DEA Varsity baseball recap: Varsity Eagles extend winning streak to eight

The David Emanuel Academy Eagles varsity baseball team extends an eight-game winning streak, starting with their victory on March 13 over Vidalia Heritage Academy. Both teams were strong on the mound, but the DEA Eagles defeated Vidalia Heritage Academy 3-2. Brody Fleming started the game for DEA and recorded 21 outs. Fleming struck out 10 batters on the day. A single by Tucker Free put the Eagles on the board in the bottom of the first. A single by Fleming gave the Eagles the lead, 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Cooper Riner led the Eagles with two hits in three at bats. Free and Fleming each drove in one run for the Eagles.

DEA’s win continued with a 21-2 win over the Twiggs Academy Trojans on March 18. During this game, Cooper Riner collected four hits in four bats, while Richard Braddy earned the win for DEA allowing zero hits and zero runs over two innings, striking out four and walking none. Sailor Powell threw one inning of no-run ball for DEA in relief. The pitcher surrendered zero hits, striking out three and walking none.

The Eagles faced the Trojans again on March 19 at home and claimed another 21-2 victory. In this game, Richard Braddy drove in five runs on two hits and tripled in the first inning, scoring three runs, and singled in the first inning, scoring two. DEA won in part to 12 runs in the first inning.

On March 21, the Eagles returned to the Trojans field for their third straight match-up and came out victorious once again, winning 15-0. Sailor Powell and Richard Braddy made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Powell pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Braddy tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Powell scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances, while Braddy scored two runs and stole two bases. while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Powell also put up an RBI, which was his first of the season. In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cooper Riner who scored four runs while going 4-for-4. Tucker Free was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. David Emanuel Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits.

DEA’s winning streak continued on March 25 as the Eagles traveled to Macon to face the Covenant Academy Rams. The Eagles came out on top against the Rams by a score of 5-2. Paxton Dixon was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. He also put up two doubles, which were his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Clayton Hood, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. David Emanuel Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits.

On March 27, the Eagles battled the Covenant Academy Rams in a doubleheader on their home field and secured two more victories, winning 7-1 in the first game and 12-2 in the second game. In game 1, Clayton Hood made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn’t allow a single earned run while striking out eight over six innings pitched. Hood was also stellar in the batter’s box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one double. However, Hood wasn’t the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brody Fleming who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Another was Tucker Free who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. David Emanuel Academy lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. In game 2, Fleming had a huge impact with the bat as he drove in four runs on two hits and hit a grand slam to left field in the second inning. Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, collecting six walks for the game. The Eagles won 12-2.

On Tuesday, April 1, the Eagles came tearing into Tuesday’s contest with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the John Hancock Rebels with a sharp 9-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season. The team relied heavily on Clayton Hood who scored a run while going 1-for-4. Tucker Free was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. David Emanuel Academy’s victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. David Emanuel Academy will have a chance to go back-to-back against the Rebels. The teams will have a rematch scheduled at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, in Stillmore.