Diamond Cougars Fall in Rematch

Piedmont Academy’s varsity baseball team ventured to Bethlehem Christian Academy Tuesday afternoon for a rematch from the season opener against the Knights.

This time the outcome favored BCA, the two-time defending GISA Class A champion, as the Knights took a 6-4 win. Piedmont, the defending AA champion, had won the season opener between the two teams on Feb. 27.

The Cougars fell behind 4-1 after the fifth inning but scored two runs in the top of the sixth to stay alive. In that inning, after a leadoff walk to Noah Quick, Michael Edwards had a single to deep right field. An RBI single by Zach Beggs followed which scored Quick. An RBI single from Brock Carter allowed Edwards to cross home.

Piedmont still had runners on second and third with still one out in the inning but would leave those runners stranded.

BCA would score two runs in the bottom half of the sixth and then hold the Cougars to one run in the top of the seventh. Hunter Knox, who had reached on an error, scored Piedmont’s fourth and final run on a sacrifice fly by Quick.

“We aren’t doing the little things right now and that will come with time,” said Cougars coach Daniel Funt. “We had some chances. We hit the ball pretty well. The effort and focus are there, but we are trying to do too much. We need to relax and just play the game.”

Mack Brady worked the first three innings for Piedmont before giving way to Edwards for two innings and Wyatt Galloway for one.

After the host Knights took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Cougars evened the score on an RBI double by Edwards in the top of the third.

BCA scored one run in the bottom of the third and two more in the bottom of the fourth to move in front 4-1. Piedmont battled back to within 4-3 but the Knights would add two runs in the bottom of the sixth to build enough of a cushion to eventually earn the non-region win.

“We are playing good programs,” Funt said. “We have faced some good AAA schools and that will help us in the long run.”

A lack of on-the-field practice time has also hurt Funt’s team early in the season as the squad has had to combat weather conditions.

Piedmont had other chances to score in Tuesday’s road game. In the top of the second, Carter had a leadoff double and then stole third with no outs. Carter would be left stranded, however. The Cougars and BCA Knights have now split their season series the last two years.

Prior to Tuesday, Piedmont played two games on Saturday as the Cougars defeated Flint River 8-0 and tied Heritage 6-6.

In the win against the Flint River Wildcats, Piedmont led 1-0 going into the top of the fifth when the Cougars pushed seven runs across. Beggs was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run while Carter was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Mack Brady finished 2-for-3 with a run and RBI and Luke Andrews was 2-for-4. Noah Quick went 1-for-3 at the plate with a run and RBI and Tyler Mills was 1-for3 with a run. Mike Weatherly was 1-for-3.

Andrews pitched the first five innings with five strikeouts before Michael Edwards closed the door in the final two with three strikeouts.

Heritage and Piedmont then played to a 6-6 tie as the games Saturday had a time limit. Quick, Beggs, Carter, Brady, Andrews and Edwards each contributed offensively.

Beggs, Alan Powell and Carter each saw time on the pitcher’s mound.

On March 6, the Diamond Cougars fell to Class AAA Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg 4-2. Trinity used a three-run top of the first inning to take an early lead.

Piedmont scored runs in the bottom of the first and fourth inning while Trinity added one more in the top of the second.

Beggs was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI while Carter was 1-for-3 with a run.

Mike Davis worked six strong innings for the Cougars with Brady working the seventh. Davis recorded five strikeouts while Brady registered two.

“They are still some things we need to work on,” Funt said. “A play here or there and we could have been on top in the Trinity game. We really didn’t have any business winning against Heritage so it was nice to get a tie at least. The weather was tough earlier in the week in terms of being able to practice on the field.”

Piedmont’s varsity baseball team will host John Milledge Thursday at 3:30 p.m. before traveling to Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg Friday.

The B-Team Cougars will host John Milledge today, March 12, at 6 p.m. and play at 4:30 p.m. Friday before the varsity game at Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg.

The Middle School Cougars will next play at Loganville Christian Academy Monday, March 16, at 4:30 p.m.