Conyers Post 77 was eliminated from the American Legion southeast regional Monday, losing 15-9 to host Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19.

The two-time defending Georgia state champion finished in the top three in the region. With a 3-2 record in the tournament, Post 77 had the best showing of any team from Georgia since 2001.

Conyers finished the season 25-9.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Just six outs away from a berth in the regional final, Conyers Post 77 had its season come to a painful end Monday.

Leading 9-8 against host Columbia Post 19 in the American Legion Southeast Regional losers bracket final at Dave Hall Field, Conyers allowed seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 15-9 loss, and lost its catcher to injury along the way.

After Ryan Conner, working his fifth inning of relief, walked Daniel Holcomb and Kyle Brochu reached on a throwing error, Kevin Roberts hit a ball in the gap that scored Holcomb with the tying run.

Brochu, trying to score the go-ahead run, ran over Taylor Jackson at the plate and the Post 77 catcher couldn’t hang on to the ball.

Per American Legion rules, Brochu was ejected from the game, but the run counted and Post 19 went up 10-9, chasing Conner from the game.

After a lengthy delay that saw Jackson treated by EMS personnel and diagnosed with possible signs of a mild concussion, Columbia widened the gap against Jimmy Gerard and Aaron Barfield, scoring five more times to make it 15-9.

“The runner (was) thrown out of the game but dislodged the ball,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell, who questioned the call both during the delay and after the final out was recorded. “(Then) the wheels came off a little bit, it sort of snowballed on us that one inning.

“It’s deflating, very deflating. Had a chance to be in the championship game, maybe should have. I’m happy for the team, but sad for them at the same time.”

Conyers erased an early 8-2 deficit with a six-run fifth, putting itself in position to win. Facing starter Kerry Workman, who wasn’t nearly as effective on three days rest after handcuffing Post 77 in a three-hitter over seven innings in the tournament opener Thursday, the two-time defending Georgia state champions rallied against the right-hander.

With one out, Beau Thomas and Nick Woodward singled, and Josh Bailey drew a walk to load the bases. Cameron Gibson, who went without a hit or an RBI in his first nine regional at bats, ripped a two-run single, his seventh and eighth RBIs in the last three games, to cut the lead to 8-4.

Travis Tarleton followed with a single that scored Bailey and after a strikeout, Columbia second baseman Kendall Keeton threw away David Lockwood’s routine ground ball and Gibson and Tarleton scampered home to make it a one-run game.

Jackson singled to put runners at the corners and Levi Bonilla’s single chased home Lockwood with the tying run.

In the sixth, Gibson singled with two outs, stole second and third, and scored on a passed ball to give Conyers a 9-8 lead.

“It’s amazing. I call them ‘The Heart Attacks,’” Bagwell said of his team. “There’s so many guys that just stepped up. All week our guys battled, played their hearts out.”

Left-hander Beau Thomas, also working on three days rest after allowing three earned runs in six innings in the tournament opener, struggled early.

Columbia, trailing 1-0 after Gibson singled in a run in the top of the first, didn’t trail for long, scoring six in the bottom half. Post 19 got run-scoring hits from Tyler Bigler, Derrick Armstrong and David Horne, then Roberts capped the barrage with an RBI triple to make it a 6-1 game. Columbia added a run in both the third and fourth innings. Rogers reached when shortstop Levi Bonilla made a great stop on a ground ball, but threw wide of first to start the third.

Two batters later, Horne’s groundout made it 7-2. In the fourth, Bigler ripped an RBI single off Conner for an 8-2 lead.

Conner was outstanding after that. The southpaw, making his first regional appearance after 5 1⁄3 scoreless innings in the state tournament, allowed two singles and a walk from the fifth through the seventh before tiring when Columbia rallied in the eighth.

“(Conner) pitched his butt off. Ryan once more did the job,” Bagwell said.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Still alive.

Brandon Thomas pitched a complete game shutout and Ross Roberts’ two-run double in the sixth inning provided some breathing room as Conyers Post 77 defeated Sumter (S.C.) Post 15 5-0 in an elimination game in the American Legion Southeast Regional at Dave Hall Field.

Conyers (24-8), which got a complete game shutout from Kelvan Diaz on Friday following Thursday’s opening round loss, will play the winner of the Kernersville (N.C.) Post 36 and Columbia Post 19 game in today’s losers bracket final.

Thomas was in control throughout, scattering seven hits, and finished the 102-pitch outing by stranding runners at the corners in the bottom of the ninth. Lacking his usual mid-80s velocity, Thomas threw a number of devastating curveballs and mixed in an effective split-finger fastball to induce eight ground ball outs and several harmless flyouts.

“I didn’t have my best fast ball today, but ... (I’m) just trying to mix it up. I got a lot of easy groundouts and popouts,” said Thomas, a sophomore at Georgia Perimeter College.

“Brandon, seems like as the game goes on he gets looser. (Saturday) everything seemed to be working,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell. “He threw great, he was the reason we won. We feel like we have a good pitching staff (and) we have high expectations of them when they step on the mound.”

The offense, which didn’t score until the eighth inning Thursday and the sixth inning Friday, got to Sumter (32-5) starter Jeremy Buckner right away.

In the first, Beau Thomas led off with an infield single and Josh Bailey was hit by a pitch. Cameron Gibson, who was hitless in the tournament coming into the game, singled to left to chase home Thomas. Travis Tarleton followed with a sacrifice fly to put the visitors up 2-0.

Post 77 added to its lead in the sixth when Gibson doubled and Tarleton reached on an error. After Kevin Dawkins struck out, Roberts laced a double to right-center field that scored Gibson and Tarleton to make it a 4-0 game.

Sumter third baseman Patrick Gordon led off the seventh with a bunt single, but he was quickly erased when Buckner’s ground ball turned into a pretty double play by second baseman Nick Woodward and shortstop Levi Bonilla. It was another in a series of solid plays by a much-maligned defense that made eight errors in five Georgia state tournament games, but hasn’t made a miscue in three regional contests.

“For fear of jinxing us, we haven’t made an error in this series. We’re not giving extra outs,” Bagwell said. “Double play ball (in the seventh) was the biggest moment of the game. That was huge.”

Conyers added to its cushion in the eighth when Roberts doubled and scored on Taylor Jackson’s sacrifice fly.

One year ago, Conyers Post 77 was preparing for the program’s first Southeast Regional appearance since 1989. Now, the two-time defending Georgia American Legion state champions have achieved veteran status.

Following a 17-7 victory over Douglasville in last week’s state championship, Conyers opens its second consecutive regional against host Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19 today at Dave Hall Field at 7:30 p.m.

Though much of the roster is the same, including starting pitchers Beau Thomas, Kelvan Diaz and Brandon Thomas, from the team that went 2-2 in Sumter, S.C., last August, several Post 77 players will be making their first trip to a regional.

Right fielder Josh Bailey, a Piedmont College commitment in his first season of Legion ball, is hoping the team can finish what last year’s group started.

“I think we’re going in with a confident attitude, but also with a chip on our shoulder,” said Bailey, who hit .667 in three state tournament games.

Bailey is one of six new players on the roster, along with state tournament MVP Kevin Dawkins (Andrew College commitment), shortstop and No. 9 hitter Levi Bonilla and pitchers Aaron Barfield, Ryan Conner and Tyler Holcombe. But a handful of players have seen increased roles, including Dawkins’ future Andrew College teammate Beau Thomas, who went from No. 4 starter a year ago to possibly getting the ball in Game 1 tonight.

David Lockwood and Jimmy Gerard have become coach Eddie Bagwell’s top choices for late-inning replacements off the bench, while Ross Roberts (Truett-McConnell) has taken Beau Thomas’ spot as a potential No. 4 starter if Conyers keeps winning this weekend.

“We’ve got some guys that were on the team last year that played limited roles, Beau, David Lockwood, Jimmy Gerard, not to mention picking up Kevin Dawkins, Josh Bailey, Levi Bonilla. They are playing either more of a role than they played last year or a huge role. So that’s huge that you’re able to pick that up,” Bagwell said. “This is going to be a new experience for everybody, even the guys coming back. Once was a great experience, we were wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. This time we’re not wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, but we’re not used to being here a second time and that’s going to be a new experience.”

Still, the four games of experience in last season’s regional, especially in regard to the pitching staff, should go a long way for Conyers (22-7). Diaz, the expected Game 2 starter, threw a shutout in his only regional start last season, Georgia Perimeter’s Brandon Thomas pitched well and had the lead in Game 3 before the bullpen coughed up a one-run cushion late. Southpaw Beau Thomas has morphed into the team’s top starter.

The concern lies with the defense, a strength in 2009, but which made eight errors in the 2010 state tournament.

“Like I’ve said all year long, I don’t think we have that one guy that can go stop somebody, but I do feel we have three guys that are quality pitchers,” said Bagwell.
“Our pitching is good enough (that) if we take care of the baseball (they could be successful). Our pitchers are strong, but they’re not strikeout guys. We have guys that pitch to contact, they are going to challenge hitters. There is a concern that if our defense doesn’t pick it up, our pitching maybe drops a notch because of that. I think we were able to dodge (poor defense) in the state tournament. I don’t think we’ll be able to at Southeast Regional.”

The offense has had no such problems. In five state tournament games, Conyers scored 80 runs, including 23 in two championship series games against Douglasville. The lineup has been productive from top — Beau Thomas (.375 in state tournament) — to bottom — Bonilla (.391) — as Conyers tries to reverse the trend set last year when it scored just seven runs in four regional games.

“I hope (the offense) maintains the level of play,” Bagwell said. “(But) good pitching often beats good hitting.”

Notes: Conyers got off to a great start in Sumter last season, getting a complete game shut out from former ace right-hander Anthony Bazzani in the opener against Chapin (S.C.) Post 193. With host Columbia Post 19 waiting in this year’s opener, the urgency to win Game 1 is again apparent. “I’m confident (and) I think we’re ready. As long as we get past that first game, I think we’ll be alright,” said catcher Taylor Jackson, who hit .389 in the state tournament. ... Bagwell and pitching coach Jody Gilbert were leaning heavily toward the southpaw Roberts to start a possible fourth game, which depends on how Conyers does during the tournament’s first three days. Roberts threw just 1⁄3 of an inning in the state tournament and allowed two hits and an earned run. ... The 3-4-5 hitters, Cameron Gibson, Travis Tarleton and Dawkins drove in a combined 33 runs in five state tournament games. ... Bagwell is hoping short relievers Jackson and Tarleton, who haven’t pitched much at all this summer, can get extended work in the regional. “If we can go five (games) and win it all, Travis and Taylor have to give us three to five innings each this week.”

It would’ve been easy for Conyers to come out flat in a deciding Game 2 of the American Legion Georgia state championship series Wednesday.

After all, Post 77 had been five outs from a state title in Game 1 before Douglasville mounted a six-run rally in the bottom of the eighth to steal the opener 7-6. But unlike the pitching-dominant title-winning team of a year ago, this year’s version relies on offense, and the big bats showed up in the clincher.

Conyers used a 19-hit attack to cruise to a 17-7 victory and finished the five-game tournament with 80 runs and 78 hits. Conyers hit .410 as a team, and seven different players drove in at least five runs in five tournament games.

“Right now this lineup is swinging the bat extremely well,” coach Eddie Bagwell said.

There were several heroes in the two games against Douglasville and throughout the nearly weeklong tournament.

Nick Woodward, whose arm injury forced a late-season switch from shortstop to second base, came alive in the championship series. Woodward had only three hits in 11 at-bats through the first three tournament games, but he picked drove in a run on a suicide squeeze in a five-run eighth inning in the opener. He then got four hits, including a three-run home run that keyed a six-run third in the nightcap.

Kevin Dawkins stayed hot, collecting four hits and a tournament-high 17th RBI on his way to MVP honors. The first-year legion player hit .520 in five games and hit two of Conyers’ 10 home runs.

Cameron Gibson played flawless defense in center field and reached base in 18 of 28 plate appearances, including a home run and five RBIs in the clincher. Outfielder Ross Roberts, who in Game 1 batted in the No. 2 hole while Josh Bailey served a one-game suspension, then returned to his normal No. 6 spot in the nightcap, went 3-for-8, drew three of Conyers’ 12 walks on the day and scored six runs. In five tournament games, Roberts hit .444 and drove in five runs.

“We knew we had the best hitters. Everybody felt good, we were just swinging hard,” Roberts said. “Everybody, from top to bottom, that was the key to it. We didn’t have a weak spot.”

The mound was full of heroes as well. In the winners bracket final, Beau Thomas allowed an earned run in three solid innings, picking up the save against Douglasville.

Kelvan Diaz pitched five shutout innings against Loganville. But the big story on the hill was Ryan Conner. The southpaw was outstanding in three relief appearances, not allowing a run in 51⁄3 innings, including limiting Douglasville to a pair of singles in 21⁄3 innings in the clincher.

“What can you say? Ryan Conner has proven to be an extremely effective closer,” Bagwell said.

Notes: Similar to the 2009 title team, Conyers was adept at scoring late in games. In the state tournament, Post 77 outscored its five opponents 30-8 in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. “We feel confident that we can go toe to toe with anybody right now. We may be a little slow in coming out of the gate offensively, but we feel ultimately we get stronger as the game goes along,” Bagwell said. ... Despite missing two of the five tournament games, Bailey, a Piedmont College commitment, still hit .667 (10-for-15) with five doubles and four RBIs. ... Conyers will open up play in the Southeast Regional on Thursday against the host team, Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19 at 7 p.m. The tournament, running through Aug. 9, will be played at Dave Hall Field on the campus of Columbia State Community College.

LOGANVILLE — That’s one for the other ring finger.

Taylor Jackson and Nick Woodward each hit a three-run home run and Cameron Gibson drove in five runs as Conyers Post 77 rolled to a 17-7, eight-inning victory over Douglasville to win its second consecutive American Legion Georgia state championship.

Conyers, which went 2-2 in last season’s regional in Sumter, S.C., after winning the program’s first state title since 1989, will once again represent Georgia in the Southeast Regional in Columbia, Tennessee, Aug. 5-8.

“I’m excited, happy for my team, happy for our coaches,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell. “I’m just real proud of them.”

Post 77 went into the day having to win just once to capture the state crown, but Douglasville came from five runs down to win 7-6 in the first game of the day.

Game 2 was a different story. Douglasville held a 3-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the third, but never led again. Beau Thomas singled and Josh Bailey, who missed the first game because of a suspension stemming from an ejection in Monday’s game, doubled, and Gibson followed with a two-run single to give Conyers a 4-3 lead. Later, Ross Roberts had a fielder’s choice RBI and Woodward crushed a first-pitch fastball off the flagpole in center field for a three-run shot off Douglasville starter Martin Castro that made it an 8-3 game.

Bailey doubled again to start a four-run fourth inning that was capped by Jackson’s long home run to left-center field that gave Conyers an 12-3 cushion and chased Castro after 32⁄3 innings and 12 earned runs.

“Right now this lineup is swinging the bat extremely well,” said Bagwell, whose team scored 80 runs in five tournament games.

Conyers starter Kelvan Diaz, pitching on two days rest, tired in the fifth and let Douglasville back in the game. After Castro’s one-out single, Tanner Bryant hit a two-run home run, and two batters later, Gavin Peters ripped a solo shot to slice the lead to 12-6. Diaz, who also gave up Corey Fehribach’s run-scoring single in the sixth, was lifted after 52⁄3 innings and five earned runs.

“I was tired,” said Diaz.

Conyers opened things up again facing Bryant in the seventh. Gibson launched a two-run home run and Woodward added an RBI-single to push the lead to 15-7. In the eighth, Gibson had an RBI-ground out and Conyers walked off with the state championship when Jackson’s bases loaded single scored Bailey.

Douglasville stunned Conyers with a six-run eighth inning to steal the opener and force a deciding Game 2.

Down 6-1, Fehribach, Castro and Bryant all singled with one out to load the bases. Seth Wessinger’s ground ball to shortstop looked destined to become at least one out, but Levi Bonilla couldn’t handle the ball and Fehribach scored to make it 6-2.

Peters’ two-run single cut the lead to 6-4, and though starter Beau Thomas was at 86 pitches just two days after closing out a victory over Douglasville with three, three-hit innings, Bagwell stayed with the southpaw. It cost Conyers dearly. Garrett Hayes hit a 1-1 pitch high over the wall in right field for a three-run home run, completing the miraculous come back.

“I blew it. I take responsibility for it,” Bagwell said. “That home run just kept going and going and going (but) Beau pitched his butt off. I blew it there at the end.”

Conyers built a 6-1 lead a half inning earlier, scoring five times against Peters and Castro. Ross Roberts, Gibson and Travis Tarleton all drew walks to start the inning and Kevin Dawkins picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice. Castro allowed two runs on wild pitches and Woodward’s infield single made it 6-1.

Dawkins, who went 4-for-9 in Wednesday’s double header and had 17 RBIs in five games, was named tournament MVP.

“I’ve never had this feeling. I never went to the high school playoffs. It’s a great thing,” said Dawkins, an Andrew College commitment. “We wanted to win it for coach Eddie. This is his win, this isn’t for us, this is for him. (Now) it’s time go win regionals.”

LOGANVILLE — Nineteen innings were too many for Rockdale Post 77 as it lost to Douglasville 11-5 in the American Legion state semifinals after beating Loganville 7-5 in 10 innings in its first game Tuesday at West Walton Park.

“You win as a team, you lose as a team. At the end there we just didn’t have enough gas to get to the end of the line. We ran out there a little short of where we wanted to go to,” Rockdale manager Jack Murphy said.

Rockdale finished the two games with 22 hits, 12 against Loganville and 10 against Douglasville. The main difference between the two games was that Rockdale had five extra-base hits against Loganville and none against Douglasville.

Kyle Beech paced the team with four hits in the two games with Charlie Stubbs getting two, both home runs, and Nakeem Forte, Brad Blount, Patrick Long, Adam Lass, Jake Parker and C.J. McDowell getting two each.

Joining Stubbs with extra-base hits were Long (triple), McDowell (triple) and Blount (double).

Against Loganville, Rockdale took the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning before Post 233 tied the game in the top of the next inning.

Leading 2-1 as the teams entered the fourth inning, Rockdale had several chances to possibly end the game by mercy-rule but ended leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth inning.

“We haven’t hit the ball well this whole tournament. We’ve scored runs, but the other team made a lot of errors too,” Murphy said.

In total, Rockdale left 15 runners stranded with 11 being in scoring position.

Post 77 added a run to their tally in the fifth inning before Loganville jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning.

Stubbs closed the gap with a solo shot before Parker crossed the plate on McDowell’s triple.

“I felt because we were the home team we were going to win it,” Murphy said. “I got a little worried when we two outs and trailed 5-4 in the ninth. Then we tied it and I felt we could win it in the next inning.”

Rockdale kept Loganville from crossing home plate in the top of the 10th inning allowing Stubbs to hit the walk-off homer.

Post 77 started the second game against a fresh Douglasville taking a 5-0 lead after two innings. However, fatigue by Rockdale allowed Douglasville to come back scoring most of their runs in the last two innings.

“About the 16th inning (of the day) we started getting tired, then at the end we were real tired. It’s tough in this heat to play a 10-inning game then come back and have to play another game,” Murphy said. “We stopped hitting, we couldn’t get the head of the bats around quick enough, we lost about a step in the outfield.

“The team was feeling good after that two-run, walk-off home run we had to win that first game. I think we were living on that. Then after we got 5-0 we just quit. You can’t blame the kids. They played hard and we had a good season. We didn’t end up where we wanted to. We played in the toughest area and finished up third and we finished third in the state so I guess that’s where we were supposed to end up. The sad part is that it’s hard to say goodbye to the kids after the season is over.”

CONYERS — Conyers Post 77 hasn’t gotten the dominant pitching it enjoyed during the state championship run in 2009, but so far it hasn’t mattered.

The offense has scored 57 runs in three state tournament games and heading into today’s title game against Douglasville Post 145 (1 p.m. at West Walton Park in Loganville), Conyers is hoping to ride its red-hot offense to a second consecutive state crown.

Post 77 defeated Blairsville Post 121 22-10 in the first round, then cruised to a 19-2 victory over host Loganville in the semi finals. Monday, Post 77 outlasted Douglasville 16-10. Coach Eddie Bagwell has been impressed with the production up and down the lineup.

“We know probably pitching and defensively we may be a step below what we were last year, but we stepped it up offensively,” Bagwell said. “We’ve come alive, swinging the bats extremely well. From top to bottom, I like the production we’re getting.”

In the middle of the offensive fireworks is catcher/first baseman Kevin Dawkins. The first-year legion player and rising senior at Rockdale has been fantastic through the tournament’s first three games, hitting .563 (9-for-16) with two home runs, one a third-inning grand slam against Loganville, and 16 RBIs.

“Kevin has come up real big, he (has) stepped up to the moment,” Bagwell said. “He hits the ball so hard he really has the potential to make something big happen. I think Kevin’s doing extremely well.”

It has helped Dawkins, the team’s No. 5 hitter, that the four batters in front of him have reached base as often as they have. Lead-off hitter Beau Thomas has reached in half of his plate appearances, Josh Bailey in eight of 10, Cameron Gibson in 13 of 17 and cleanup hitter Travis Tarleton in 7 of 16.

“The good thing ... for Kevin right now, the guys in front of him are getting on base a lot,” said Bagwell. “Give (Dawkins) credit, he’s taken advantage of what’s been provided to him. He’s come up big. Real, real happy for him the way he’s swung the bats in this tournament and probably three or four weeks.”

Bonilla continues strong summer

Middle infielder Levi Bonilla has continued his solid play in the middle of the Conyers infield. Inserted into the starting lineup June 24 against Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Post 34, Bonilla hasn’t left, and over the last month has given Post 77 a dependable glove at second base and shortstop, along with a potent bat in the No. 9 spot in the order. Bonilla, a rising senior at Salem, is 6-for-14 (.429) in the state tournament.

“I like the production we’re getting at the bottom of the order,” Bagwell said. “It gives us more opportunities to score with Nick (Woodward) and Levi getting on in the eight and nine hole.”

Bailey to miss state title game

When Conyers takes the field in today’s championship game, it will be without right fielder and No. 2 hitter Josh Bailey. The Piedmont College commitment and former Salem standout was ejected from Monday’s winners bracket final against Douglasville in the middle of his first-inning at bat for arguing balls and strikes, though the ejection didn’t appear to be justified.

Bailey was 7-for-9 (.777) with eight runs scored in two tournament games before the ejection. If Conyers is beaten in the first game, Bailey would be available for a deciding Game 2.

Pitching staff helped by off day

A rainstorm hit the Loganville area almost immediately after the final out of Conyers’ win over Douglasville and forced the cancellation of the two losers’ bracket games. Those games were moved to Tuesday, which also pushed the title game up a day.

It was a much-needed day off for Post 77, especially its pitching staff. Right-hander Kelvan Diaz, who was the winning pitcher in a five-inning stint against Loganville Sunday, will be available today and could get the start in the championship game. Brandon Thomas and Beau Thomas, the starter and closer against Douglasville, respectively, could also be available for an inning or two.

The rest of the staff, including southpaw Ross Roberts (1/3 of an inning against Douglasville), right-hander Aaron Barfield (four innings of four-run ball against Blairsville) and short relievers Ryan Conner (three perfect innings in the state tournament), Chase Ware (one earned run in one inning of work) and Travis Tarleton and Taylor Jackson, who haven’t yet pitched in the state tournament, are all available for relief work.

Bagwell and his coaching staff — pitching coach Jody Gilbert and Scott Tarleton — could also approach the title game with a by-committee approach.

“We feel like we got Kelvan available for a couple innings, with the extra day, maybe Brandon Thomas for an inning. We feel like we have Ross Roberts and Beau Thomas available,” Bagwell said Monday, before leaving it open for just about anyone to pitch. “I won’t be surprised if we pitch by committee in that championship game.”

LOGANVILLE — For Conyers Post 77, its beginning to look a lot like 2009.

The defending American Legion state champions erased an early, four-run deficit and received gutsy pitching performances late to outlast Douglasville Post 145 16-10 in the winner’s bracket final of the state tournament at West Walton Park. Conyers will play one of three teams, one of which could be fellow Post 77 rival Rockdale, in Wednesday’s state championship.

Trailing 9-6 in the top of the seventh, Cameron Gibson walked and Travis Tarleton was hit by a pitch before Douglasville right-hander Bradley Mills threw a wild pitch, sending the runners to second and third. Kevin Dawkins followed with a single that drove in Gibson and another wild pitch scored Tarleton to slice the lead to 9-8.

A walk to Ross Roberts chased Mills, and facing Gavin Peters, Dawkins, running on contact on Taylor Jackson’s grounder to third, looked to be out at the plate, but third baseman Corey Fehribach’s throw sailed over catcher Kevin Frashier’s head to tie the game. Nick Woodward followed with a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to bring Roberts home for a 10-9 Conyers lead. Post 77 wouldn’t trail again.

Left-hander Beau Thomas allowed the first two hitters to reach on singles to start the seventh, but got a pop-up and induced an inning-ending double play. In the eighth, Conyers added two runs on RBI hits by Roberts and Jackson, and used four walks issued by Josh Smith and run-scoring hits from Tarleton and Jackson to tack on four in the ninth.

Despite allowing a run in the eighth on Avery Miller’s sacrifice fly, Thomas silenced a potent Douglasville offense with three innings of one-hit ball.

“Beau Thomas slammed the door. He came in when we went up 10-9 (and) there was no doubt in my mind what we were doing right there,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell. “Beau was the best one we had left and we had to use him.”

Douglasville, which finished second after a 13-3 loss to Conyers in last year’s final, snapped a 6-6 tie with a three-run sixth. Facing Brandon Thomas (5 IP, 13 H, 8 ER), who came out for another inning after lightning delayed the game for 46 minutes in the top of the sixth, Post 145 got a walk from Martin Castro and Seth Wessinger’s single to end the Conyers starter’s night after 103 pitches.

Roberts relieved and got a fly out, but Peters ripped an RBI single, Wessinger scored on a wild pitch and Miller, who had five RBIs, laced a single to score Peters.

Conyers looked flat early on and Douglasville took advantage. Castro scored on Brandon Thomas’ wild pitch in the first and five consecutive batters reached safely in the second, including Miller, whose two-run single made it a 3-0 game.

Later, Fehribach added a single to push Post 145’s lead to 4-0. Conyers scored in the third when Levi Bonilla tripled with one out and scored on a ground out by Beau Thomas, but Douglasville got the run back and led 5-1 on Peters’ lead off home run in the bottom of the third.

“When we were down, the energy was really good in the dugout,” Bagwell said. “They just refused to lie down.”

Douglasville starter Andrew Fessler had allowed just three hits through four innings, but Conyers jumped all over the southpaw in an 11-batter fifth. Jackson launched a lead-off home run and Woodward followed with a double. On Bonilla’s grounder to shortstop, Woodward appeared to be headed for an untimely force out at third, but Douglasville shortstop Tanner Bryant lost the handle and runners were at first and third.

Beau Thomas’ infield single scored Woodward, though Bonilla was thrown out at second after inadvertently rounding the base on the play.

Following consecutive walks, Tarleton ripped an RBI single and Dawkins, who has 16 RBIs in three tournament games, poked a two-run single to right field to put Post 77 up 6-5.

Post 145 pulled even in the bottom of the fifth on Miller’s single. When the Douglasville first baseman tried to score the go-ahead run on Fehribach’s two-out single, right fielder David Lockwood started a 9-3-5-2 relay, catching Miller at the plate to end the frame.
Lockwood was in right field because Josh Bailey was ejected from the game in the top of the first for arguing balls and strikes. As per tournament rules, Bailey, who reached base in nine of 11 state tournament plate appearances before Monday’s game, must sit out Wednesday’s championship game.

File photo

It has always been said of baseball, that is you pitch well, hit well, and defend well you always have the opportunity to win the game. Conyers American Legion post 77 found this out against rival Rockdale American Legion post 77 on Sunday afternoon at Legion Field. Sloppy play early and a lack of energy seemed to hinder Rockdale most of the game, while Conyers came out looking to even up the score with Rockdale. Conyers would achieve this goal with a 9-4 victory over Rockdale.

Conyers pitcher Brandon Thomas threw a gem against Rockdale on Sunday afternoon. Conyers would stall Rockdale in the first inning making them go three up three down. In the bottom half of the inning Conyers would draw first blood. Josh Bailey would put a charge into the ball as he drove the first run across the board with a RBI triple. Travis Tarleton kept things alive with a RBI double to bring Bailey in to score and adding to an early lead. Rockdale pitcher Adam Lass would strike out the next two batters to save what he could of the inning.

Rockdale responded in the second inning when Cameron Lewis would make his way to first on a error by the second basemen. The next batter, Kyle Beech, drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. C.J. McDowell broke through for Rockdale with a RBI single. Beech would come in to score after an attempt to pick off McDowell at first went stray. In the bottom half of the inning, Ross Roberts drew a leadoff walk then stole second on a pick off attempt from Rockdale. David Lockwood made them pay with his RBI single to drive in Roberts. A beautiful sacrifice bunt by Levi Bonilla helped Lockwood advance into scoring position for Conyers. Beau Thomas’s RBI double drove in Lockwood to add to the lead. Bailey would help as well with a RBI single to drive in Thomas.

Rockdale would make some noise in the fourth with a leadoff double from Patrich Long. A walk from Dacota Cole would add to the pressure, but Cole would be caught stealing second. Beech once again assist his team with a RBI single. Conyers scored in their half of the inning on a wild pitch to score Lockwood.

In the sixth Conyers further distanced themselves from Rockdale when Roberts hit a solo home run to help his team. A double play by Rockdale would end any hope of the inning producing anymore runs.

Conyers pitching would shut down Rockdale in the seventh and eighth setting three up and three down in both innings. Conyers would add to their lead with a RBI double from Bailey in the seventh and a sac fly from Nick Woodward eighth. Rockdale added a run on a RBI single from Cole but it would not be enough as they dropped the game 9-4 to Conyers.

Conyers Coach Eddie Bagwell was pleased with his team's performance against Rockdale.

"We came up with some timely hitting, [Kelvin] Diaz coming in to close the game for us, and after the first couple of innings settling in." Bagwell spoke highly of his pitching and hitting after the game, and it showed. "Our pitchers threw well and we hit the ball"

These two teams will meet again Wednesday for a double-header before they get a long deserved break

CANTON — Rockdale Post 77 ended area play with one of its finest offensive performances of the season, cruising to a 20-5, five-inning victory over Canton Post 45 on Saturday.

It was Rockdale’s first game since a doubleheader sweep of Peachtree City on July 1, but the offense showed no signs of rust, jumping on Canton starter Tyler Wemmer with a three-run first.

Nakeem Forte started the game with the first of two drag bunt base hits, and after a sacrifice, Brad Blount and Patrick Long hit back-to-back home runs to give Post 77 a 3-0 lead.

The visitors were just getting started. While Hemmer left the game with an arm injury, Rockdale pounded Miles Gifford in a 12-batter second inning. Kail Blackshear doubled to open the frame, the first of eight consecutive batters to reach base, as Blount, Long and Charlie Stubbs all drove in runs to put Post 77 up 10-0.

“The guys swung it real well, several home runs, and like I was telling Demarco (Hamm) and the other coaches, about all we got out of today is (we) got some batting practice,” said Rockdale coach Jack Murphy. “But that’s all we’ve been doing since Peachtree City (July 1) is batting practice.”

Mike Venturelli started for Rockdale and pitched two scoreless innings.

Wiith Rockdale up 11-0 after Jake Parker’s RBI-single in the third, Murphy went to his bullpen to get a pair of pitchers work. Caleb Asbaugh struggled in the bottom of the third, allowing consecutive singles to Josh Thomas, Dylan Short and Tyler Lusk to load the bases with no one out. Eric Dedrickson and Jonathan Villhauer each had an RBI-ground out and Dexter Padgett ripped a run-scoring single to make it an 11-3 game. Cole Hamilton relieved Asbaugh and got the final out of the third, then allowed two unearned runs in the fourth on consecutive throwing errors by third baseman Kyle Beech. After the miscues, Hamilton settled in and retired six of the final seven batters he faced, four by strikeout.

“We saw kind of how the game was going to go (and) we wanted to try and work all of our pitchers,” said Murphy. “Some of our fellas haven’t had the opportunity to do any pitching, something besides just throwing in the bullpen. About the third inning today we got a little ... I think we just kind of lost interest in the game to be honest, we made errors. We can’t make those errors against good teams and expect to win.”

Rockdale wasn’t finished with the bats. Against Villhauer, Dylan Brewer and Travis Mote, Post 77 sent 19 batters to the plate in the fourth and fifth innings, getting RBIs from Joseph Lester, Beech, Parker, Cameron Lewis, and Long’s second home run of the day, a two-run blast to center field in the fourth.

Every starter except Forte, who was on base four times and stole three bases, and Blackshear, who reached base four times, drove in at least one run.

“We got some swings against somebody besides our own pitchers in batting practice,” Murphy said. “(But) we certainly don’t like the kind of game this one turned into today.”

Rockdale finished the regular season 14-7 and 6-6 in area play and is expected to be the area’s No. 3 seed when the state tournament begins this weekend.

Kelvan Diaz was feeling so good on the mound Tuesday night, he grabbed a bat and helped at the plate as well.

The right-hander struck out four in 31⁄3 hitless innings, combining with two others for a five-inning no-hitter, and delivered a two-run double in Conyers’ 10-0 victory over Peachtree City Post 50 in the nightcap of a double-header Tuesday at Henson-Carr Legion Field. Conyers, which has victories in seven of its last eight games, won the opener 7-2.

Diaz, who struggled in his first four appearances of the season, mixed a four-seam and a two-seam fastball with a devastating slider and curve ball to baffle the Post 50 hitters in his second consecutive strong start.

His opposite-field double capped a three-run fourth inning and the former Heritage star, who is expected to play college baseball in Puerto Rico in the fall, finished the game at third base, the first time since high school he had batted and played the field in the same game.

“I was just trying to hit the ball, put a good swing on it,” Diaz said.

“We will never hear the end of it,” coach Eddie Bagwell jokingly said of Diaz’s first at bat of the season. “(On the mound, Diaz) may be peaking at the right time. He did look good.”

Ryan Conner, who made his pitching debut in the opener, relieved Diaz in the fourth and looked sharp, getting a strikeout and ground out to keep the no-hitter in tact.

Brandon Thomas finished with a strong fifth, getting two strikeouts.

Leading 1-0, Conyers opened things up in the second, scoring five against losing pitcher Mitch Epley (4 IP, 8 ER).

The first three batters reached base before Conner delivered an RBI-groundout in his first at bat of the season.

Levi Bonilla, leading off in place of Beau Thomas, who along with cleanup hitter Travis Tarleton, shortstop Nick Woodward and short reliever Chase Ware was away on vacation, singled in a run to make it a 3-0 game.

Taylor Jackson had a sacrifice fly and Josh Bailey singled in a run and later scored on a throwing error to give Post 77 a 6-0 lead.

That was more than enough for Diaz, who took just 32 pitches to get 10 outs.

Conyers (15-4) got an excellent start from Ross Roberts to win the opener. The left-hander allowed just a fourth-inning single to Thomas Tuten and struck out eight to improve to a staff-best 4-0.

The Conyers offense gave Roberts support right away, scoring three in the first. With one out, Roberts helped his own cause with a single and Bailey jumped all over a 2-1 pitch and launched his fourth home run of the season to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Kevin Dawkins walked and later scored on a throwing error to make it 3-0.

David Lockwood and Brandon Thomas added run-scoring hits in the third and Jackson led off the fourth with his second home run of the season to put Conyers up 7-0.

Conyers, the defending state champions, are the area’s No. 2 seed and if the regular season ended today would be locked into a state tournament play-in series.

Still, Bagwell is holding out hope his team can catch No. 1 Douglasville. The teams close the regular season with a doubleheader at Henson-Carr on Tuesday.

“Were in a position where we had to win tonight and we have to win Sunday (against Loganville, and Douglasville has) got to lose one game and we’ve got to beat them twice,” Bagwell said. “Momentum is everything.”

Notes: Bonilla has been a pleasant surprise since cracking the starting lineup June 24 against Tuscaloosa Ala.

In seven consecutive starts, Bonilla is 8-for-19 (.421) with six RBIs and has played excellent defense at second base. The rising senior at Salem had his six-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 game one against Peachtree City, but Bonilla came back with a 3-for-3, two-RBI nightcap.

“I took him thinking he’d be fine defensively. I’m surprised offensively, he’s swinging the bat extremely well,” Bagwell said. ... Diaz and Conner weren’t the only ones making their debuts at the plate Tuesday. Aaron Barfield picked up an infield single in his first plate appearance of the season and Tyler Holcombe popped up in his first trip to the plate in the fifth inning of game one, then started at third base in the nightcap and went 0-for-1 with a run scored. ... Diaz won for the first time since June 18.

CONYERS — Conyers couldn’t figure out Mike Venturelli in game one, so the defending state champions took their frustrations out on the right-hander’s mound mates in the nightcap.

After Venturelli pitched a complete game, five-hitter to win the opener, 3-2, Conyers used a nine-run fourth to pull away in game two, 11-1 in a match up of Post 77 rivals at Henson-Carr Legion Field on Wednesday.

Venturelli, who tossed five shutout innings and struck out eight in a win over Conyers June 12 was sharp again in his latest effort. Though Conyers erased a 1-0 lead with two runs in the second on Beau Thomas’ single, Venturelli allowed two singles the rest of the way.

Kyle Beech’s RBI-triple in the fourth pulled Rockdale even at 2-2, and Venturelli stranded runners at third in the fourth, getting Levi Bonilla’s line out and a strike out of Ross Roberts, and at second base in the sixth when Conyers couldn’t capitalize on a first-and-second, one-out situation. That allowed Rockdale to score the eventual winning run in the visiting half of the seventh on Brad Blount’s two-out, run-scoring single.

In the Conyers seventh, Josh Bailey polished off a 10-pitch at bat with a lead off walk and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Venturelli, who threw 128 pitches, induced a harmless fly out from Travis Tarleton and struck out Kevin Dawkins and Taylor Jackson to end the game.

“About the fourth inning I was thinking about (removing Venturelli),” said Rockdale coach Jack Murphy. “He said, hell, he wasn’t coming out, he was going to win it or lose it. That was tremendous. I can’t say enough about Mike.”

“He’s got our number,” Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell said of Venturelli. “Tip your hat to Michael (the) first game. Good pitching will shut you down.”

Kelvan Diaz was the tough-luck loser in the opener. The right-hander scattered nine hits in 62⁄3 innings, allowing three earned runs in his sharpest outing since a June 18 win over Leesburg Post 182 in the POW/MIA Tournament. Diaz also got the help of some great defensive plays. Second baseman Bonilla turned an unassisted double play to end the opening frame, then made a sparkling play in the hole in the fifth, which was followed by Ross Roberts’ diving catch in left-center field. Shortstop Nick Woodward made a diving play to throw out Cameron Lewis in the second, though Dacota Cole scooted home with the game’s first run.

“Kelvan pitched plenty well to win that ball game. We didn’t do a good job of scoring,” Bagwell said.

Conyers had no trouble putting runs on the board in a five-inning victory in game two. Facing southpaw Brice Merrit, Jimmy Gerard stroked an RBI-double and scored on first baseman Lewis’ error in the second, then Conyers put Merrit and Brandon Ward through a marathon fourth inning. Capped by two-run hits from Thomas and Bonilla and a long grand slam by Bailey, his third home run of the season, Conyers sent 14 to the plate and stretched its lead to 11-1.

Thomas was the beneficiary of the run support, pitching four innings of two-hit ball. The left-hander, who joined Brandon Thomas and Roberts as the staff’s only two-game winners, retired the first six batters he faced before Beech’s lead off single in the third. Joseph Lester lifted a sacrifice fly to right later in the inning for Rockdale’s only run.

“Beau pitched great,” Bagwell said. “Second game, we came out real loose and we played one hundred percent better.”

“It was like we were happy we got the first game. We played flat,” Murphy said. (But) it doesn’t matter if you get beat 100-to-nothing, you still split.”

CONYERS — Before the rains came Tuesday at Henson-Carr Legion Field, Conyers had its way with the Loganville pitching staff.

Post 77 had seven different players drive in runs in its fourth consecutive win, 13-3 over Loganville Post 233. Conyers led 10-7 in the top of the third inning of the nightcap before heavy rain forced the game to be suspended. No date for the continuation of the game had been announced.

Conyers trailed 1-0 in the opener before the offense got going in the second against Post 233 starter Bradley West. Following a single by Kevin Dawkins and Taylor Jackson’s double, David Lockwood’s infield single chased home Dawkins and tied the game at 1-1. Levi Bonilla’s fielder’s choice gave Conyers the lead for good, and with two outs, Loganville shortstop Brandon Cruce couldn’t handle Nick Woodward’s ground ball and Bonilla raced home to make it a 3-1 game.

Post 77 opened things up in the third, getting pitches to hit early in counts and helping end West’s night after three innings and six earned runs. The first five hitters of the inning reached base with Dawkins delivering an RBI-single and Roberts launching a two-run home run high over the short wall in right field to give Conyers a 6-1 lead.
“Well, that was a hanging curve ball. I really didn’t swing hard at all,” Roberts said of the home run. “That short wall, it is tempting.”

Roberts didn’t have his best stuff but still managed to hold Loganville to six hits over 42⁄3 solid innings. The left-hander got some help from his defense as Dawkins threw out Jordan Douglas trying to steal second in the first and induced double plays from Cruce in the third and West in the fourth. Roberts, trying to lock down the No. 4 starter spot in the Conyers rotation, has allowed five earned runs in 141⁄3 innings (2.39 ERA).

“Ross didn’t have good stuff today, but he gutted it out. He found a way to gut it out,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell. “Ross had a great outing last Thursday against Tuscaloosa and he was rolling. (Tonight) he didn’t have his best stuff but he shut it down. He’s giving us hope that we have another left-handed starter with Beau (Thomas).”

Conyers sent 10 to the plate in the fifth against Drew Stapelton and Josh Christopher and ended the game by run rule. With one out, Jackson doubled again, Lockwood was hit by a pitch and Bonilla walked to load the bases. Thomas roped a two-run double in the left field corner to make it 9-3 and later, Travis Tarleton pushed his team-leading RBI total to 24 with a two-run double.

The teams didn’t get through three innings in game two, but there was plenty of excitement.

Conyers starter Jimmy Gerard was ineffective, and after Cruce’s solo home run began a string of seven consecutive batters reaching base, the right-hander was pulled trailing 4-0.

Post 77 quickly recovered in the bottom of the first, tagging Cruce for eight runs (five earned). Roberts and Bailey had consecutive RBI-doubles and errors by Tyler Hutch at shortstop and first baseman Avery Starnes tied the game at 4-4.

Thomas, who started the inning with a single, crushed a grand slam to put the hosts up 8-4. With Conyers up 10-7 in the third, a heavy rain storm blanketed the field and forced the suspension of the game.

Notes: During a current seven-game hitting streak, Thomas is 15-for-26 (.577) with 11 RBIs. ... Aaron Barfield relieved Gerard in the first inning of the nightcap and got the final two outs, then worked around two singles in the second. But the right-hander struggled in the rain-shortened third inning. After a harmless fly out to open the frame, Barfield walked Hutch and Zach Gretsch, two of three walks in the inning, then allowed an RBI-single to Stapleton and a two-run single to Cruce. ... In his first mound appearance since starting the POW/MIA Tournament opener against Alpharetta June 17, Jackson retired the only batter he faced in closing out the game one victory. ... Roberts’ home run in the opener was his third of the season and his second in as many games after he took Darryl Dickey deep in Sunday’s victory over Rockdale.

CONYERS — Before the rains came Tuesday at Henson-Carr Legion Field, Conyers had its way with the Loganville pitching staff.

Post 77 had seven different players drive in runs in its fourth consecutive win, 13-3 over Loganville Post 233. Conyers led 10-7 in the top of the third inning of the nightcap before heavy rain forced the game to be suspended. No date for the continuation of the game had been announced.

Conyers trailed 1-0 in the opener before the offense got going in the second against Post 233 starter Bradley West. Following a single by Kevin Dawkins and Taylor Jackson’s double, David Lockwood’s infield single chased home Dawkins and tied the game at 1-1. Levi Bonilla’s fielder’s choice gave Conyers the lead for good, and with two outs, Loganville shortstop Brandon Cruce couldn’t handle Nick Woodward’s ground ball and Bonilla raced home to make it a 3-1 game.

Post 77 opened things up in the third, getting pitches to hit early in counts and helping end West’s night after three innings and six earned runs. The first five hitters of the inning reached base with Dawkins delivering an RBI-single and Roberts launching a two-run home run high over the short wall in right field to give Conyers a 6-1 lead.
“Well, that was a hanging curve ball. I really didn’t swing hard at all,” Roberts said of the home run. “That short wall, it is tempting.”

Roberts didn’t have his best stuff but still managed to hold Loganville to six hits over 42⁄3 solid innings. The left-hander got some help from his defense as Dawkins threw out Jordan Douglas trying to steal second in the first and induced double plays from Cruce in the third and West in the fourth. Roberts, trying to lock down the No. 4 starter spot in the Conyers rotation, has allowed five earned runs in 141⁄3 innings (2.39 ERA).

“Ross didn’t have good stuff today, but he gutted it out. He found a way to gut it out,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell. “Ross had a great outing last Thursday against Tuscaloosa and he was rolling. (Tonight) he didn’t have his best stuff but he shut it down. He’s giving us hope that we have another left-handed starter with Beau (Thomas).”

Conyers sent 10 to the plate in the fifth against Drew Stapelton and Josh Christopher and ended the game by run rule. With one out, Jackson doubled again, Lockwood was hit by a pitch and Bonilla walked to load the bases. Thomas roped a two-run double in the left field corner to make it 9-3 and later, Travis Tarleton pushed his team-leading RBI total to 24 with a two-run double.

The teams didn’t get through three innings in game two, but there was plenty of excitement.

Conyers starter Jimmy Gerard was ineffective, and after Cruce’s solo home run began a string of seven consecutive batters reaching base, the right-hander was pulled trailing 4-0.

Post 77 quickly recovered in the bottom of the first, tagging Cruce for eight runs (five earned). Roberts and Bailey had consecutive RBI-doubles and errors by Tyler Hutch at shortstop and first baseman Avery Starnes tied the game at 4-4.

Thomas, who started the inning with a single, crushed a grand slam to put the hosts up 8-4. With Conyers up 10-7 in the third, a heavy rain storm blanketed the field and forced the suspension of the game.

Notes: During a current seven-game hitting streak, Thomas is 15-for-26 (.577) with 11 RBIs. ... Aaron Barfield relieved Gerard in the first inning of the nightcap and got the final two outs, then worked around two singles in the second. But the right-hander struggled in the rain-shortened third inning. After a harmless fly out to open the frame, Barfield walked Hutch and Zach Gretsch, two of three walks in the inning, then allowed an RBI-single to Stapleton and a two-run single to Cruce. ... In his first mound appearance since starting the POW/MIA Tournament opener against Alpharetta June 17, Jackson retired the only batter he faced in closing out the game one victory. ... Roberts’ home run in the opener was his third of the season and his second in as many games after he took Darryl Dickey deep in Sunday’s victory over Rockdale.

CONYERS — Brandon Thomas was too much for Rockdale, and just what Conyers needed Sunday.

Thomas pitched seven sparkling innings, allowing just one earned run in Conyers’ 9-4 victory in a battle of Post 77 teams at Henson-Carr Legion Field.

Rockdale, which scored two unearned runs with two outs in the second, got an RBI single from Kyle Beech in the fourth to cut the Conyers lead to 5-3.

But Thomas was masterful after that.

The right-hander retired the last 10 batters he faced and threw just 30 of his total 103 pitches in the final three innings of work.

“I referred to Brandon often last year as our bulldog. Once again he proved it today,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell. “Mentally tough, focused. I thought he pitched a great game today. I was real, real happy, and I was happy for him. He was on, he was definitely on.”

“We just faced a tough pitcher and didn’t get the job done,” said Rockdale coach Jack Murphy. “Sometimes you got to take your hat off to the other team. I just think today, Conyers was the better team.”

Rockdale was coming off a doubleheader split against the area’s top team, Douglasville, but looked flat on a humid day.

Conyers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off lefty Adam Lass. With one out, Lass hit Nick Woodward with a pitch and Josh Bailey followed with a triple that took a high bounce over center fielder Joseph Lester’s head to make it 1-0.

Bailey jogged home for a 2-0 cushion when Travis Tarleton’s fly ball was misplayed by right fielder Dacota Cole.

“(Lass) said he felt good, it didn’t help that we made those errors and he had to face those additional batters,” Murphy said. “He hung tough.”

Conyers gave the runs right back with a sloppy top of the second. After Thomas got two harmless outs, Cameron Lewis’ pop-up fell between Woodward at shortstop and second baseman Levi Bonilla. Beech walked and C.J. McDowell’s single chased home Lewis to cut the lead to 2-1.

On Thomas’ pickoff attempt, McDowell got caught in a rundown and Bonilla’s errant throw allowed Beech to score and tie the game.

“(Thomas) deserved a lot better fate in the first inning. We made a couple of errors behind him that I’m not happy with at all,” Bagwell said. “We were able to get around it and recover.”

And it didn’t take long as Conyers secured the lead for good in the home half of the second. Ross Roberts walked and moved to second on Lass’ wild pickoff throw. David Lockwood followed with the first of his three hits and Beau Thomas and Bailey added run-scoring hits to put Conyers up 5-2.

Roberts led off the sixth with his second home run of the season. Bailey, who finished a home run short of the cycle, ripped an RBI double in the seventh and Woodward’s sacrifice fly in the eighth made it a 9-3 game.

Lass labored through five innings, allowing five earned runs and was saddled with the loss.

COVINGTON — Lack of pitching depth kept Rockdale Post 77 from sweeping Loganville Post 233 as the two spilt the series.

Rockdale won the first game 6-1, but Loganville took the second game 13-12 with a walk-off RBI single by Brandon Cruce in the eighth inning. Post 77 swept Loganville in its first doubleheader meeting.

“We swept at our place so we won three out of four games,” Rockdale manager Jack Murphy said. “When you don’t have any pitchers and your pitching position players because the pitcher you’re counting to close can’t close it’s a tough uphill battle. But we didn’t give up, we battled back. I’m proud of my guys.”

The one aspect of Rockdale’s game which was not affected was its hitting. Post 77 combined for 19 hits with five doubles and a home run.

Cameron Lewis led the team going 4-for-7 with the solo home run coming in the fourth inning of the first game. Kale Blackshear was 3-for-6 with Nakeem Forte, Brad Blount, Jake Parker, Mike Venturelli and Joseph Lester getting two hits each.

Both of Lester’s and Forte’s hits went for doubles with Blount hitting the other.

“We hit the ball well,” Murphy said. “If we would’ve had pitchers to close for us we would’ve swept both ends of the doubleheader. We have a good team when we get everybody here.”

In the first game, Venturelli did a good job keeping Loganville off balance striking out six batters while walking one, hitting one and allowing four hits.

Cole Hamilton did a good job keeping Post 77 in front of Loganville through five innings with three strikeouts while giving up eight hits, walking three and hitting three others. If things had gone according to plan, Brandon Ward would’ve come in and closed out the final two innings. However, because of a shoulder problem, he was unable to hit the mound, forcing Murphy to put position players in his place.

“We knew going in we wanted to get Cole some game experience. He got us five innings and we were counting on Brandon to close it. When he went down to warm up he still had a stiff shoulder and couldn’t get loose. That’s when we decided to go with Cameron. He did a pretty good job then he got tired and we went with Nakeem,” Murphy said. “I think Cameron and Nakeem did as well as they could do.”

Lewis and Forte did a good job on the mound, but four errors in the final three innings were too much for them to overcome. In total, Post 77 ended up committing nine errors in the second game.

“You can’t have that many and expect to win. It’s just tough,” Murphy said. “That inning where they tied it up in the seventh they had two walks. I can’t say anything because we didn’t have our pitchers with us. If we would’ve had our pitchers we would’ve ended it in the seventh. But kids go on vacation and others don’t show up, it makes it hard on the ones that do.”

CONYERS — Just when it seemed as if Conyers Post 77 was about to hit a rough patch, an old rival from Alabama provided relief.

Conyers rebounded from a pair of losses to Douglasville earlier in the week, winning 9-7 and 6-4 against Tuscaloosa Post 34 in a matchup of defending state champions at Henson-Carr Legion Field on Thursday.

It was the first meetings between the teams since Tuscaloosa stunned Conyers with a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning at last summer’s Southeast Regional in Sumter, S.C.

In the nightcap, lefty Ross Roberts pitched well in limiting Post 34 to just six hits and two earned runs in 51⁄3 innings. Meanwhile, the Conyers offense got going against Sam Kelley.

Trailing 2-0 in the second, Levi Bonilla had an RBI groundout and Beau Thomas followed with a run-scoring double to tie the game.

In the third, Taylor Jackson roped a two-run single to put Conyers up 4-2, and Travis Tarleton launched his team-high fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the fifth to make it a 6-2 game.

After Roberts and David Lockwood combined to pitch a perfect sixth, things got interesting in the seventh. With one out, Jared Pratt reached on an error and Lockwood, who gave up the home run to Terrance Dedrick and was the losing pitcher at Riley Park last August, walked three of the next four batters and uncorked a wild pitch to make it a 6-3 game.

Tanner Ashcraft’s pop fly seemed to signal the end to a long night, but Lockwood dropped the ball in front of home plate and Carlisle scored to make it a two-run game and put the potential go-ahead run into scoring position.

Thomas came in and got Wood Collins on a game-ending fly out.

“There was no revenge, (but) we did put some demons to sleep,” Post 77 coach Eddie Bagwell said. “I have a lot of respect for their program.”

“It’s a win (but) it was tough,” Roberts said. “Everybody was real positive. We know we’ve got talent, it’s just taking some time to gel this year.”

Tuscaloosa used the long ball to jump out to an early lead in the opener. Facing Patrick Jansen in the first inning, Chase Fields hit a solo home run. Three batters later, Trey Williamon launched a two-run shot to put the visitors up 3-0. Post 34 made it 4-0 on Zach Doherty’s sacrifice fly in the second.

Post 34 starter Alex Aultman, who tossed eight strong innings in the August regional, wasn’t nearly as effective Thursday. The lanky right-hander walked Kevin Dawkins and Roberts, and right fielder Kelley misplayed Lockwood’s single, which chased home Dawkins to cut the lead to 4-1 in the second.

Two batters later, Aultman hung a curveball to Thomas and the Conyers leadoff hitter rifled a two-run single to make it a one-run game.

Conyers took the lead for good in the third when Bailey walked, Tarleton doubled and Aultman balked Bailey home and threw a wild pitch that allowed Tarleton to score the go-ahead run.

“The biggest thing I took from today was we were more aggressive at the plate,” Bagwell said. “We played well. The challenge we gave everyone is playing in state the way we just played Tuscaloosa.”

Aultman was touched up for three more runs in the fourth as the right-hander gave up consecutive hits to Thomas, Nick Woodward and Bailey, who ripped a two-run double for an 8-5 lead.

After Tuscaloosa scored twice in the fifth off Chase Ware, Bailey pulled a fastball into the cozy, right field corner at Henson-Carr for his second home run of the season to give Post 77 a 9-7 lead.

“Josh is extremely hot right now, he’s playing extremely well right now,” Bagwell said.

Conyers returns to Henson-Carr on Sunday in a doubleheader against Rockdale. The Post 77 rivals split the season’s first two meetings.

Notes: Conyers made two fine defensive plays in Game 2. In the third, Dawkins blocked a difficult pitch in the dirt and threw out Ashcraft trying to steal second. With a runners at first and second in a two-run game in the fourth, second baseman Levi Bonilla scooped up a ball that ricocheted off of Roberts and turned a pretty 1-4-3 double play. ... Tarleton, who picked up his second save in the opener, has appeared in five games and allowed just a walk and a hit while striking out eight in four innings pitched. ... Tuscaloosa coach John Rushing was ejected in the second inning of the nightcap for arguing a call at home plate. Doherty tried to steal home on the back end of a double steal, and the home plate umpire initially called him out, then saw that Dawkins had dropped the ball and changed the call. After conferring with the base umpire, the call was reversed again and Rushing’s lengthy argument led to the ejection. Doherty injured his finger on the play and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Conyers Post 77 learned a number of things Tuesday at Alexander High School. None stood out more than realizing Douglasville Post 145 could be the team to beat and that Post 77 has some work to do to approach the level of its rival.

Post 145 swept a doubleheader, winning 8-4 and 12-6 in the first meeting between the teams since last season’s state championship game won by Conyers.

Douglasville looked determined right away to erase the memory of last July’s title game loss, jumping out to an early lead in game one on starter Kelvan Diaz. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Post 145 had three consecutive hits with one out, the last of which was a two-run double by Seth Wessinger. After Diaz struck out Tanner Bryant, Garrett Hayes’ RBI double made it a 3-1 game.

Conyers came back with two in the third when Josh Bailey scored on a wild pitch and Travis Tarleton singled in a run, but Douglasville opened up in the fifth and sixth, getting run-scoring hits from Hayes, Bryant, Gavin Peters and Martin Castro to chase an ineffective Diaz (5 IP, 11 H, 7 ER).

“I think late in the game (Diaz) got a little tired,” Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell said. “(It is) probably the longest he’s pitched since last summer.”

Dalton Powell pitched six innings and scattered eight hits to win the opener.

The teams traded leads a handful of times in the nightcap. Conyers led 4-0 early, thanks to an RBI each from the bottom third of the order — Ross Roberts, David Lockwood and Brandon Thomas — and RBI singles from Beau Thomas and Tarleton, which gave the third baseman 20 RBIs in 11 games.

Brandon Thomas was throwing a three-hit shutout through the first three innings and led 5-0 before the right-hander started to wear down and the Conyers defense faltered in the fourth. Bryant and Hayes reached on errors by second baseman Taylor Jackson and Tarleton, and after an infield single, double and a walk, Powell roped a two-run single to tie the game at 5-5.

“We were in the situation we wanted to be in,” Bagwell said of the 5-0 lead. “We can’t afford to give them five outs. They’re the best team in the state in my opinion, you give them extra outs it’s going to bite you.”

Kevin Dawkins led off the fifth inning with a tremendous home run to left center field off reliever Martin Castro to put Conyers back in front. But the Post 77 bats went quiet against Castro, who allowed just two singles the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Post 145 batted around in the fifth and sixth, to go along with its nine-batter fourth, against Thomas and Aaron Barfield to pull away.

Notes: Dawkins has lately been the toughest out in the Post 77 lineup. The catcher/first baseman has reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances, starting with an infield single in his first at bat Sunday against Rockdale. Tuesday’s home run was Dawkins’ third of the season, all of which have come at Alexander High School. ... Roberts’ only two hits in his last 13 plate appearances have come on bunt singles. ... Conyers continues its toughest stretch of the season when it hosts Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Post 34, the team that shocked Conyers with a go-ahead eighth-inning home run in last season’s Southeast Regional, in a non-area doubleheader at 6 p.m. today. Then Rockdale comes calling in pair of games Sunday. “We could get behind the eight ball real quick. We’re stressing ‘let’s be positive,’” Bagwell said. ... Bagwell confirmed Tuesday that center fielder Cameron Gibson would not play for Conyers this summer, instead choosing to play for the Home Plate Chili Dogs travel team in Peachtree City. Gibson, a Georgia Tech commitment who was a vital member of the 2009 state championship team, went 2-for-7 (.285) with two RBIs in two games for Conyers.

DOUGLASVILLE — In the latest battle between American Legion Post 77 teams, it came down to a pair of miscues and two clutch hits.

Conyers took advantage of errors by Cameron Lewis and Nakeem Forte, setting up a go-ahead single by Nick Woodward and a two-run home run by Josh Bailey in a five-run fifth inning of a 6-3 victory over Rockdale in the POW/MIA Tournament championship game Sunday at Alexander High School.

Conyers won its second consecutive tournament title and avenged a June 12 loss to its legion neighbor.

Rockdale built a 3-0 lead thanks to a two-run first —Forte scored on catcher Kevin Dawkins’ throwing error and Brad Blount’s sacrifice fly — and an RBI-double by Robert Bell in the fourth.

That was enough for starter Brandon Ward. The right-hander put on a ground ball clinic, getting 10 of his 12 outs on the ground, and led 3-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

During the fourth, in which Conyers scored a run on a wild pitch, Ward tired and Rockdale coach Jack Murphy went to the bullpen to start the fifth. It proved costly.

“(Ward) ran out of gas. He was struggling there in the fourth,” Murphy said.

Conyers welcomed the change.

Facing right-hander Monta Reese with one out, Dawkins worked his way back from an 0-2 hole and drew a walk and Brandon Thomas singled.

After Levi Bonilla’s ground out, Beau Thomas hit a ground ball to shortstop that Forte made a nice play on, but his throw was up the first base line, allowing pinch-runner Kelvan Diaz and Brandon Thomas to score and tie the game at 3-3.

In a matter of minutes, Woodward had given Conyers the lead and Bailey had provided a cushion.

“Normally we’re a better defensive team than that. We can’t afford to make mistakes like that,” Murphy said.

“We’re happy. I was real pleased the way we didn’t give up,” said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell, whose team has won six consecutive games since the loss to Rockdale. “We started off real flat, (but) it’s good experience.”

Finally blessed with a lead, Travis Tarleton wouldn’t give it up.

After relieving starter Beau Thomas, who scattered six hits in five innings, Tarleton ran into trouble in Rockdale’s sixth. Dacota Cole doubled and Bell walked with one out, but Lewis hit into an inning-ending double play.

Tarleton walked C.J. McDowell on four pitches to start the seventh, but got three harmless outs to end the tournament.

Winning pitcher Thomas and Tarleton shared Most Valuable Pitcher honors for the tournament, while Bailey, who hit .692 (9-for-13) in the four games, was named Most Valuable Hitter.

“Just doing what I got to do to help the team win,” Bailey said.

Rockdale reached the tournament title game with a dramatic victory over Douglasville earlier in the day.

Trailing 8-6 heading into the last half of the sixth inning, Rockdale got a single from McDowell and Jake Parker’s walk before Forte roped his third hit of the day to left field to chase home McDowell and make it an 8-7 game.

After Kyle Beech’s sacrifice, Brad Blount came to the plate with the tying and winning runs on base and a bizarre sequence followed.

Douglasville reliever Tanner Bryant threw a wild pitch and catcher Alex Myatt at first couldn’t find the ball, then took his time getting to it, which allowed Parker to score easily with the tying run. Forte thought he could score as well, but Myatt recovered in time, tossing to Bryant for a deflating second out. No problem for Blount, who worked the count full before launching a solo home run to center.

“3-2, I knew he was going to throw me my pitch,” Blount said. “I’d been struggling all day. (It’s) very nice.”

Rockdale led 6-4 in the top of the sixth thanks to another dramatic home run, this time a two-run shot by Bell an inning earlier. With one out, no one on and the two-hour time limit exceeded, Rockdale needed just two outs to close the game.

Douglasville’s Gavin Peters hit a ground ball to Forte and the shortstop’s throw appeared to have been in time, but the first-base umpire called Peters safe. Dalton Powell followed with a game-tying, two-run home run off Adam Lass and Douglasville added two more runs against Lass and Mike Venturelli to go up 8-6.

“It was tumultuous to say the least. One minute you’re happy, the next you say ‘What happened there?’” Murphy said. “I don’t think we came in deflated (after the Douglasville sixth), we were angry. It was a tough game.”

Baseball is a game of ups and downs. Conyers experienced a little of both Saturday.

An inning after blowing a three-run lead, Conyers Post 77 clinched the top spot in the MIA Division of the POW/MIA Tournament on Travis Tarleton’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning, winning 6-5 over the East Alabama A’s.

Conyers, the defending tournament champions, will play in today’s first semifinal game at 10 a.m. against the loser of Douglasville and Rockdale.

“We’d like to repeat. We look forward to the challenge,” Post 77 coach Eddie Bagwell said.

With three more pool games to follow and the two-hour time limit already expired, tournament officials chose to invoke the international tie-breaker rule — a runner is placed at second base to start each inning-to begin the seventh of a 5-5 game. East Alabama had Ben Taylor in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but Tarleton got a ground out and two strike outs to keep the game tied. Nick Woodward began the bottom half at second, moved to third on Josh Baiiley’s ground out and Tarleton lifted an 0-1 pitch to right field and Wooodward beat the throw to the plate.

The teams went back and forth through the first six innings. Conyers erased a 1-0 lead when Kevin Dawkins hit his second home run in as many days in the second for a 2-1 lead. Dawkins, in his first year of American Legion play, had struggled to find his stroke through Post 77’s first six games, but his bat has come alive the past two days.

“I’ve been pressing (and) I’ve been waiting to (contribute) all year,” said the Conyers catcher. “It seems like I can contribute every time now.”

East Alabama pulled even in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Tanner Cimo and Matthew Kuhlenberg. That began a roller coaster ride for Woodward. The shortstop launched a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth, and David Lockwood later added an RBI-single to put Post 77 up 5-2. The next half inning, Woodward’s throwing error chased home Dylan Nevels and Cimo to make it a 5-4 game. East Alabama tied the game two batters later on Morgan Faulkner’s run-scoring single.

“Just (a) brain fart,” Woodward said of the error. “Same thing that happened in the playoffs at Heritage (High School). Luckily, this one didn’t hurt, just made it more interesting.”

Conyers had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the sixth when Beau Thomas singled with two outs and stole second. But Woodward struck out swinging to end the threat.

Tarleton got the win with his perfect seventh. Taylor, who relieved Nevels in the sixth and worked around Thomas’ single and stolen base, took the loss.

DOUGLASVILLE — Conyers Post 77 coach Eddie Bagwell was hoping his team would use this weekend’s POW/MIA Tournament to get hot at the plate.

So far, so good.

A day after cruising to a 13-2 win over Alpharetta, Conyers had no trouble with Leesburg Post 182, winning 11-0 in five innings at Alexander High School.

With two convincing victories, Conyers has all but assured itself of playing in Sunday’s semifinals, though pool play wraps up today with a game against the East Alabama A’s.

Conyers got runs in the first, on Josh Bailey’s groundout, and the third, on Bailey’s sacrifice fly, to go up 2-0 on Leesburg starter Tyler Pinson. Bailey, in his first year of American Legion baseball, is 14-for-26 (.538) in the team’s first seven games.

“The ball is coming off his bat extremely quick. It’s phenomenal,” said Bagwell, who coached Bailey at Salem High School. “Right now he’s a major spark plug for us in our lineup. I’m real happy for him.”

Pinson allowed Patrick Jansen’s bloop single in the fourth, which scored Ross Roberts to make it a 3-0 game. Conyers opened things up in an eight-run fifth, chasing Pinson after 79 pitches with Bailey’s double.

Austin Murphy provided little relief, surrendering Robert’s two-run double, RBI singles by David Lockwood and Levi Bonilla and a long, three-run home run by Kevin Dawkins to cap the scoring.

“I was real pleased with the way we swung the bat. Kevin Dawkins came up with a big hit, which is what he needed personally to get himself going. I was happy for him,” Bagwell said. “(Conyers was) more aggressive, which is what we’ve been talking about. We’re having young people that are have a lot of good at bats right now.”

The pitching looked good as well. Top starters Kelvan Diaz and Brandon Thomas each were effective in limiting Leesburg to just three singles. Diaz picked up the win with three innings of one-hit ball, while Thomas gave up two hits, the first of which was erased when catcher Taylor Jackson caught pinch-runner Luke Powell trying to steal second in the fourth.

“Kelvan and Brandon, I thought threw extremely well today ... we’re trying to bring them along slowly,” Bagwell said.

The schedule continues to get tougher for Conyers (6-1). Leesburg was the first true test since a loss to Rockdale on June 12, and with today’s game against East Alabama at 11:45 a.m. and the possibility of games Sunday against state runner-up Douglasville and a rematch with Rockdale, Bagwell is aware of the challenges ahead.

“We’re going to find out what we’re made of ... the next four or five days ... the competition will continue to get tougher and tougher and tougher each game,” Bagwell said.

After the POW/MIA Tournament wraps up Sunday, Conyers returns to Alexander High School two days later for a state finals rematch with Douglasville.

Tarleton has first quiet day

Someone finally figured out a way to get out Travis Tarleton.

The Conyers third baseman had come into the Leesburg game with three home runs and 12 RBIs in his previous two games, wins against Canton Post 45 and Thursday in the POW/MIA opener against Alpharetta.

On Friday, Tarleton flied out in two at-bats, drew a walk in the third and was hit by a pitch in the fifth, ending his six-game hitting streak to start the season.

By the numbers

1.43 — Conyers’ team ERA in 39 innings pitched so far in 2010.

DOUGLASVILLE — Rockdale Post 77 had to come back from behind, but the boys were able to pull it off to remain undefeated in the POW-MIA Tournament after a 10-7 win Friday over Albany Post 30 at Alexander High School.

“We have a hard time with those guys, I’ll tell you what,” Rockdale manager Jack Murphy said. “I don’t think we’ve lost to them in the last few years but it’s always a struggle and I hate these type of games.”

Rockdale is back in action today at 5:15 p.m. against Douglasville at Alexander.

With the game tied at 3-3, Rockdale took its first lead of the game scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Post 77 ended Post 30’s inning in the top of the fourth with pitcher Monte Reese striking out all three batters.

“When we got three runs ahead and the way Monte closed out the top of the fourth I felt like he finally hit his groove,” Murphy said about the team heading into the fifth inning.

However, Monte lost his moxie loading the bases and walking in a run to make it 6-4. Albany pitcher Andrew Bacon tied the game with a two-run double before Cole Phillips plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice groundout off reliever Adam Lass.

In the 41⁄3 innings of work by Reese, he was able to strike out seven batters while walking four, hitting one and giving up six hits.

With the clock ticking down close to the two-hour time limit, Rockdale was at what could be their last at-bats trailing 7-6.

But Post 77 energized its bats. With one out and the bases loaded, Kyle Beech reared back and hit a two-run double plating courtesy runner Cole Hamilton and Reese to give Rockdale the lead once again.

“What I like is that these guys, they didn’t give up. We had a chance to get flat, especially in the top of the fifth,” Murphy said. “We almost gave the game away then we came back and got clutch hits and stuff. We were looking at the clock knowing the time was running out. Knowing if we don’t score now we may be losing the game. I was pacing like a cat on a hot tin roof. But the guys came through, got some key hits and scored some runs when we needed to.”

Cameron Lewis came up with the other clutch hit, hitting another two-run double that plated Dakota Cole and Beech before time was called.

Five players — Nakeem Forte, Joseph Lester, Reese, Cole and Beech — went 2-for-3 to pace Rockdale.

Post 77 finished with 14 hits as a team, including doubles by Forte and Lewis.

“That’s the kind of team we are, we’re scrappy,” Murphy said. “We don’t have power but we steal bases and we run. Overall, I like the fact that we didn’t give up even though we had an opportunity to do so. It’s a good win for us.”

Rockdale started the tournament Thursday with a late game against Canton. Rockdale won 10-1.

Michael Venturelli pitched the entire five innings striking out nine batters, walking three and allowing one hit.

Cole was a perfect 2-for-2 with a double and a home run. Also collecting two hits, including a double, was Forte.

COVINGTON — Rockdale Post 77 scored 26 runs in Monday’s doubleheader as it run-ruled Loganville Post 233 in both games, winning 15-3 and 11-1.

Every player who had a bat in his hand connected with the ball as Rockdale batted over .500, going 22-for-42 (.524) with seven extra-base hits.

“The team is playing good right now. I’m proud of them,” Rockdale manager Jack Murphy said. “The pitching has been excellent, the defense is playing good, the offense is good. Right now I can’t complain.”

Nakeem Forte was a perfect 4-for-4, including a double. Forte, who is the leadoff batter, made a total of eight appearances but was walked twice, reached once on a fielder’s choice and once on an error, reaching first base all eight times. Once on base, Forte made Post 233 pay for putting him on base as he scored six times.

“Nakeem is hot, he’s doing it out there. We’ve got good speed and we’re aggressive. I don’t think anybody has gotten him out stealing bases,” Murphy said.

Forte was also a perfect 5-for-5 in stealing bases, including stealing third twice.

“If I don’t get a good jump I don’t go. If I can get a walking lead and read (on pitcher) I just take off. A lot of times you can time the look,” Forte said.

Getting three hits for Post 77, going 3-for-5, were Joseph Lester and Dakota Cole.

Kyle Beech and Lester paced the team with two extra-base hits each. Beech had a home run and a double while Lester had a triple and a double.

Also getting doubles were Brad Blount, who led the team with five RBIs, and Cole with one each.

Post 77 went with minimal pitching, using three pitchers in the doubleheader.

“What can I say?” Murphy said. “We’ve got good pitchers.”

Darryl Dickey pitched the entire five innings of the first game, where he had one walk and one strikeout while giving up six hits.

Brandon Ward started the second game fanning four batters while hitting one batsman and giving up four hits in 42⁄3 innings.

On one day’s rest, Adam Lass finished the final 11⁄3 innings, striking out three of the five batters he faced.

“I’m not going to lie, I was pretty drained, but I knew we needed that win,” Lass said. “I felt really good, especially with that curveball. I felt I could throw just about anything I wanted when I wanted.”

In the first game, Rockdale jumped out to a 6-2 lead after two innings, scoring four in the first.

Post 77 added five runs in the third inning while adding four more in the fourth inning taking a 15-2 edge. Loganville crossed the plate in the top of the fifth but it was not enough to take them out of the run-rule margin.

Rockdale had a big second inning in the second game scoring five runs taking a 6-0 lead. Post 233 scored in the fifth but Rockdale responded with two runs in the home half of the inning.

“When you have good run support it makes it easier to pitch,” Ward said. “I was trying to get people to ground out or pop up in the outfield to make it easier for me and have a lower pitch count.”

After an error allowed Rockdale to make it 10-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Loganville pitcher hit C.J. McDowell on an inside pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Lester to cross the plate ending the game.