Prep Baseball: East Coweta answers the call with win
By DOUG GORMAN
dgorman@newnan.com
After watching his team drop a sloppy 8-6 loss to Newnan in Region 2-AAAAA action earlier this week, East Coweta head coach Franklin Deloach challenged his team to return to the baseball diamond with a renewed attitude.
Friday night they answered the call in a 9-0 victory over visiting Stephenson in the next to last Region 2-AAAAA game of the season.
In the end, the Indians dominated the contest against the Jaguars, scoring at least on run in every inning but the fourth and sixth.
The win pushes East Coweta's record to 14-9 overall and 10-3 in region play. It also sets up a huge showdown with rival at Newnan on Tuesday.
With Newnan's loss at Luella on Friday, East Coweta has a one-game lead over the Cougars, but with Newnan's victory in the first game, the rematch will decide who gets second place and the right to play at home in the first round of the playoffs.
"We know how important the game is," DeLoach said. "It is more than just East Coweta versus Newnan this time."
(To view or purchase photos from this game, please visit http://photos.times-herald.com/mycapture and click on Sports / Baseball for the photo gallery.)
East Coweta set the stage for Tuesday's showdown with a stellar performance in the field and at the plate.
The Indians pounded out seven hits en route to the win.
However, the thing that brought the biggest smile to Deloach was a clean game by his infield. The Indians complete the contest without giving up an error.
"It was great to see the way we fielded the ball," Deloach said. "When you do that, you are going to win games."
Sophomore first baseman Matt Myers, who has spent most of the season dividing his time with the junior varsity and the varsity, stepped up big for the Indians finishing with six RBIs.
Myers started the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, but his night was just beginning.
His double in the second and fifth brought in two runs each time.
Lead-off hitter Tyler Horner took advantage of control problems by the Jaguars' pitching staff, walking and scoring three times. He also doubled and scored on one of Myers' doubles in the third.
Tim Manning showed off his ability to work the count from the ninth spot in the order after drawing two walks and scoring.
East Coweta got a stellar pitching performance from a trio of arms as Zach Tatham started the game and went through the fifth. He gave up his only hit of the game in the third.
Zack McCurry pitched a one-two-three inning in the sixth and senior Dylan Taylor celebrated his last regular season home game with a strikeout to help preserve the win.
"I thought our pitchers did a really good job," Deloach said. "They had really good command of their pitches."
