Published Thursday, June 18, 2009
Newnan sweeps Cobb Stars
The Newnan Times-Herald
MABLETON -- The Cobb Premier Stars may have been their own worst enemy Wednesday night at Pebblebrook High School as they were swept by the Newnan Braves in a Great South League doubleheader.
In the opener, the Braves took advantage of several miscues in the first inning with a five-run frame that led to a 10-5 victory while the Stars had several running mistakes as the Braves came away with a 2-1 victory.
"It felt a lot better to be on the winning end of a one-run game," Braves manager Rick Behenna as his club had three straight one run losses. "We hit the ball well in the first game and we were able to get a lot of our pitchers some work today."
With one out in the top of the first in game one, Heine Rivera reached on an error, Ryan Lloyd was hit by a pitch and Georgia Bulldog catcher Joey Lewis singled to load the bases for Brandon Miller who singled to left to score Rivera with the first run.
Brandon Behenna followed with an RBI single and moved to second on an infield error that also allowed both Lewis and Miller to come home with Behenna coming home on the third error of the frame.
The 5-0 lead held for Braves starter Will Mathis who breezed through the bottom of the first inning but would surrender a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Newnan got the runs back in the top of the third inning with two unearned scores of their own as the Stars recorded two more errors.
The lead increased to 9-2 with one out in the top of the fourth inning when Lloyd walked, Lewis singled and Behenna followed with an RBI single and Michael Burruss followed with a sacrifice fly to center for an RBI.
Mathis would go through the bottom of the frame unscathed before he was relieved by former Woodward and current Naval Academy hurler Sam Long in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Long would allow one hit in his one inning of work but no runs as he would turn the game over to Bryan Daniels in the sixth inning and the latter would a pair of runs in the frame.
Lloyd would account for the final run of the contest for the Braves when he hit his third home run of the season while the Stars would add their final run in the bottom of the frame.
In the nightcap, Cobb's Brandon Stewart and Newnan's Bryan Blough sailed through the first inning as each retired the side in order, but Stewart would struggle in the top of the second.
Lewis led off with a double, Behenna followed with a single and Burruss would hit a double to right that brought Lewis home with the first run of the game.
Pascual Poston was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Stewart managed to escape further trouble as he retired Trent Freeman on an infield pop, Byron Haynes on a strikeout and finished the frame with a forceout at second.
A pair of errors in the bottom of the second inning by the Braves would allow the Stars to tie the game at 1-1 but Newnan reclaimed the lead in the top of the third inning after consecutive singles by Rivera, Miller and Lewis.
Blough would pitch three innings before he was replaced by Ryan Haynie in the bottom of the fourth as the first of five relievers for the Braves.
George Grote, Brandon Swann, Casey Willson and Nick Terry would each get a turn on the mound for the Braves leaving three runners on base as two baserunners were picked off for the Stars.
"We want to win the games but this is a league to develop players," Behenna commented. "If one of these guys get into a college or is drafted then it is a win."
