Dunwoody baseball surges

After a slow start to the season, Dunwoody High School’s baseball team fueled a growing momentum in week four by dealing Lithonia’s 5-0 Miller Grove High School team and Douglass High School team a loss.

The 10-0 win on Wednesday marked the Dunwoody team’s fourth win in a row – boosting it to a .500 record so far for the season.

The Dunwoody Wildcats and the Wolverines battled it out in the first few innings with each team delivering solid hits and errors, which bred difficulties for both.

Second at bat, Charlie Madden hit the Wildcats’ first triple of the year, falling just short of the centerfield wall. The Wolverines, however, dealt a double play on a line drive hit to third, stopping the threat.

Wildcat Will Hudgins launched the bottom of the 3rd inning with a single – advancing on a Zach Tonner sacrifice bunt and scoring on a Jerric Johnson single. Johnson snagged a second run for Dunwoody when Madden reached on an error. Madden scored on a double to deep center from Jared Martin – putting Dunwoody up 3-0.

Dunwoody scored again in the 4th inning when Cunningham came around after a lead-off walk. Ryan Gaines came in relief at the start of the 5h inning, holding Miller Grove to a single.

The Wildcats sealed Miller Grove’s fate in the 5^th inning with four singles in a row from Chris Hale, Jonathan Rhoden, James Cunningham and Adam Julian leading to three more runs.

The game was cut short after Dunwoody scored an additional four more runs, ending the game by the 10-0 run rule.

Dunwoody defeated Douglass High School on Friday to get the Wildcats to one game over .500 for the season

The game was a road victory for the Wildcats and it started out with a big 1st inning for the team. Dunwoody was up first and the team batted through the lineup.

Douglass hurt itself in that inning by letting two runners reach base on an error. Then three walks were issued to Charlie Madden, James Cunningham and Jonathon Rhoden. In between Chris Hale ripped a double and a single from Will Hudgins. The score at the bottom of the 4^th inning was 6-0.

Both teams faced similar fates in the 2^nd inning as Douglass pitcher DeKartemus McClain gets three put-outs in the order for Dunwoody in the top half, while Shailer continued his streak with two put-outs, issuing a strikeout in the bottom half.

Dunwoody then opened up the scoring again in the 3rd inning with back-to-back doubles. The next four batters reached base.

The next four batters reach base including singles from Will Hudgins and Jonathan Rhoden, followed by a sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Harry Andros, and the Wildcats scored five, making the game score 11-0 going into the bottom the inning.

By the end of the week, Dunwoody’s record was above .500 for the first time this season, and Dunwoody’s 2-0 record in their Region puts them in a tie for the lead, as they are now one of just three undefeated teams - Chamblee and Southwest DeKalb high schools are the others.

Games this week are all in region and include: Monday March 19, 5:55 p.m., at Home vs. Mays; Wednedsay March 21, 5:00 p.m. vs. Chamblee @ Sequoyah Middle School; and Friday March 23 – 5:55p @ Home vs. Marist.