LaFayette splits two most recent non-region games
The LaFayette Ramblers pushed up a pair of non-region games to beat the forecasted rain late last week and earned a split against Southeast Whitfield and Chattooga.
Southeast 6, LaFayette 5
On Wednesday, LaFayette scored four times in the top of the third inning to erase a 5-1 deficit, but Southeast would push home a run in the bottom of the seventh to claim the victory.
Dylan Deering got the Ramblers on the board with an RBI-double in the top of the first inning, while two errors and a hit batsman set the table for the four-run frame.
Davis Richardson scored on a passed ball and Garrison Fults drew a walk to reload the bases. Skyler Cepeda brought in a run with a walk before Blake Mann laced a two-run single to tie the score. All four runs scored with two outs.
Case Davis had a triple for the Ramblers and Zane Smith added a double, while Richardson and Fults each had singles.
Deering got the start on the hill and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing five runs, though only two were earned. He gave up two hits and five walks. Nick Radtke scattered seven hits over 4.2 scoreless innings. He had five strikeouts and two walks, while Mann pitched the seventh.
LaFayette 8, Chattooga 1
Back at home on Thursday, the Ramblers took control with three-spots in the first and second innings before adding two insurance runs in the sixth as they improved to 4-2 on the season.
Nick Adams had a pair of doubles in three at-bats and drove in two runs. Deering had a hit and an RBI, while Ross Martin also added a single. Mann threw all seven innings, striking out nine hitters and giving up an unearned run on three hits.
LaFayette JV 2, Gordon Lee 1
Austin Tucker went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, including the game-winning walk-off hit, as the Ramblers edged the Trojans in junior varsity action last Tuesday.
James Wathen pitched five strong innings for LaFayette, giving up no earned runs and just one hit while fanning eight.
Details for Gordon Lee had not been provided as of press time.
Dalton State College’s golf teams are both ranked in the top 10 of the NAIA to begin the 2021 season.
The Dalton State women’s team checked in at No. 2 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll last week. The Lady Roadrunners received six first-place votes and 487 total points in the voting. They trail only Keiser (Fla.), who had 491 points and 12 first-place votes.
It is tied for the highest ranking in the history of the DSC women’s golf program.
This is the 41st NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll to be released since the women’s golf program has been eligible for national rankings. Of the 41, Dalton State has been ranked in all 41 polls.
They have been ranked inside the top 15 in all 41 polls, in the top 10 a total of 37 times and in the top five on 31 occasions. This is marks the eighth time the Lady Roadrunners have been ranked No. 2. The last was August 14, 2018.
William Carey (Miss.), Southeastern (Fla.) and Morningside (Iowa) rounded out the top five.
On the men’s side, the Roadrunners were tabbed sixth to start things off. Their 372 points were just 15 outside of the top five.
The Roadrunners’ roster features two golfers from Catoosa-Walker area, fifth-year senior Ben Rebne (Heritage) and freshman Tucker Windham (Gordon Lee).
Point (Ga.) claimed the No. 1 spot to kick off the season. They earned 14 first place votes in the first edition of Coaches’
Top 25, followed by Keiser (one first-place vote), Wayland Baptist (Texas) (one first-place vote), Coastal Georgia and USC-Beaufort (S.C.).
This is the 41st NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll to be released since the men’s golf program has been eligible for national rankings. Of the 41, Dalton State has been ranked in the poll 40 times.
They have been ranked inside the top 15 38 times, in the top 10 26 times and in the top five 20 times. The highest ranked the Roadrunners have been is second on five occasions, the most recent being May 25, 2018.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. Each conference is given one rater for every four schools in the league.