Friday's Central Georgia Daily News 'n Notes: Sparks leads Macon; Central Georgians join a hall of fame; full Braves Report, and more
Friday’s Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
Honor Roll/Signings is updated
Veterans alum leads Macon past Lexington County
The weather held out, and that was not good for Lexington County.
Macon put three up in the first inning and it was practice after that, thanks to Veterans alum Preston Sparks.
The Middle Georgia State product gave up two hits and two walks while striking out eight in eight innings as Macon ended it early with seven in the eighth for a 12-0 win at Luther Williams Field.
Sparks needed only 98 pitches and faced four batters above the minimum. Five Lexington County pitchers gave up 15 hits and 12 – all earned – runs, with 11 walks and nine strikeouts.
MJ Rookard (MGCU) moved up to leadoff and had two hits, which set up Jared Miller right behind him for three hits and four RBI. Cole Blatchford and Nathan Schreckengost added two hits for Macon, which got two-RBI nights from Rookard and Schreckengost, and two runs from Logan Fink (Tattnall).
Macon is at Savannah Saturday and Sunday, at Florence on Tuesday and home on Wednesday against Martinsville and Thursday against Savannah.
GACA adds Central Georgians to Hall
A pair of highly successful high school basketball coaches no longer on the sidelines were inducted a week ago to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Former Taylor County girls basketball coach Matt Troutman and ex-Wilkinson County boys basketball head coach Aaron Geter joined Columbus baseball coach Bobby Howard and football coach Dwight Hochstetler, and cheer coach Pam Cater.
All 40 years of Troutman’s career were spent at Taylor County, where he won 20 girls basketball region titles, and six state championships plus three second-place finishes.
Also a track and cross country coach with three region titles, he was 911-197 in basketball.
Geter has been head coach at Wheeler County, Harris County, and Wilkinson County, making his rep in the latter job.
Geter won 14 region titles and 10 state championships, earning 29 coach of the year honors.
Braves Report
The Braves put forth the rare offense-defense-pitching night, scoring all their runs in the first five innings behind eight steady innings from Mike Soroka for a 7-1 win over Miami.
Soroka fanned six with two walks and three hits, Dan Winkler finishing it off. The only Braves in the lineup to not get a hit: Austin Riley and Soroka.
Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies had three hits each, Acuna and Freddie Freeman driving in three runs each.
There was an Acuna bat flip on his homer off Jose Urena that inspired conversation.
Next: Saturday, at Miami, 4:10 p.m., FSSO; Sunday, at Miami, 1:10 p.m., FSSO; Monday, vs. Pittsburgh, 7:20 p.m., FSSE
Bad start to a nine-game homestand
Around/About Georgia
Georgia Southern gets Iowa transfer