The Knights may have unleashed some frustration from Monday’s disappointing Brookwood game onto the Berkmar Patriots in their region matchup Wednesday at Central Gwinnett.  Berkmar went through 5 pitchers in the run-rule shortened contest, but were unable to silence the Knights bats.   

Senior starter, Jake Spear, along with right fielder, Michael McGuire, were honored at home plate before the game for their contributions to the Central Gwinnett baseball program over the last 4 years. 

Spear had to pitch around three errors in the first by Central while giving up a run on three hits.  It seemed like déjà vu all over again.  But the Knights settled in and played solid defensively the rest of the way.  Not so for Berkmar, as the Patriots racked up the errors padding Central’s final run total with 6 unearned runs. 

Central powered up the lumber (or metal as the case may be) scoring 4 in the first, 4 more in the second, and 7 in the third to demoralize a Patriots team fresh off of a big 10-5 win over perennial region power Parkview just the night before. 

Hot bats for the game were, Jeff Shields(3-3, 2 doubles, 3 rbi’s);  Danny Sekerak(2-3, triple, 3 rbi’s);  Philip Bates(2-2, double, 2 rbi’s);  Julian Pisczak(2-2, double, rbi);  Michael McGuire(2-3, 3 runs);  Tyler Hampton(1-2, rbi).  Anthony Fields also picked up a hit in his first varsity at bat, while Curtis Davis and Craig Bell each got an rbi with bases loaded walks. 

Spear(5-1) went 4 innings allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits, with no walks and 2 strikeouts.  Bates came on in the 5^th to mop-up, allowing no hits, a walk and 2 strikeouts. 

The Knights host the Panthers from Parkview on Friday in an important matchup for both teams. 

Go Knights!

The Central coaching staff worked really hard to get the field ready for play on Friday night so the Black Knights could play host to the region 6AAAAA Milton Eagles.

Jeff Shields took the mound for Central and retired the first two batters.  Then, Chase Davidson, Georgia signee and pro prospect, drove a 2-2 curveball over the right field fence to quickly put his team up 1-0.  The next batter would double, but was stranded as Shields collected himself and recorded the first of 9 strikeouts on the night.

In the bottom of the first, Shields reached on a walk and catcher, Matt Ricciardi singled, but there were two outs, and no runs scored.

In the second, The Eagles pushed another run across with a delayed steal.  Runners at first and third, first runner broke and the pitcher went after him.  The runner from third left for home and a high throw allowed the run to score.  Eagles up 2-0.

The Knights mounted a threat in their half of the inning, loading the bases with no outs on hits from Danny Sekerak, Michael McGuire, and a walk to Devon Monetta.  Sophomore Philip Bates drove in a run with a sac fly to right, but that would be all as the next two batters were retired.  Eagles 2-1.

In the third, the Eagles got two hits, but with two outs, the last batter drilled a sharply hit ball towards the hole between first and second and hit the runner to end the inning.

The Knights would rally in the bottom of the third to chase the starter.  Shields walked, Ricciardi doubled, and Tyler Hampton was hit by a pitch to load the bags with no outs.   Sekerak drew a bases loaded walk.  The next two batters flew out to second and lined back to the pitcher.  Ricciardi, now at third, scored on an errant throw from third.  Then,  Bates delivered a hard single to left center, scoring Hampton and Sekerak to put the Knights up 4-2.

Not much action in the fourth as Shields struck out the side, and the Knights went 3 up, 3 down as well.

The Eagles offense was unable to get anything going for the next two innings, collecting only two walks with one of them intentional.

In the Knights last at bat, the sixth, an error by the Eagles third baseman extended the inning, allowing  Sekerak  to drive in two more insurance runs with a double in the gap.  Knights up 7-2

Shields set down the first two batters in the seventh before giving up a hit to the leadoff batter.  The next Eagles batter looked to be struck out but reached instead on ball four.  This brought up big number 25.  The question was whether to pitch to him, around him, or put him on.  Coach Hays decided to pitch to him and he skied the first pitch to Hampton in left to seal the game for the Black Knights 7-2.

Some interesting game notes:  The Knights played errorless ball, Shields did not allow the first batter to reach in any inning, Corey Wallace made some outstanding saves at first base, and Sekerak and Bates both collected all 6 rbi’s. (there was no rbi for Ricciardi’s score in the third)  Great job Knights.

The Black Knights played host to the Apalachee Wildcats on Wednesday.  The game was a pitcher's duel through four with no runs scored by either side and only five hits total for both teams.  Sophomore Philip Bates was the starter for the second game in a row and looked very crisp, allowing only three hits and no runs before turning it over to Josh Peterson in the fifth.  The Apalachee starter was as good as we have seen, with pop, accuracy and poise.  The Wildcats scored their first off Peterson in the fifth.  But the  Cats hurler was getting up there in pitch count and could not hold the lead as hot hitting, Danny Sekerak tied it with an opposite field rope down the third base line.  A new pitcher came on in the sixth for Apalachee.  He would go three innings.

The Cats continued to apply the pressure, scoring one run in each inning from there. The  Knights would just keep tying it up.  Zach Thompson came on in relief of Peterson in the seventh for the Knights and the Cats went up by one again.  Still the boys would not quit and tied it once more.  In the top of the eighth, with a runner on, The Wildcats' 6'6" 250 lb Georgia football prospect hit a moonshot high into the centerfield net to give Apalache their first two run lead. (Hitting the net was determined to be a homerun before the game began)  That could have been a killing blow, but in the Central half of the eighth,  Jeff Shields led off with a no doubt drive over the left center wall.  This gave the boys a spark and they loaded the bases with no outs, but could only get one more run, tying it up yet again.  In the top of nine, Thompson gave up a leadoff walk and the coach brought on Jake Spear in relief to try and hold them right there.  A well laid bunt moved the runner over to second, and the Cats were in business.  It looked like they might go up here also, but Spear whiffed the next batter on a nice changeup and got the final out by ground ball.  Now the momentum shifted back to the Knights as they had  the top of the order coming up in the bottom of the ninth.  The Cats tried to put a lid on that by sending the big right hander that homered to the mound for the ninth.  But, Julian Pisczak led off with a hard single to left center.  Spear attempted to bunt him over but ended up on base himself with an infield hit.  With runners on first and third, Spear stole second uncontested.  Shields was then issued an intentional pass to load the bases with no outs.  Catcher, Matt Ricciardi was the batter, when the big right hander dropped a curve ball in the dirt which got by the catcher.  Pisczak raced home from third, scoring the winning run for Central, now 4-0 on the young season.  After the game, the Central shortstop said, "We really wanted to win it with a hit, and probably would have," but the most important takeaway from the game just might be the "never say die" effort the Knights gave tonight.  Congratulations on a well deserved and hard fought win.  Congrats also to the Wildcats as they played well.  It was a whale of a ballgame all around.  Keep up the good work Knights!!!

Two years ago, the Black Knights travelled to Forsyth Central where they blew a 4 run lead to be run-ruled by the Bulldogs.  Friday night was a different story. Central was the home team this time and the outcome was not the same. Senior starter, Jake Spear, (1-0)went the distance to get the win for Coach Hays and the Black Knights. Over 7 innings, Spear gave up only 4 hits, a walk and an unearned run, with 6 strikeouts. The Forsyth Central starter looked strong as well, holding the Knights bats in check for much of the time, but 6 Bulldog errors and hits from Tyler Hampton, Matt Ricciardi, Danny Sekerak, Devon Monetta, gave the Knights the lead for good. The defense was again solid with a nice diving stab and throwout from shortstop, Jeff Shields and at first, Corey Wallace continues to impress with big stretches to make the plays. Also, Spear and Philip Bates, both laid down beautiful sacrifice bunts to move runners over when asked to do so, returning to a whole team of high fives on the way back to the dugout. Tomorrow's contest will see sophomore Philip Bates on the mound for Central against South Forsyth at 1:00 at their home field. Best of luck Knights. Keep playing hard.