park home run thanks to a two-base error by Douglasville.

Unfortunately, Douglasville answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 10-6 lead.

Conyers pulled within one in the top of the fourth after scoring three runs. Austin doubled and Jansen walked to start the offensive surge. Then, Lamb and Tarleton smacked back-to-back RBI singles to make it 10-8. The last run of the inning came when Cameron Gibson reached on an error, scoring Lamb.

Douglasville scored two more runs in the fourth to lead 12-9, but Conyers tied it at 12 in the top of the fifth.

Nick Woodward singled and Dyer drove him in with an RBI triple. Dyer then scored on a sacrifice fly by Austin. Smith singled and took second on an error. After taking third on a passed ball, Smith scored on a fielder's choice by Lamb.

However, Douglasville tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth to take the game, 14-12.

"We didn't have timely hitting in the first game. We left seven runners stranded in scoring position," Conyers manager Eddie Bagwell said. "The second game, we showed that we're still a young team. We had the bases loaded in the first inning, and we scored one run. Douglasville also had the bases loaded in the first game, and they scored five runs. Douglasville is an older team.

"I'm realizing that we're a young team and we're taking some licks because of it. Still, I feel we have a real bright future. I'm excited about what we're going to be, but right now, we're a young team, and with that come some mistakes. I still like my team very much and I wouldn't trade any one of them, I just have to realize that there are several guys on the team with only one year of varsity baseball experience."

Conyers can still make a run at first place in the area, depending on the outcome of its last doubleheader with Douglasville on Saturday, as well as the results of Rockdale Post 77's final four games.

Rockdale plays Grayson today and Loganville on Sunday. Both games are at Henson-Carr Legion Field. Conyers played Gainesville in a non-area matchup Wednesday night, but results were not available at press time. Conyers' last area game of the regular season is Saturday at home against Douglasville.

CONYERS - After four games, it is still undetermined which Post 77 squad reigns supreme in American Legion Baseball.

Monday night, Rockdale Post 77 and Conyers Post 77 battled to a split, their second of the season, in a doubleheader at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

And both games were tightly contested.

Rockdale edged Conyers 5-4 in the first game, while Conyers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 6-3 in the nightcap.

In the opener, Rockdale went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning off an RBI single by Josh Flippen, scoring Joseph Lester.

Conyers countered with three runs in the top of the third inning. Cameron Gibson walked, stole second and eventually scored after two passed balls to account for the first run of the inning.

After Ryan Jubran was hit by a pitch, Tyler Austin smashed a two-run homer to give Conyers a 3-1 advantage.

Rockdale pulled within one in the bottom of the fourth when Jason Knight's single plated Clark

Dickinson.

Rockdale regained the lead and never lost it again with a three-run fifth. Rockdale scored the runs off a two-run single by Lester and a solo homer by Nathan Fawbush.

Chunk Smith hammered a solo home run in the top of the sixth to make it 5-4, but Rockdale held on for

the win.

Josh Stephenson got the win on the mound, allowing two earned runs in five innings of work. He struck out three batters, walked one and hit one.

In the second game, Rockdale jumped out to another early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first.

Flippen singled, took second on a wild pitch, stole third, then scored on another wild pitch. After Jo Jo Bonet walked, Lester drove him in with an RBI triple - his second three-bagger of the night.

But the lead didn't last as Conyers struck for three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Conyers scored its runs off RBI singles by Patrick Jansen, Gibson and Taylor Lamb.

Conyers made it 4-2 in the bottom of the third off another RBI single by Lamb.

Rockdale pulled within one in the top of the fifth off two singles by Dickinson and Chris Boyd and a Conyers throwing error.

However, Conyers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth off singles by Gibson and Lamb and a Rockdale error, making the final tally 6-3.

Austin got the win after seven solid innings on the hill. He fanned eight batters and walked two.

Rockdale manager Jack Murphy admitted he wasn't entirely disappointed to get a split with Conyers.

"For us to face Jake Dyer in the first game and Tyler Austin in the second game, and still come away with a split, that was OK with me. It doesn't get much better than that," Murphy said. "Those are probably the best two pitchers we've faced all season."

Despite the split, Conyers is now in first place in the North Georgia Area standings, thanks in part to a number of forfeits by Loganville.

Conyers sits atop the standings with a 10-2 record, while Rockdale is in second at 8-3.

Brandon Evans can be reached at brandon.evans@rockdalecitizen.com

Post 77 teams at top of area standings

By Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Both Conyers Post 77 and Rockdale Post 77 have had solid starts to the American Legion baseball season as the two teams sit atop the North Georgia Area standings.

Rockdale, coached by Jack Murphy, has a 5-1 record and holds the No. 1 spot in the area.

Meanwhile, Conyers, led by Eddie Bagwell, sits in second place with a 6-2 area record.

The two teams will meet next week at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

Rockdale improved to 5-1 in area play after sweeping Douglasville on Tuesday. Rockdale won 7-2 in the opener and 2-0 in the nightcap.

In the first game, Douglasville went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. But Rockdale tied it up in the bottom of the second off an RBI single by Joseph Lester.

Rockdale made it 3-1 in the fourth off an RBI double by Jeremy Riehn and an RBI groundout by Lester.

Douglasville added one run in the fifth, but Rockdale increased its lead to 7-2 in the bottom half of the inning off a two-run double by Nathan Fawbush and RBI singles by Riehn and Jo Jo Bonet.

Alan Futch got the win on the mound, allowing just one earned run in five innings of work.

In the second game, Josh Stevenson took the mound and was virtually untouchable

Stevenson allowed just two hits in seven innings of work as Rockdale won 2-0.

Rockdale's first run came in the bottom of the fourth off a solo homer by Riehn. The other run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth when Futch scored on a wild pitch.

Rockdale collected a split with Loganville on Saturday, losing the first game 12-9 before winning 9-4 in the second game.

Grayson forfeited two games to Rockdale on Sunday.

But after sweeping Douglasville on Monday, Murphy feels his team might have finally found its stride.

"We're playing pretty good baseball right now. The pitching has been really good," Murphy said. "I'm real pleased with the progress the team has made this season. We're starting to come together and they're playing a lot better defensively."

Things seem to be looking up for Bagwell and company, too.

Conyers Post 77 recently won its make-up game with Loganville on Tuesday, claiming a 9-5 victory at West Walton Park.

Tyler Austin got the win on the mound after allowing just one earned run in six innings of work. He struck out six batters and walked one.

Conyers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first off an RBI single by Nick Matteen. They increased their lead to 3-0 in the third off an Austin sacrifice flyout RBI and a Patrick Jansen RBI double.

But Loganville scored two runs in the fourth inning and three in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead.

However, Conyers struck for six runs in the top of the seventh to go ahead 9-5.

The runs came off an RBI double by Taylor Lamb, a bases-loaded walk, a two-run single by Jansen, a passed ball and a suicide squeeze bunt by Ryan Jubran.

Bagwell said the win was big as the team tries to jockey for position in the area tournament.

"We've got four big games against Jack's team (Rockdale Post 77) and two more games against Douglasville, so we pretty much control our own destiny," Bagwell said.

Conyers posts 2-2 record in Savannah

By Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Conyers Post 77 went 2-2 over the weekend at a baseball tournament in Savannah.

After edging Savannah Chain 1-0 in its tournament opener Friday, Conyers split its two games on Saturday against two 18-and-under teams. Conyers wrapped up play Sunday, losing 3-2 in a nail-biter to the OTC Bearcats.

"I was very pleased with the play until the last day," Conyers Post 77 manager Eddie Bagwell said. "The first three games, we did every part of the game very well. We played good defense, we hit the ball well and we pitched really well. Sunday, we didn't catch the ball real well, we made six errors. That's been our nemesis all year long. When we don't take care of the ball, we lose.

"Our pitching and hitting has been coming around very nicely. We got good starts out of Clint Ogle, Kelvan Diaz, Patrick Jansen and Jake Dyer. We got relief out of Chase Ware, Bobby Coggins, Nick Matteen and Travis Tarleton. It was obvious that we were swinging the bats a lot better. We just couldn't finish the tournament with good defense, and that kind of came back to bite us."

On Saturday, Conyers kicked off the day with a 10-0 win over Prospects. Diaz got the win on the mound, allowing six hits and no runs in six innings of work. He also struck out five batters.

Conyers scored three runs in the top of the first inning off an RBI double by Tarleton and a two-run double by Diaz. Conyers added a run in the fourth to build a 4-0 lead before breaking the game open with a six-run sixth inning.

Conyers scored the runs off an RBI single by Coggins, a hit batsman with the bases loaded, a two-run double by Matteen and a two-run single by Tarleton.

At 10-0, the game was called after Prospects failed to score in the bottom of the sixth.

Later in the day, Conyers ran into some tough competition, falling 8-2 to Line Drives.

"They are an 18-and-under team that has 12 Division I players on it," Bagwell said. "They're good."

Chunk Smith accounted for both of Post 77's runs. Smith's fielder's choice with the bases loaded scored Tarleton in the bottom of the first. He also smacked a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.

Conyers finished play Sunday, losing a one-run game to the OTC Bearcats.

Conyers fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning before Smith's RBI single made it 1-1 in the top of the second.

The Bearcats regained the lead in the bottom of the second, but Conyers tied it up again in the top of the fourth.

That was as close as Conyers got as the Bearcats scored again in the bottom of the sixth and held on for the 3-2 win.

Despite an overall mediocre performance at the tournament, two Conyers players really caught the attention of one coach.

"Chunk Smith and Taylor Lamb both had good tournaments. Coach (Carlton) Hardy was really impressed with them," Bagwell said. "He liked the way they hustled and the way they went about their business, and he invited both of them to come play at Savannah State next year, so I was real happy for them.

"Chunk swung the bat extremely well all weekend. He also threw out the only base runner that tried to steal on him all weekend. Taylor Lamb also swung the bat extremely well and played pretty good at third base. I have no complaints. They both have an opportunity now to play college baseball, and hopefully they'll make the most of it."

Conyers returns to action Thursday at Loganville in a make-up game.

Conyers defeats Savannah
Record improves to 7-5

By Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

SAVANNAH - Conyers Post 77 bumped its record to 7-5 on the season after beating Savannah Chain 1-0 in a pitcher's duel Friday.

Conyers received strong pitching from three hurlers as the trio combined for a two-hitter.

Clint Ogle pitched 5 1⁄3 innings, gave up one hit, struck out five batters and walked one. Chase Ware came on and finsihed off the inning, allowing one hit. Nick Matteen got the win after pitching hitless baseball the last two innings of the game.

Conyers scored its only run in the top of the eighth inning on a bases-loaded walk. Ryan Jubran drew the walking, scoring Taylor Lamb.

Post 77 manager Eddie Bagwell said he was pleased to get the win.

"This was a good win against a quality ball club," Bagwell said. "The teams in this tournament are 18-and-under showcase teams, so the quality of players is extremely high. For us to pull one out like that was huge."

Bagwell said the key to victory was solid pitching and defense.

"We got a great pitching performance out of Clint, and we finally played some defense," Bagwell said. "We didn't make an error. That really makes a difference in a game like that. Now, we've just got to keep it going in the tournament."

Conyers has two games slated for today. The first will be against against Prospect 18, while the second is against Line Drives.

Post 77 eliminated in tourney
Conyers team splits 2 games of POW-MIA tournament

Manny Fils
Sports Writer

COVINGTON - The Conyers Post 77 baseball team had a quick exit from the POW-MIA Tournament after splitting two games Saturday in Douglasville.

Post 77 eliminated the team from Shelbyville, Tenn., with a 9-8 win before being trounced in five innings 12-0 by Post 12 of Dothan, Ala.

"The team from Dothan is a good looking ball club, they're tough," Conyers Post 77 manager Eddie Bagwell said.

Conyers fell way back in the first game against Post 23 as they trailed 8-4 as Post 77 headed to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Chunk Smith got the team headed in the right direction with a solo home run to make it an 8-5 game.

After base hits by Ryan Jubran and Hunter Styles, Kelvan Diaz' two-bagger allowed Jubran to cross the plate and close the gap a bit more.

Conyers loaded the bases when Nick Woodward got a free trip to first.

With bases loaded and one out, Nick Mateen brought in a run on a fielder's choice but at the expense of the second out.

Mateen stole second to put runners in scoring position.

An infield hit by Travis Tarlton allowed Diaz to tie the game before Mateen motored in from second base to give Post 77 the lead.

"The guy at first wasn't paying attention and that allowed Nick to score," Bagwell said.

Chase Ware took over for Patrick Jansen on the mound giving Conyers the win.

Bagwell was hoping that the come-from-behind win in dramatic fashion would give his team the boost it needed to get past Dothan. Unfortunately, Post 12's pitching kept Conyers off balance while Dothan's bats knocked them into submission early.

Dothan scored three runs in the first inning before adding four more in the second and two in the third.

Following a scoreless fourth inning, Post 12 scored enough runs in the top of the fifth to mercy rule Conyers.

In previous games, Dothan and Conyers are tied with two wins each.

"We've had experience with them before," Bagwell said. "Their pitching is very good; they're just fundamentally sound.

"We just made too many mistakes. We've got to find a way to eliminate them."

CONYERS - The Conyers Post 77 American Legion baseball team could not overcome a tirade of hits administered by Loganville Post 233 in doubleheader play Monday, losing both games, 15-6 and 12-3.
Although Post 77 faired better when it met Loganville a week ago, winning 8-3, it was a different story this time around.
In the first game, Loganville jumped to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning off three hits by Post 77 starter Patrick Jansen.
Loganville locked in on Jansen from the very beginning, scoring in six of seven innings, including 14 hits and a solo home run by catcher Ryan Kirkland.
The hometown club, which features three Newton County high school players, was disappointed in its performance against what coach Eddie Bagwell deemed "a very good team."
"When you go up against a team that good you just can't give them more opportunities than they deserve, and we did," Bagwell said.
The second game was no reprieve for Post 77, with Loganville tallying as many hits as it did in the opener.
But it was the fifth inning that was the deciding frame, when Loganville exploded for six runs off Clint Ogle.
"I have to take the blame for the loss," Bagwell said. "I take full responsibility for the loss. I should have been more aggressive as a coach. I need to do better in preparing my guys for these games."
Despite the losses, Bagwell has high hopes regarding his squad's position at this point in the season.
"We gave ourselves a chance by winning the first five games," he said.
Bagwell pointed out several positives against Loganville, making him all the more confident in his team's ability.
"I was pleased with what (Eastside's) Bobby Coggins and Ogle did at the plate," Bagwell said. "I was also pleased with the performance of Jansen and Ogle on the mound."
Coggins went 3-for-4 in the loss.
"We aren't down," Coggins said. "We will learn from this and go on."
That being said, Conyers Post 77 is 5-2 at the midway point in area play, and right on course for an area championship.

"Our team is embarrassed with its performance, just as I am with my coaching," Bagwell noted. "Believe me, we'll be ready the next time we hit the field."

Loganville hands Conyers first two losses

By Brandon Evans
Sports Writer

CONYERS - Conyers Post 77 suffered its first setback of the season, abruptly followed by its second, as Loganville collected a doubleheader sweep of Conyers on Monday at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

Conyers (5-2) dropped the opening game of the twin bill 15-6 before being run-ruled 12-2 in six innings in the nightcap.

"We had a rough night all the way around," Conyers manager Eddie Bagwell said. "Still, I have to give Loganville credit - they're a good ball club and Jimmy Hughes does a good job coaching them."

Errors and missed opportunities plagued Conyers in the loss, Bagwell said.

"You can't give a good ball club four, five and six outs an inning and expect to keep them off the board," he said. "Our pitching pitched well enough to win, we just didn't play good enough defense behind our guys."

Still, Bagwell said the loss should not be entirely attributed to the play of his players.

"In no way, shape or form am I trying to put the loss all on our guys. I take a lot of responsibility for the loss, too," he said. "I wasn't on my game at all. I wasn't mentally prepared or mentally as focused as I needed to be."

Loganville jumped out quickly on Conyers in the opener, taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Loganville then added single runs in the second and third to lead 6-0.

Conyers finally got on the board in the bottom of the third off an RBI double by Travis Tarleton, which scored Nick Matteen.

Loganville added two more runs to go up 8-1 in the top of the fourth.

Conyers did make it a game again in the bottom of the fifth, cutting the seven-run lead to three.

The four-run fifth was highlighted by an RBI single by Patrick Jansen, an RBI double by Kelvan Diaz and a two-run double by Clint Ogle.

However, Loganville added three more runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to make it 15-5.

Conyers added one run in its last at-bat off an RBI single by Diaz, but it was too little, too late.

Things didn't begin much better for Conyers in the second game as Loganville went up 2-0 in the top of the second.

In fact, Conyers' offense was pretty much nonexistent in the nightcap.

Chunk Smith scored the only two runs for Conyers. Smith scored off an RBI single by Bobby Coggins in the bottom of the second and again off an RBI double by Diaz in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Loganville scored at will until the 10-run rule was invoked in the sixth inning after Loganville built a 12-2 lead.

Conyers will try to get back on the winning track in the MIA-POW Tournament, which starts Thursday in Douglasville.

CONYERS - Rockdale Post 77 and the Gainesville A's went run-for-run through seven innings until a 10-run eighth inning gave Rockdale (2-1) a 14-4 win Thursday at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

"We just finally got some breaks and just kept on scoring. Baseball's funny, you just get on a roll and everything works out," Rockdale manager Jack Murphy said. "We're working through it. I've said all along that we're a work in progress, but this was good."

Joseph Lester's aggressive base running, stealing second and third base and scoring on a wild pitch, got things going as Rockdale opened the floodgates in the eighth.

Chris Boyd drove in a run before Jo Jo Bonet and Alan Futch each brought in two more base runners with two outs to make it 10-4.

Rockdale scored two more runs on an error before Boyd drove in Jeremy Riehn and scored the game-ending run on a J.C. Dunagan single.

Rockdale had seven hits in the eighth inning, equaling the amount they had through seven innings, as it sent 13 batters to the plate.

"Once everyone starts hitting, it's contagious," Murphy said. "I always thought pitching was going to be our strength all along and then the hitting would come along."

While pitching was solid for Post 77, errors played a big part in keeping Gainesville in the game.

Three of the A's four runs were results of errors.

Errors could have cost Rockdale more runs in the first inning if not for Nathan Fawbush's pitching.

Gainesville had runners on first and third base in the top of the first, both because of errors, before Fawbush got Bucky Free to hit the ball back to the pitchers mound for the easy out.

Gainesville scored an unearned run in the third to tie the game at 2.

The A's added runs in third and fifth innings as a result of bobbled singles. If the ball had been fielded cleanly both times, the runners would not have been able to advance.

"For seven innings it was tight. If we play error-free baseball, we're OK," Murphy said.

Pacing Rockdale in the game with two hits each were Marcus Smith, Dunagan, Fawbush, Bonet and Boyd.

Of Post 77's 14 hits, four went for extra bases with Fawbush hitting a triple and Futch, Riehn and Boyd going for two-baggers.

Stevenson got the win pitching one inning where he had one strikeout.

Also pitching for Rockdale were Fawbush (four strikeouts, one walk, two hits), Dickerson (four strikeouts, three hits) and Futch (two strikeouts, one walk, two hits).

"Our pitching is good, we're good with pitching. Josh got in and finished the last inning and we were going to let him finish up the game," Murphy said. "I'm pleased right now. Gainesville was last year's state champ and went to the Southeast regional, and I heard they were a strong team."

LOGANVILLE - Conyers Post 77 topped Loganville 8-3 on Thursday at West Walton Park.

Conyers manager Eddie Bagwell has now led his team to a perfect 5-0 start with the victory over Loganville being the biggest win yet.

"Loganville has got a good ball squad. They have a lot of returning guys from last year's team," Bagwell said. "They're an older team and they have a lot of experience."

The two teams had originally scheduled a doubleheader on Thursday, but rain forced the second game of the twin bill to be canceled.

Jake Dyer got the win on the mound against Loganville. Dyer pitched 51⁄3 innings, scattered five hits, struck out five and walked four. All three of Loganville's runs were unearned. Travis Tarleton came on and pitched the last 12⁄3 innings. He surrendered two hit and allowed no runs.

But it wasn't what Tarleton did on the mound that highlighted the win for Conyers.

It was what he did with the bat.

Tarleton accounted four five RBIs on the day, including a huge three-run homer that broke open the game in the sixth inning.

Conyers drew first blood in the top of the first when Dyer doubled and Tarleton brought him home with an RBI single. Conyers took a 2-0 lead later in the inning off an RBI single by Nick Matteen, which scored Tarleton.

However, Loganville took the lead in the bottom of the third inning off two singles, a walk, a fielder's choice and a Post 77 error.

After a couple of scoreless innings, Conyers tied it up in the top of the fifth off another RBI single by Tarleton. This one also scored Dyer.

Conyers opened the floodgates in its next at-bat with a five-run fifth inning.

Matteen started the show with a double, and after an intentional walk to Tyler Austin, Kelvan Diaz smacked an RBI single to plate Matteen and give Conyers back the lead, 4-3.

Dyer then padded Post 77's lead with an RBI single, plating Austin.

But it wasn't until Tarleton hit a three-run bomb over the wall in center field that the game was no longer in doubt.

"He (Tarleton) had a great game. We always felt like he was a clutch hitter, and now we know why," Conyers manager Eddie Bagwell said. "He stepped up in clutch situations and delivered five RBIs for us. That was huge."

Conyers plays Loganville again on Monday at Henson-Carr Legion Field in another scheduled doubleheader.

CONYERS - Baseball fans in Rockdale County will have the distinct honor of having two American Legion Post 77 teams this summer.

Former Conyers Post 77 coach Jack Murphy is coming out of retirement to lead another Post 77-sponsored team, aptly named Rockdale Post 77.

Murphy said there are several reasons why he is coming out of retirement to coach baseball again.

"There are many talented baseball players in this area. I felt we had a need, as well as the ability, to have another Post 77 team," he said. "I coached the old Post 77 team for many years, and I really didn't have to do much to build the team. They were the best players in the area, and all I had to do is sign them up. This team is a brand new team that will also be sponsored by American Legion Post 77. I guess I want to show people that I can build a competitive team with a new group of players. Also, I just enjoy being on the baseball field and I missed coaching."

Rockdale Post 77 will play and practice on the same field as Conyers Post 77 - Henson-Carr Legion Field - only they will alternate practice times and game times.

"Eddie (Bagwell) still has the No. 1 team in Conyers," Murphy said. "But we were still able to get some very good players from around here."

Topping the list of local players are Joseph Lester and Jo Jo Bonet. Lester played center field for Heritage this past season, while Bonet played two years ago for the Patriots.

Murphy also landed three solid players from Newton High School in Kinley Bryant, Chris Boyd and Reginald Kelly.

Murphy said the rest of his team will be made up of players from Union Grove, Monticello and Piedmont Academy.

Although Murphy said his new team will need time to develop chemistry, he feels it has what it takes to be competitive in the league.

"I think with a little time and hard work this team will be very competitive," he said. "I didn't schedule any area games until the end of June so that we'll have the chance to build the pitching staff and give them the best opportunity to win."

Rockdale's first game was last night on the road against Canton.

The squad's first home game of the season is Saturday, a doubleheader against Snellville. The action begins at 1:30 p.m. at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

CONYERS - Conyers Post 77 moved to 4-0 on the season after sweeping the Grayson River Rats on Monday night at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

Conyers cruised in the opening game of the twinbill, winning 7-0. In the nightcap, however, Conyers needed a little late-inning magic to pull out the 5-4 win.

In the opener, Conyers scored two runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Chunk Smith smacked a two-run single in the bottom of the first inning to put Conyers up 2-0.

In the second, Ryan Jubran doubled and took second on a passed ball before scoring on a Grayson throwing error. The second run of the inning came when Nick Matteen scored on a fielder's choice by Patrick Jansen. Matteen first got on with a walk before taking second on a passed ball.

After three scoreless innings, Conyers loaded the bases in the sixth off consecutive singles by Matteen, Jared Trust and Jake Dyer. Matteen eventually scored on a Grayson error to make it 5-0.

Conyers strung together three straight singles in the seventh. The third, by Jubran, scored Taylor Lamb. Smith, who had the second single, eventually scored on a passed ball.

Patrick Jansen got the win in Game 1 of the doubleheader, pitching seven scoreless innings. Jansen scattered four hits, walked one batter and struck out four.

Playing as the away team in the nightcap, Conyers fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first and trailed 2-0 after two innings.

However, Conyers scored three runs in the top of the third to take a 3-2 lead.

After Jubran singled, both Kelvan Diaz and Matteen reached on Grayson errors. Jubran scored on the second error, while Diaz advanced to third on the second error and later scored on a passed ball. Matteen scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Dyer.

Grayson tied it up with a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth and the River Rats took the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth.

But in Post 77's last at-bat, Diaz opened the inning by reaching on a Grayson error. Diaz almost ran out the throw to first anyway, but it was off-line, allowing him to scamper to second. The next batter, Matteen, hit into a fielder's choice, but Grayson was unable to get Diaz at third.

So with no outs, Conyers had runners on first and third. Matteen stole second, but the next two batters struck out.

The next batter, Travis Tarleton hit a long fly ball to the left fielder, but he was unable to come up with it, which allowed both Diaz and Matteen to score.

Matteen came on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh, and thanks to a finely turned double play, Conyers held on for the win.

Conyers manager Eddie Bagwell said he was happy to come away with the sweep.

"We took advantage of the opportunities provided for us," Bagwell said. "We were definitely pleased with the first game. Patrick (Jansen) pitched very well."

Clint Ogle started the second game on the mound for Conyers and struck out three in 42⁄3 innings of work. Chase Ware came on in middle relief and pitched 11⁄3 innings, while Matteen got the save after pitching a scoreless seventh.

Conyers plays again Thursday at Loganville.

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