The Briarwood Diamond Buccaneers opened the 2007 season with a 6-4 win over Augusta Preparatory Day School last Thursday at Briarwood, but lost their second game of the season and Region 1AA opener to Windsor Academy last Saturday.
Now 1-1 for the season and 0-1 in Region 1AA play, the Bucs will play host to Piedmont at 4 p.m. this Friday at Briarwood.
"They returned last year's team intact," said Bucs' coach Bo Fleming, adding that he didn't know much more about the team, except that they are ranked number one in AA.
The Bucs will follow that game up with a trip to Forsyth on Saturday to face Monroe Academy at 1 p.m. The Bucs will have another chance to beat Windsor on Monday, March 19, when they play host to the Macon team. The Bucs will round out their four-game region run with archrival Gatewood Academy at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Briarwood.
"We did really well," Coach Fleming said of the opener. "The first three innings were kind of shaky in the field, but after that we settled down, and we hit alright."
By the third inning, the Cavaliers were up 4-2, but Briarwood slowly chipped away, scoring the winning runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Senior Joseph Batrous, one of 11 players returning from last year's team, pitched the first three innings for the Bucs.
"It was the first he'd pitched in over a year," Coach Fleming said. "I didn't want his arm to get sore."
Freshman Garrett Mohr took the mound in the top of the fourth, pitching the fourth and fifth innings and giving up only one hit. Freshman Adam Hardy pitched part of the sixth inning before turning the ball over to Senior Seth Williford - who picked up the save for Mohr.
The Buc seniors led the team at the plate. Batrous was 1-for-1 at the plate and accounted for three RBIs, two walks and a steal. Russell was also 1-for-1 at the plate with his pinch-hit double that scored two runs. Williford was 1-for-2 with a double. Mohr also hit 1-for-2 in his first varsity game.
The Bucs didn't fare as well in their second game of the season as the team fell to GISA R1AA opponent Windsor Academy.
The Bucs scored their only run of the game in the top of the first when Gerlach walked with the bases loaded. But it was all Windsor from there, with the final score being 12-1.
"It looks worse than it was," Coach Fleming said of the loss to Windsor. "It was the second game of the season, and we ran into a good pitcher. He's left-handed, and we haven't played against a left-hander. He's their best pitcher, and he already has a scholarship to Augusta State."
