Schedules

Game Summaries (Schedule)

Just in case you missed the game, here are the coach's comments and highlights from recent games.

Kennesaw Mountain - May 2

Marietta @ Kennesaw Mountain - In a homecoming of sorts for head coach Chris Michaels, former pitching coach of the Mustangs, the Blue Devils traveled to Kennesaw Mountain to literally face the “Giants of the Mountain.” On Senior night, many friends, family, coaches and former players were able to catch up on old stories of the celebrated history of the past four successful years. While the nostalgia was in high gear, the Blue Devils looked to topple the reeling Mustangs who needed to win and have help from other teams to sneak into the playoffs. But the mighty Mustangs were as good as advertised scoring six runs in the first two innings off of freshman pitcher Stetson Nelson. Nelson pitched valiantly against the potent line up of Kennesaw Mountain. Ethan Herron lead the Mustang offense with three hits. TJ Eifert lead the Mustangs on the mound. Drew Duncan and Nick Terry came in relief. Ryan Henderson was the highlight of the night blasting a first pitch fastball into the jet stream in left field to get on the board. John Matechak, Tyler Johnson, Brandon McCarn and Hunter Parris also had quality hits. Marietta had the bases loaded twice in the fourth and fifth along with runners in scoring position in the sixth, but never mustered the key hit to pull the game within reach. Hunter Parris came in relief and was effective, but costly errors gave way to a run ruled 11-1 victory in he sixth. The Blue Devils ended a great season with an overall record of 10-16 with a 4-9 region record. The Blue Devils surpassed expectation and have everything to be excited about for years to come. Many young talented sophomores and juniors along with a couple of freshman were able to earn valuable varsity playing time. The Blue Devils look to build for next year as they will continue their off season training as “the system” is now in place for Marietta Baseball. The question will remain if all the players will buy into the system and have hunger to improve as a team. The state playoffs will be in the cross hairs for the 2009 baseball.

Harrison - May 1

Harrison @ Marietta - As the excitement filled the air taking on one of the best teams in the region and the state, the Blue Devil family paid tribute to the only senior in Robby Woody on Senior Night along with honoring the coach’s wives for all the effort and support during the baseball season. Sophomore Andrew Sommerman made his starting debut against the region rival Hoyas displaying poise and confidence on the mound. Most of the damage of the Hoya offense was created by Haddock and Burnett who belted two homeruns in the game to build a 6-0 lead. The Blue Devil offense seemed to get the bat on the ball with solid hits off of starter McNalley, but stellar defensive performances particularly by the shortstop Haddock and center fielder Austin made it difficult for the Blue Devils. McCarn, Padgett, Henderson and McPherson were the lone hitters for Marietta. Colin Cumberland came in relief once again and provided steady relief pitching against the tough line up of Harrison. The Hoyas added one more in the top of the seventh to finish the ballgame with a win at 7-0. The Blue Devils overall record is 10-15, 4-8 region. Marietta finishes their last game on the road against familiar foe in Kennesaw Mountain. Coach Michaels’ ole stomping ground for the past four years.

S. Cobb - Apr 29

Marietta @ S. Cobb - In an equally matched dog fight between the visiting Blue Devils and the home standing Eagles, South Cobb mounted a 2-0 lead through four innings and were cruising, behind the effective pitching of Tony Siracusa. Ryan Newell was equally impressive although the offensive provided no run support. The fifth inning was finally friendly to the Blue Devils as they scored seven runs off of the tiring arm of Siracusa and the Eagle bullpen as they allowed three walks, two hit batsman and two timely hits to surrender the lead. Freshman John Matechak and Sophomore Tyler Johnson lead the output with two timely singles in the frame. Knowing how competitive South Cobb could be, they faught back off relief pitcher Colin Cumberland scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to claw back to 7-5. Cumberland settled down in the remaining frames to earn the save. The Blue Devils earned their tenth victory of the year surpassing last year’s win total by three and earning a double digit number in the win column for the extremely young Blue Devils. The win posted the overall record at 10-14 with a 4-7 region record. The Blue Devils head home for the final home game of the season to battle the # 2 ranked team in the state in visiting Harrison.

Campbell - Apr 24

Campbell @ Marietta - Campbell came ready to play as they jumped out to a two nothing lead after three innings. Campbell starter Austin Berry kept the Blue Devil hitters off balance forcing ground ball after ground ball keeping the offense in check. Marietta finally broke it open in the fourth with a lead off walk followed by a single by Brandon McCarn. After two back to back errors and a walk, freshman John Matechak came through with a huge hit up the middle scoring one run and advancing to third on a miscue as the ball got past the centerfielder to put the score at 5-2. The Blue Devils added two more runs in the fifth with a hit from Tyler Johnson to increase the lead to 7-2. Cambpell scratched back with three more runs in the sixth to draw the score to 7-5. Ryan Newell earned his fifth victory of the year as Andrew Sommerman came in relief and pitched well for the save. The Blue Devils improved their overall record to 9-14 with a 3-7 region record. With a BYE for the week, the Blue Devils will continue action next Tuesday on the road against South Cobb.

North Cobb - Apr 22

Marietta @ North Cobb - Realizing that any playoff chances were eliminated after the severe beat down from the hands of the Woodstock Wolverines on Friday, the Blue Devils looked to comeback and play for pride building momentum for next year. Traveling to Acworth to battle the surging Warriors of North Cobb, the Boys of Marietta played competitively at times, but when it was all said and done were no match for the senior led Warriors losing a run-ruled game 15-5. The Blue Devils came out fighting putting two runs on the board in the top of the first hoping to stun the home crowd with a possible upset victory. Hunter Parris singled and with the help from a walk and a couple of defensive miscues plated the two runs. Feeling good about our start, the boys in orange and blue showed why they have been state playoff contenders the past couple of years as they responded with an answer of their own blasting for eight runs off of nine hits include two homeruns off of starter Colin Cumberland. Trying to prevent anymore damage, freshman left hander Stetson Nelson, in his varsity debut, came in relief and pitched well against the senior led offense. Surrendering three more runs, Nelson was relieved by sophomore Cameron Day who also pitched well in relief, but also was tagged for two more runs in the sixth as the Warriors run ruled the Blue Devils ending the ball game. The Blue Devils, continuing to search for consistency on offense, made a run at times scoring one run in the third off a solo shot to center from the bat of Chevez Clarke. Konner Graham and David McPherson led off the fourth with back to back hits scoring on a series of errors and passed balls to bring the game closer, but North Cobb finally put the ball game away. The Blue Devils host Campbell on Wednesday.

Woodstock - Apr 18

Woodstock @ Marietta - The Blue Devils flat out didn’t show up as Woodstock clobbered Marietta with a thirteen run first inning and never looked back. The final score was 17-0 in a three inning run-ruled perfect game no-hitter. Despite the woodshed beating, we live to play another day. On a positive note, sophomore Andrew Sommerman, just recently promoted from the junior varsity, came in relief and struck out four Wolverine batters. The Blue Devils travel to Warrior country to play against North Cobb at 5:55 in Acworth.

Murry Co. - Apr 17

Murray County @ Marietta - To borrow a classic phrase from the memorable Cubs announcer Harry Caray, Blue Devils Win!!! Blue Devils Win!! HOLY COW!! It seemed like eternity, but the “Boys in Blue” jumped back into the win column after a six game slide taking out their frustrations on the visiting Indians of Murray County in convincing fashion 10-0 in a run ruled six inning game. The score seemed a bit deceiving as the much competitive Indians and lefty starter Puryear kept the game close until the fifth inning when the flood gates broke open and the Blue Devils scored eight runs and never looked back. The Blue Devils scored first in the third inning when Chevez Clarke blistered a fastball to deep center field hitting the top of the fence nearly missing a homerun. As the ball shot off the fence, Clarke’s speed kicked into fifth gear rounding second and stopping at third with a stand up triple with one out. As the offense, still trying to chain together a series of hits to provide effective run production, resorted to small ball tactics. On the attempted suicide squeeze to muster a run, Hunter Parris laid down a beautiful bunt down the first base line only to roll inches foul. On the next pitch, Parris hit a ground shot single to first base, too difficult for the first baseman to handle scoring Clark for a 1-0 lead. Ryan Newell had one of his best performances of the season striking out ten batters and only allowing two free passes. His strong performance was finally rewarded in the bottom of the fifth as the Blue Devils batted around sending eleven hitters to the plate. The bats finally erupted off of starter Puryear. Cameron Day led off with a single, followed by a Parker Nelson walk. Clark singled to center. With the bases loaded, Brandon McCarn was plunked by an errant pitch allowing Day to score. Tyler Johnson, Ryan Newell, and Sam Lancaster continued the tirade hitting consecutive singles slating the score at 8-0. Cameron Day came around to score on a Parker Nelson single to center setting the stage for a 9-0 comfortable lead. In games past, our comfortable lead would create complacent play allowing teams to fight back, but on this day, the Blue Devils showed grit and maturity putting it all together nailing the coffin shut for a shutout victory. The Blue Devils look to make one final run with six games left taking each game one at a time proving that pride in the program is worth the effort. The Blue Devils also brought up five junior varsity players to bolster the team with a fresh attitude, work ethic and excitement for the game. The Blue Devils have a slim chance of making the playoffs as the odds are stacked against them, but with team unity on the rise, the Blue Devils look to play spoiler and sneak into the fourth spot with a lot help as they continue their region journey hosting Woodstock on Friday at 5:55.

Etowah - Apr 15

Marietta @ Etowah - The Blue Devils traveled to Etowah to play giant killer as the boys from Marietta played their best game of the year as a collective unit. Despite the heart wrenching 3-0 loss, the team showed signs of unity and strength on many fronts. Once again, the quiet Colin Cumberland chugged along making only one mistake giving up a two run homerun in the bottom of the first inning. Cumberland scattered six hits over six innings along with impressive defensive plays keeping the “Good Guys” close all game long. The Blue Devils could only muster three hits off the impressive starting pitching of Fream. When the Blue Devils did strike for a hit, it was coupled with a walk or defensive error that gave Marietta three specific opportunities throughout the game to put runs on the board. To no avail, each opportunity fell short as the Etowah defense made the plays when needed. The Blue Devils threatened in the top of the third, but back to back frozen ropes by the Eagle catcher Marinelli stopped us dead in our tracks attempting to steal runners into scoring position. In the fourth inning, the Blue Devils led off the inning with a hit batter and a walk putting runners on first and second with no outs. A failed bunt attempt leading to a strikeout looking followed by another strikeout looking stifled any attempt to put a dent into the Eagle lead. One final attempt in the fourth inning came up inches short as junior second baseman Sam Lancaster crushed a line shot down the line just foul evoking a brief moment of excitement. Lancaster grounded out to short ending the inning. Once again the “Boys in Navy Blue” made noise in the top of the fifth as Chevez Clarke laced a two out single into right and then advancing on the next pitch on an attempted pick off. Clarke’s blazing speed enabled him to slide safely into third base with one of the team captains in Hunter Parris at the plate. Parris’ recent successes gave the Blue Devil faithful a glimpse of hope to score a run. Battling, Parris bounced a high chopper in front of the plate and down the third base line. Only a bang-bang defensive play could prevent Hunter Parris from being safe at first and from Clark scoring from third. And that is exactly what happened. Etowah catcher Marinelli bounced out from behind the plate picked up the ball and falling to the ground fired a strike to first base to retire the side deflating any chance of scoring in the fifth. Etowah added one more run in the sixth off of reliever Ryan Newell as Marinelli rocketed a 3-1 fastball into the trees in left field increasing the score to 3-0. Lefty reliever Merkling shut the door for the region win sending the Blue Devils to their sixth straight loss. Marietta looks to rebound on Thursday at 5:55 against the visiting, but hungry for revenge, Indians of Murray County.

Hillgrove - Apr 11

Hillgrove @ Marietta - Avoiding minimal damage from the Spring Break vices, the team returned to action rested and looking to place a “W” in the win column. Hosting the recently established Hillgrove Hawks, the Blue Devils jumped on the board early with two runs on one hit, a couple of walks, but leaving two costly base runners. Hillgrove struck back in the top of the third with a solo homerun by Oberkofler to slot the score at 2-1. Starting pitcher Ryan Newell pitched effectively, but ran into trouble in the fourth as three errors set the stage for a four run inning and relinquishing the lead 5-2. Oberkofler struck again with another homerun to pad the lead. Hillgrove added one more run in the sixth on two walks off of reliever Colin Cumberland to take a 6-2 lead. As the game looked to be another Blue Devil loss, the weather began to threaten with dark clouds, lightening in the distance and eminent rain. This seemed to be the motivating catalyst that sparked a rally positioning the Blue Devils for a win. Ryan Henderson led off the bottom of the sixth with a single up the middle. Cameron Day came up next and launched a triple over the head of the right fielder plating Henderson and staking the score at 6-3. A sac bunt by Konner Graham scored Cameron Day setting the stage for lead off hitter Chavez Clarke’s home run shot to left center to bring the “Good Guys” to within one run 6-5. The Blue Devils seemed determined to take back the game as Huner Parris singled bringing up hot hitting Brandon McCarn with one out. Attempting to take a part from the movie “The Natural” and hoping that lightning would bring a glorious victory, lightning did strike several times but only brought the required ruling of a thirty minute game suspension. Prior to the game suspension, the mist heading into top of the sixth turned into a deluge of rain followed with continued lightning sightings causing a called game with Hillgrove taking the win at 6-5. Despite the loss, the hunger in the eyes of the players was like the “Eye of the Tiger” bringing team continuity and a desire to play another day. The loss sets the Blue Devils with a 7-11 overall record heading back into region play on Tuesday as they head to Cherokee County to take on the Eagles of Etowah.

North Cobb - Apr 3

N. Cobb @ Marietta - The Warriors were as dangerous as advertised as North Cobb tomahawk chopped the Blue Devils, handing them their fourth loss in a row, pounding out thirteen runs on eleven hits. Clay Dalton was the story of the night as he dominated Blue Devil hitters allowing only one run on two hits. Dalton also helped the cause at the plate by going 4 for 4 with a shot to left for a homerun. Once again Hunter Parris pitched with grit, but had little run support for his efforts. Colin Cumberland came in relief and didn’t pitch that bad, but the Warrior offense was too much to handle as they burned down the fort with a convincing 13-1 triumph. Senior Robby Woody and Hunter Parris were the only contributors on offense. The Blue Devils have a few days to reflect on where they want to take the program after Spring Break. They look to comeback fresh with a renewed spirit as they host a JV/Varsity double header against the recently established and growing program of Hillgrove at 3:30 and 6:00 respectively.

Woodstock - Apr 1

Marietta @ Woodstock - After a closed door meeting on Monday, the team was poised and ready to strike taking the road up I-575 to Towne Lake to play the Wolverines of Woodstock. Ryan Newell was outstanding as he threw a complete game allowing two earned runs on four hits and six strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Wolverines had an ace up their sleeve as well in starter Shawn Haley who threw a one hit shut out for a 4-0 victory. The Blue Devils allowed one run in the second and three in the fifth inning on shaky defensive errors and timely hitting of the Wolverines. The “Good Guys” squandered momentum killing opportunities in the third and the fifth inning as the offense attempted to bunt themselves on base and do anything they could to muster a sniff of offense. The lone hit came from Chevez Clarke in the sixth as he doubled into left to break up the no-hitter by Haley. The Blue Devils are now 7-9 overall with a 1-3 region record. The Blue Devils look to break their three game losing skid at home against the dangerous Warriors of North Cobb.

Wheeler - Mar 29

Marietta @ Wheeler - Still thinking about the stinging loss the night before, the Blue Devils limped into Dave McDonald field, took two right hooks and an upper cut and fell to the ground for the knockout. Wheeler jumped on starting pitcher Robby Woody in the first inning and never looked back. Woody regained focus and settled down after the dust cleared and behind 5-0, but a beleaguered Blue Devil offense was shut down by Wildcat pitcher Jordan Lenning who went the distance for the 11-0 victory. Woody was tagged with the loss as the Wildcats added five more runs in the fifth for the decisive run ruled victory. Parker Nelson came in relief of the tired Woody in the fifth. The lone offensive high light of the game came off the bat of Tyler Johnson who lashed a double in the fourth for the only hit of the ballgame. Marietta must rally the troops and search for an answer to rekindle a much needed spark to get back on the winning bandwagon. The Blue Devils travel to Woodstock on Tuesday for another region match up.

McEachern - Mar 28

McEachern @ Marietta - In a battle of region foes, the game look liked it would go down to the wire. Hunter Parris battled the Indians allowing only two runs through five innings. In the bottom of the second, Tyler Johnson led off with a single and later scored on a Parker Nelson’s base hit. The Blue Devils had a chance to make more noise but a crucial double play quelled any momentum. Despite not getting a hit in the fourth inning, the Indians tied the game at one a piece scoring one run on an infield error, a balk and an outfield error in consecutive order. Still battling, Parris allowed a run in the fifth on a leadoff triple by Dilbeck followed by a sacrifice fly by the leadoff hitter to take the lead at 2-1. Andrew Sawyer was equally impressive as he settled down keeping Blue Devil hitters off balance. The Devils seemed to get early quality at bats against Sawyer, but stellar McEachern defensive plays kept our guys off the bases. Two walks, two balks and a single added to the Blue Devils problems in the top of the sixth as the Blue Devils gave way to the bullpen as the Indians broke it open adding to the lead 5-1. Hoping to make a comeback, the Indians blasted the doors wide open in the top of the seventh as another “Marietta Inning” reared its ugly head. McEachern took advantage of several physical and mental errors as the wheels fell off the wagon. The Indians added seven more runs on two walks, two more balks, and three solid hits clinching the win. The Blue Devils don’t have too much time to think about there mistakes as they take to the road on Saturday against a pesky Wheeler Wildcat group coming off impressive back to back victories in region six play.

Murry Co. - Mar 27

Marietta @ Murray Co. - Making the long journey north, the Blue Devils overcame a bit of early game travel lag to put an arrow into the upstart Indians of Murray County. Colin Cumberland was the lead story among many subplots as the right handed junior held the Indians in check for five innings of solid pitching allowing one run on two hits and four strike outs. Keeping his pitch count low, Cumberland was able to pitch into the sixth inning and complete the frame before tiring and giving up four runs. The game was then turned over to closer Chevez Clarke who shut the door for the much needed region win. Cumberland was also the beneficiary of some offensive firepower led by designated hitter Phillip Reeves who contributed two solid hits including a towering blast that hit the left field light pole for a three run homerun. Reeves initiated the four run second as well lacing a two run double into left plating two runs and setting the table and establishing much needed leadership on offensive. Freshman Konner Graham, Sophomore Tyler Johnson and Junior Hunter Parris also added to the offensive output having two hits each. With Reeves homerun seemingly slamming the final nail in the coffin shut placing the Blue Devils in a comfortable 11-1 position, the Indians mounted a comeback in the sixth scoring four runs with a series of back to back hits. The final subplot highlight of the night though, was back to back defensive gems in the sixth inning by outfielders Steven Goins and Chevez Clarke to snuff out the Indian rally. On a shot seemingly heading for the gap, Goins broke stride on the ball and launched parallel to the ground making a fantastic, jaw dropping catch which drew applause from the opposing stands. Assuming we had seen all the defensive gems of the night, on the very next play, Chevez Clarke sped for another ball looking to skid into the gap but snagged another ball from hitting the ground laying out for another incredible diving catch impressing the hometown crowd and the “Good Guys” cheers in the dugout. Heading back to Marietta with an overall 7-6 record and a 1-1 region record, the Blue Devils have to regroup and refocus as they host the fundamentally sound and well respected region rival McEachern at Marietta on Friday at 5:55.

Etowah - Mar 25

Etowah @ Marietta - The Blue Devils dropped their region 5AAAAA opener to the visiting Etowah Eagles 6-0. After a quick in and out inning in the first, the Eagles drew first blood in the top of the second off the bat of catcher Andy Marinelli driving in the first run with a double in the gap. Marinelli later scored on an infield error at short stop to put the visitors up 2-0. The Eagles scored three more runs in their half of the fourth when designated hitter Robbie Marbach planted a fastball into the hillside in left field. Coupled with two more hits and a walk, the Eagles added to their lead at 5-0. Starting pitcher Sean Fream was in control from the start shutting down the Blue Devil offense throwing the one hit shut out striking out eleven batters. The lone hit was from Chevez Clarke in the first at bat of the game. Ryan Newell gave his best effort going the distance giving up four earned runs, but striking out six. The Eagles added one more run in the sixth on a short stop error by Cameron Day followed with a wild pitch and two passed balls by catcher Sam Lancaster filling in for the injured starting catcher Brandon McCarn to plate the sixth run of the game. The Blue Devils look to recover in their next region game taking the long trek up north to face the highly energized Murray County Indians who are coming off an upset win over the North Cobb Warriors 3-1.

Milton - Mar 20

Milton @ Marietta - In a close battle from the beginning, the visiting Eagles of Milton mustered enough offensive gumption to slide away with a 3-0 victory over our beloved Blue Devils. The Eagles jumped on the board in the first inning with one run on two hits and never looked back. Insurance runs came sporadically in the third and sixth inning to cap the win and saddle starting pitcher Ryan Newell with his first loss of the season. The Eagles big blow came in the third inning off the bat of Davidson who hit a towering shot over the centerfield fence. Davidson was equally powerful on the mound as he stifled Blue Devil bats allowing only five hits on the night. The Blue Devils had threatening opportunities to mount a comeback in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings, but a fourth inning key double play and two base running blunders in the sixth and seventh squashed any valiant efforts of a comeback. Chevez Clarke led the offense with two hits. The young Blue Devil team has continued to learn from the typical mental and physical mistakes a maturing team endures throughout the early part of the season and shows promise of being a contender in the near future. The Blue Devils look to build on their previous accomplishments, formulating the foundational success encompassed by a new resurrection of the entire program symbolized by the near completion of the new 4500 square foot indoor hitting/pitching facility. Patiently waiting through building timelines, inclement weather, inspector approval at each building step and pending the soon to be approved certificate of occupancy, the Blue Devils excitedly look to improve and expand their daily practice strategies utilizing the indoor facility including two hitting tunnels, two pitching lanes and area to work on defensive drills. The captivating interior and exterior design built to maximize practice efficiency stands to be the catalyst needed to take this now battled tested group to another level in the always competitive region 5 AAAAA part of the season. Ending the non-region phase of the season with an eye brow raising 6-5 overall record, the team heads into region play on Tuesday at home against the aggressive Etowah Eagles who look to be one of the top four teams that qualify for the state playoffs in region five.

Duluth - Mar 17

Marietta @ Duluth - Chomping at the bits to get back into playing some baseball and getting into the win column, the Blue Devils traveled to Duluth in search of victory. Starting a new week of baseball and hoping to spark some new life into the young Blue Devil squad, the team came out flatter than Uncle Ned’s flat tire back on the farm. The Wildcats of Duluth came out clawing hitting back to back homeruns in the top of the first rolling the eyes of the Blue Devil faithful who traveled long distance to watch some high school baseball. The game seemed to unravel out of control with no stopping in sight as the Wildcats continued to throw their will around against a punch-less, starry-eyed group of Blue Devils. Starting pitcher Robby Woody found himself in and out of jams all day giving up six earned runs and seven free passes to add fuel to the fire of the early inning onslaught, but giving enough of a yeomen’s effort to keep the game from being an outright fiasco. Frustrated and beleaguered, current injured catcher Brandon McCarn exercised timely leadership and brought the team together. Whatever he said worked, as the team began to whittle their way back to life mounting a slow comeback, as the score grew respectably closer, going into the bottom of the fifth at 7-5. Feeling better about the efforts of the team, the Wildcats once again deflated the well intentioned Blue Devils adding one more run pushing the score to 8-5 causing the Blue Devils to stare down the barrel of a third straight loss. But hold your horses, this game isn’t over. As the battle of attrition worked in our favor, the effective Wildcat-starting pitcher was relieved by the bullpen. In the top of the sixth, with two out and the bases loaded, Parker Power struck again. A first pitch fastball was literally launched into the leftfield lights creating an episode of the movie, The Natural (without the sparks mind you) as the excited Blue Devils watched their comrade circle the bases to take a 9-8 lead. Colin Cumberland shut down the Wildcat offense in the sixth and Chevez Clarke came in relief in the seventh to face the heart of the Wildcat lineup. With the tying run at third and the winning run at first base, Clarke struck out the last batter to seal the deal, earn a save and give the “Good Guys” a fun bus ride home. The eleven hit attack by the Blue Devil offense was led by Tyler Johnson who went 3-3 with three singles, Robby Woody 2-4, Hunter Parris 2-3, and Parker Nelson who was also 2-4. The Blue Devils prepare for another Wildcat group as they take to the road once again, but take a much shorter trip to the friendly confines of Wheeler on Wednesday at 5:55.

Walker - Mar 13

Walker @ Marietta - Feeling the burn of four games in as many days, riddled with key position injuries and facing adversity from all sides as the program continues to lay the foundation of discipline for future players, the weather was just right for a great day for baseball. The Blue Devils were looking for revenge against some earlier in the week losses. Starting pitcher Hunter Parris is exactly what the doctor ordered in the epic internal identity battle of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that has plagued the Blue Devils as a team continuing to search for continuity and leadership. The internal struggle seemed to show signs of recovery as Hunter pitched one of his best performances of the season keeping the Wolverines off balance. The high powered, highly excitable juggernaut Wolverine offense was minimized to powder keg status without a fuse through five innings. Feeling good about ourselves, but sensing danger, the 4-1 lead was reduced to 4-3 when the game was turned over to the bullpen. At that moment, the Wolverines found their fuse and exploded for six runs as the not so friendly “Marietta Inning” reared its ugly head. The Wolverines lit up the scoreboard with a plethora of gap finding doubles particularly off the bats of Price, Hampton, and Michaelider along with a slew of singles to destroy any possible hopes of a win. Parker Nelson and Chevez Clarke came in relief to smoke out any Wolverine trouble in the sixth and seventh to preserve the gutsy outing of Hunter Parris, but was buzz sawed by the Murder’s Row version of Wolverine hitters to become cannon fodder. Two triples in the bottom of the second by Nelson and Clarke scoring four runs seemed to be all the fuel that the Blue Devils needed to sneak by with a win, but resulted in a futile effort as the Wolverine offensive comeback and relief pitching in the seventh shut the door for the win. The Blue Devils lick their wounds over the weekend and look forward to hitting the road against current Braves catcher, Brian McCann’s alma mater, Duluth on Monday.

Forsyth Central - Mar 12

Forsyth Central @ Marietta - The Blue Devils received a taste of their own medicine as they offensively struggled against Bulldog starting pitcher J.W. Quinn taking a deflating, gut shot loss 9-1 at Jackie Smallwood field. Quinn dominated Blue Devil batters striking out ten while giving up one run on four hits. Newell, Parris, Johnson and Henderson were the lone rangers on offense mustering singles throughout the game, but the Blue Devil offense never came to life and was not a threat to the visiting Bulldogs. Colin Cumberland was tagged with the loss pitching 5 1/3 innings battling the entire game trying to put out small fires throughout the game. Forsyth Central put the game out of reach scoring a total of seven runs in the fourth and fifth inning to snuff out any life left in the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils try to get back on track and find the win column hosting an inner city private school versus public school battle against the high-powered 6-AA school in Walker.

Villa Rica - Mar 11

Villa Rica @ Marietta - On a crisp cool night, the pitching was just a crisp as Ryan Newell earned his third victory of the year defeating the visiting Wildcats of Villa Rica 10-2. As the team is trying to identify its starting rotation before region competition, Newell was in command from the start against a feisty offense. Ryan allowed two runs on two hits with nine strikeouts. Chevez Clarke came in relief to shut the door. The offense still trying to hit on all cylinders, finally broke out in a six run fourth inning as junior Hunter Parris hit a fastball into the jet stream in right field for a three-run homerun. The Blue Devils added three more insurance runs in the bottom of fifth. Clarke led the offense with two hits while Tyler Johnson, Phillip Reeves and Robby Woody contributed as well. The Blue Devils host the Bulldogs from Forsyth Central on Wednesday at 5:55 playing their third game in as many days.

Lakeside-Dekalb - Mar 10

Lakeside-Dekalb @ Marietta - Trying to dust off the rust from the weekend, Murphy’s Law reared his ugly head in many ways in the last dugout tournament game of the 2008 baseball season against the visiting Vikings of Lakeside-Dekalb. The Vikings struck early putting two runs on the board in the top of the first of off senior starting pitcher Robby Woody. After equaling the score at two a piece, the Vikings proceeded to scatter fourteen hits throughout the rest of the game and take the victory out of the hands of the Blue Devils. The Vikings displayed excellent discipline at the plate hitting pitches where they were thrown predominantly hitting opposite field the majority of the game. The Blue Devils could only muster two hits off of the crafty and deceptive starting lefthander. His curveball and tailing fastball gave Blue Devil fits all game long shutting down the offense eventually taking care of business for a 7-2 victory. Wes Frey came into pitch the last three innings of the ballgame. The only two hits of the night were contributed by Hunter Parris and Ryan Henderson. The Blue Devils continue on their college baseball schedule hosting their second game in a consecutive four game home stretch challenging the team to be ready to play everyday. Villa Rica comes to town bringing a scrappy, gritty, blue-collar approach to the game, highlighted by a quality coaching staff including Coach Michaels’ former boss and mentor Jay Sneddon who both coached together back in the 98-99 seasons at Mt. Paran Christian School when Coach Sneddon was the head coach.

Redan - Mar 5

Redan @ Marietta - After the deluge of rain pummeled Jackie Smallwood field Tuesday afternoon, the going concern was whether or not the field would be playable for the Wednesday home contest. With the good graces of the wind, sun, time and good ‘ole elbow grease by the coaching staff and the players, the field was ready by game time and it was time to play. The traditionally powerful Raiders of Redan out of region 2-AAAAA from Stone Mountain rolled into Marietta with a cadre of fine tuned, polished athletes along with an experienced coaching staff as evident in the pre-game warm up. Redan came out literally swinging and threw the first punch as they scored two runs on three hits to take an early lead off of Blue Devil Junior starter Colin Cumberland. The Blue Devils fought back with a punch of their own scoring one run in the bottom half of the first, but leaving an excellent opportunity on the field as back to back strikeouts left three ducks on the pond and negating a chance to take the lead. The Blue Devils added three more runs in the second to go up 4-2, but were still without a hit in the game. Adding two more runs in the top of the fourth, the Raiders pulled within one run at 5-4 going into the bottom of the fourth. Colin Cumberland pitched effectively enough to keep the Raiders at bay through the fourth inning when the Blue Devils came out in their bottom half of the inning breaking the no hit ballgame erupting with a series of punches of their own that sent the Raiders reeling into a tailspin from which they couldn’t recover. Taking advantage of Raider defensive miscues, a plethora of walks and a string of hits in the line-up, Sophomore Chevez Clarke capped the inning stepping to the plate to apply the big body blow blasting a bases loaded triple in the left center gap scoring three runs. The Blue Devils sensing a knockout, applied more pressure and added to the lead with a seven run inning giving the “Good Guys” a healthy 12-4 lead. But as our season has proven thus far, anything can happen especially late in the ball game. Hoping to nail the coffin shut, Redan fought back with two more runs in the fifth and single digit runs in the sixth and seventh as well to put a dent into the Blue Devil lead. Junior Hunter Parris contributed handsomely on offense with a three hit night and Senior Wes Frey pitched diligently and effectively for two innings in relief to hold down the fort. Chevez Clark came in the seventh ending the game with excitement in the last at bat with two runners on, as a fierce head to head battle ensued between fast ball blazing Clarke and the powerfully dangerous right-handed catcher Davis of Redan who rocketed a triple in his previous at bat. After fouling of several pitches, Clarke fired a 3-2 strike blowing past the mighty swing of Davis to preserve the 13-8 victory. While the excitement is beginning to grow here at Marietta, so does the strength of schedule, as we finalize the last Dugout Tournament game at home on Friday against the Vikings of Lakeside-Dekalb thus beginning our second phase of regular season, non- region play, in preparation towards the always tough competition of Region 5-AAAAA baseball.

Douglas Co. - Mar 3

Douglas Co. @ Marietta - Starting pitcher Ryan Newell had another stellar starting performance on the mound. Newell was cruising with a no-hitter and eight strike outs leading 12-0 going into the fifth inning when the game of baseball showed why you must respect the game and how it is supposed to be played. Keeping track of early season pitch counts and allowing other players to take advantage of opportunistic playing time, reliever Phillip Reeves was called on to finalize the last three outs to close out the game in a potentially a run- ruled shortened game. Facing the bottom of the line-up, Phillips struck out the first batter and got the second batter to hit a routine pop fly for a guaranteed second out of the inning. The always reliable center fielder Chevez Clarke, lulled to sleep by efficient pitching, attempted to catch the ball in not-so-fundamental fashion using one hand instead of two hands. The ball hit the middle of his glove and dropped to the ground. The costly mental error swayed the momentum of the inning as the wheels proceeded to fall off the wagon. To no avail, Phillips struggled to find the strike zone, the defense showed their youth struggling to find an out and the Blue Devils fans became restless as Douglas County mounted a valiant comeback taking advantage of several Blue Devil miscues. To stop the bleeding, Parker Nelson was called on in relief, but struggled as well with the strike zone. Douglas County bats exploded and rallied for almost an hour striking for nine runs in the top of fifth punching the Blue Devils right in the gut of a game that was two outs away from closing the door and going home. With the lead at 12-9, the Blue Devils once again fought back scoring three more runs in the final two frames to take a 15-9 victory. The Tigers of Douglas County put a scare into the Blue Devils to teach the team a valuable lesson that you have to play with respect for the game and to realize that momentum can change on any given moment if you don’t nail the coffin shut. The Blue Devils are a fortunate (3-1) on the season and host Redan on Wednesday at home at 5:55 to continue Dugout Tournament play.

Berkmar - Mar 1

Berkmar @ Marietta - If you are a baseball fan, this was a game to watch. Embattling the cold temperatures Wednesday night, dancing through the late inning rain drops on Friday night, the weather on Saturday was marvelous for afternoon baseball. As a matter of fact, “The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the bats were jumping in the racks!” It was a great day for baseball! And all in attendance received their monies worth. The game started out to be a pitcher’s dual between starting pitchers. Robby Woody was cruising along, keeping Berkmar hitters off balance while keeping his pitch count low to extend his season debut outing to five innings. The powerful starting pitching for the Patriots equally matched Woody’s performance shutting down the Blue Devil bats until the third inning. Once again having to scratch, claw and manufacture for every run, the electric Chevez Clarke singled up the middle. The speedy Clarke took over from there stealing first base and then forcing an errant throw from the pitcher on an attempted pick off play to second base that skipped into centerfield. Aggressively smart on the base paths, Clarke preceded to third base whereby the alert defense of the centerfielder came to no avail as his throw sailed into the third base dugout, allowing Clarke to score easily giving the Blue Devils a one run lead. The Blue Devils added to their lead taking advantage of timely hitting and Berkmar pitching control problems. Up 4-2, Hunter Parris came in relief in the fifth to quell any possible Berkmar comeback and a sixth inning defensive double play seemed to break the will of the Berkmar faithful. The game was far from over. With a blazing fastball from closer Chevez Clarke seeming to be the answer to shut the door on an apparent win, the Patriots mounted a tremendous comeback in the top of the seventh off the bat of clean-up hitter Rivera who blasted a two out, 1-0 fastball with the bases loaded over the right field fence dinging the flag pole to take a 7-4 lead and temporarily deflating the wind in the sails of the Blue Devils. But the Blue Devils showed character and intestinal fortitude as they mounted a comeback of their own. After walking in a run with the bases loaded, and the score 7-5 with one out, sophomore Ryan Henderson launched a bases clearing double into left center field causing the “good guys” dugout to erupt and the stands to go crazy as the game winning run crossed the plate. All was right with the world for today. The Blue Devils are (2-1) on the season and continue their home stand facing the Tigers of Douglas County on Monday at 5:55 at the friendly confines of Jackie Smallwood field.

Hiram - Feb 29

Marietta @ Hiram - A wise coach once said, “Keep your highs low, and your lows high.” That wisdom rang true tonight as the Blue Devils, coming of an extreme high from Wednesday night’s win over Osborne, were humbled in a 5-1 loss to Hiram. While team chemistry and fundamental baseball continue to improve, the offense was stymied by Hiram’s starting pitching and continued to struggle against the left-handed relief of the Hornet bullpen. The Blue Devils could only muster four hits and eventually scored the games only run in the third when Chevez Clarke led off the inning with a single. He then proceeded to steal second base and then third base, allowing him to finally score on a passed ball by the Hiram catcher. The offense attempted to make some noise in their half of the fourth when Cameron Day pinch ran for Ryan Newell at first base after being walked. The next hitter, Josh Padgett hit a shot down the left field line. As Coach Michaels gambled, signaling Cameron to third to try to put runners in scoring position at second and third, the left fielder cleanly fielded the ball and threw a frozen rope to throw out the aggressive effort of Cameron Day. The next hitter was retired to end any possible scoring threat. The Blue Devils tried to scratch and claw their way back, but costly defensive errors and the inability to take advantage of runners in scoring position in the late innings of the ballgame were the cause of the demise. Despite the loss, starting pitcher Colin Cumberland along with relief pitcher Wes Frey kept the Blue Devils in the ball game with gritty mound performances. Brandon McCarn led the offense with two hits. The Blue Devils are (1-1) in the young season and continue Dugout Tournament play with a Saturday matinee at 1:00 in their regular season home opener against formidable cross town rival Berkmar Patriots.

Osborne - Feb 27

Marietta @ Osborne - On a cold, blistery night with the sight of early inning flurries, the Blue Devils quickly rebounded from the early week scrimmage loss against Sprayberry with a convincing 14-0 victory over the much improved Cardinals of Osborne High School. The bats came out of the racks on fire as the Blue Devil offense scored quickly with a first inning 3-0 lead that they never relinquished. Parker Nelson led the 11-hit offensive attack going 2-4 with a 3-run HR and a Grand Slam along with 8 RBI’s. The top of the line-up caused most of the damage with multiple hit performances by Chevez Clark, Brandon McCarn, Ryan Henderson, and Robby Woody. Phillip Reeves and Hunter Parris also contributed with quality hits. Ryan Newell was the beneficiary of the offensive output by shutting down the Cardinal offense allowing only four hits and striking out seven with no walks in four innings of work in his junior debut. As the night proceeded to get colder, Newell improved as the game progressed earning the shut out victory. Parker Nelson came in relief in the final inning striking out two and shutting the door for Marietta’s first victory of the regular season. The Blue Devils travel to Hiram on Friday at 5:55 to open the Dugout Tournament to take on a well respected, fierce Hornet baseball squad.

Sprayberry Scrimmage Game - Feb 25 (changed from Feb 23)

Marietta @ Sprayberry - The Marietta Baseball program started the season on a low note losing an early season scrimmage 20-4 at Cadenhead Field. Sprayberry showed its strength and experience as the well polished and well coached Yellow Jacket squad displayed their prowess and strength of their #7 pre-season state ranking early and often. Despite the score, there were several positives that the talented, but young and inexperienced Blue Devils gained from the scrimmage. Several pitchers gained invaluable experience against a solid hitting Jacket offense and despite the baseball conventional wisdom that early season pitching typically out duals early season hitting, the Blue Devil offense were able to take some quality hacks versus an impressive array of Yellow Jacket pitchers. The Blue Devils look to rebound from their loss and enter the 2008 regular season campaign this Wednesday on the road against the upstart Osborne Cardinals.