Duluth Baseball Game Summaries

Duluth Tops Dacula In Season Finale  4-2 

(5/5/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  Following an emotional pre-game ceremony honoring the Duluth seniors and their families, the Wildcats took the field determined to end the season on a high note. The 2006 Wildcats were able to put it all together in their last game to achieve the ultimate formula for winning a big game - strong pitching, solid defense and timely hitting. The strong pitching came from Jesse Richeson, who pitched a masterpiece in his final game as a Wildcat. Richeson recorded eight strikeouts and issued no walks as he went the distance (complete game) against a talented Dacula lineup to earn the win – his fifth on the season. There were no Duluth errors throughout the game. The Wildcats managed only four hits in the contest against some very effective pitching from the Falcons. However, those four hits were strung together by four consecutive batters in the fifth inning, culminating in a dramatic grand slam by senior Scott Welborn in his last at bat as a Duluth Wildcat. The hits came from seniors Chris Smith (1 for 3), Preston Bradshaw (1 for 3), Chris Pethan (1 for 3) and Scott Welborn (1 for 2 with the grand slam and four RBIs). 

The Wildcats entered the bottom of the fifth inning locked up in a hard fought contest down 1-0, and without a hit yet in the game, due to some excellent pitching from the opposing side. However, credit the senior leadership for staying focused. Chris Smith started things off in the fifth with a base hit to left field. Preston Bradshaw laid down a bunt to advance the runner, and ended up reaching safely himself with bunt single. Chris Pethan followed with another well placed bunt single to load the bases. That’s when Scott Welborn delivered the timely blow, a grand slam home run over the right field fence, to clear the bases and put the Wildcats up 4-1. That would prove to be plenty for Richeson, who did not let up for the home stretch.  The Falcons could only add one more run as Richeson held on to preserve the victory by the final score of 4-2! 

Congratulations to the 2006 Wildcats for finishing strong to close out a winning season (14-10) in what many consider to be the toughest region in the state - a record to be proud of !!

Wildcats Strike Down The Titans  7-1 

(5/3/06 Northview High School)  The Wildcats traveled to Northview, and came away with a convincing 7-1 victory. Logan Woodruff took command on the mound for the Wildcats, and pitched the complete game. He did not relinquish a run until the game was well in hand with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Titans. Brad Hall again displayed his talent at the plate by going 3 for 4 with an RBI. Andrew Riedel was 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Andrew McCrary (2 for 3 with a double and an RBI) and Chris Pethan (2 for 5 with an RBI) each had two hits. Also getting hits were Drew Wright (1 for 4 with an RBI) and Kevin Newton (1 for 4). 

It appeared in the early innings that runs were going to be hard to come by. Andrew Riedel broke the ice in the top of the fourth inning with the first run of the night on a line drive solo home run. Duluth added two more runs in the fifth as Chris Pethan drove in Andrew McCrary, who had earlier doubled in the inning, with a base hit. Brad Hall singled to bring home Pethan, extending the lead to 3-0. The Wildcats pushed across another run in the sixth as Preston Bradshaw reached base on an error, bringing home Chandler Pethan, who had earlier been walked. Duluth closed strong with three more runs in the top of the seventh. After Scott Welborn led off the inning by reaching base on an error, Duluth followed with four consecutive base hits from Brad Hall, Kevin Newton, Andrew Riedel and Drew Wright. In the process, Welborn, Caleb Samples (running for Hall), and Newton all crossed home plate to bring the score to 7-0 good guys. The Titans managed to score a run in the bottom of the seventh to bring the final score to 7-1. The win brings the Wildcats overall record to 13-10 and 3-6 in the region.

Wildcats Clip The War Eagles 5-1 

(5/1/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  The Duluth Wildcats stepped it up against the visiting South Forsyth War Eagles with both strong pitching and a show of strength at the plate. Drew Wright pitched the complete game on the mound for Duluth. In the process, he had eight strikeouts and did not allow a walk! The win improves Wright’s record to 6-1 on the season. Offensively, Duluth powered its way past the War Eagles with three home runs in the contest, coming from Brad Hall (2 for 3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs), Kevin Newton (solo home run), and Andrew Riedel (solo home run). Scott Welborn went 2 for 3 at the plate. Also getting hits were Chandler Pethan (1 for 3 with a double), Drew Wright (1 for 3 with a double), Andrew McCrary (1 for 2 with an RBI), and Preston Bradshaw (1 for 2). 

Duluth struck first to go up 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning when Andrew McCrary drove home Chandler Pethan (double) with a base hit. The War Eagles put a run on the board in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-1. The Wildcats answered back in the bottom of the third with back to back home runs. Brad Hall went deep with the first homer, with Scott Welborn (single) on base. Kevin Newton immediately followed with another home run! Suddenly, the Wildcats were up 4-1. Duluth later added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Andrew Riedel led off the inning with yet another home run for the Wildcats. Drew Wright then took care of business in the top of the seventh inning by facing the minimum three South Forsyth batters to secure the win by the final score of 5-1! The win improves Duluth’s overall record to 12-10 and 2-6 in the region.

Blue Devils Down Wildcats In Extra Innings  5-4 

(4/28/06 Norcross High School )  It took nine innings for the Norcross Blue Devils to defeat the Wildcats in a game that was a nail biter right up to the very end. The timely hits just came up short as the Wildcats stranded 14 base runners on base during the course of the nine innings. Logan Woodruff started on the mound for the Wildcats, and pitched effectively for five and two thirds innings. Eric Tineo took the loss in relief, yet turned in a very gutsy performance, while pitching the last three innings of the game. Tineo allowed the Blue Devils only one run during those last three innings. The Wildcats were led at the plate by Chris Pethan (2 for 5 with a double and an RBI) and Drew Wright (2 for 4). Also getting base hits on the night were Scott Welborn, Kevin Newton, Andrew Riedel, Andrew McCrary and Preston Bradshaw. 

With Norcross scoring in the second inning to go up 1-0, the Wildcats loaded the bases in the top of the third with Preston Bradshaw (reaching on error), Chris Pethan (single), Scott Welborn (fielders choice), and Brad Hall (walk) reaching base. However, the Wildcats could manage only one run, thanks to a Norcross error. Kevin Newton reached on the second Blue Devil error in the inning to bring home Bradshaw, and tie the score at 1-1. Duluth added two more runs in the top of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. Chris Pethan drove in Andrew McCrary (single) with a double. Brad Hall then drove in Preston Bradshaw (single) on a fielders choice. Norcross rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 4-3. Duluth fought back to tie the score again in the seventh on a bizarre play. Andrew Riedel walked, followed by a SAC bunt by Drew Wright. After recording the out on the SAC bunt, the Blue Devil infielder tried to pick off Riedel at second. The errant throw went into the outfield, and allowed Riedel to score from second base. The game was not decided, however, until the bottom of the ninth when Norcross pushed across the winning run with two outs in the inning. The loss brings the Wildcats record to 11-10 overall and 1-6 in the region.

Cougars Sneak By Wildcats  4-3 

(4/27/06 Franklin Field, Duluth)  The visiting Chattahoochee Cougars ran into to quite a battle from the Duluth Wildcats, and were fortunate to sneak away with the 4-3 victory. All four runs for the Cougars came in the third inning after two were out in the inning.  It fact, for the remaining six innings in the contest, Duluth faced only the minimum three Cougar batters per inning. Jesse Richeson pitched the complete game for the Wildcats, giving up just five hits and striking out five with only one (intentional) walk. It was unfortunate for Richeson to be credited with the loss after such a strong pitching performance. Offensively, Duluth scattered nine hits in the game. Brad Hall again led the way going 2 for 4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Scott Welborn (2 for 4) and Andrew Riedel (2 for 4 with a double) each had two hits as well. Also getting hits in the game were Preston Bradshaw (1 for 3), Kevin Newton (1 for 4 with a double), and Drew Wright (1 for 4).

After giving up four runs in the top of the third, Duluth answered back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third, thanks to a Brad Hall home run with Scott Welborn on base (having reached on an error). The Wildcats added another run in the fifth when Brad Hall again drove in Scott Welborn (single), this time with a double. However, the Cougar pitchers were able to get the key outs when needed from that point on in the game to secure the win for Chattahoochee. The loss brings the Wildcats record to 11-9 and 1-5 in the region.

Bulldogs Defeat Wildcats 13-2 

(4/24/06 – North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee)  The Wildcats visited the North Gwinnett Bulldogs and found things generally going according to plan for the first four innings of the game. However, things suddenly (and drastically) changed in the fifth and sixth innings as the Bulldogs jumped on the Wildcats with a barrage of hits, resulting in a total of 11 runs in the last two innings of the game. Drew Wright started on the mound for Duluth and took the loss, bringing his record to 5-1 for the year. Offensively, the Wildcats produced eight hits in the game, yet only scored twice. Kevin Newton (2 for 3 with a double and an RBI) and Andrew Riedel (2 for 3 with an RBI) each had two hits. Also getting hits were Scott Welborn (1 for 2 with a double), Chris Pethan (1 for 3), Drew Wright (1 for 3), and Reid Merwin (1 for 1). 

Duluth struck first with a run in the top of the first inning. Chris Pethan led off in the game with a base hit. Kevin Newton later drove in Pethan with a double. The Wildcats extended the lead to 2-0 in the top of the third as Scott Welborn doubled in the inning and later scored on a base hit by Andrew Riedel. After surrendering two runs in the bottom of the third (to bring the score to 2-2), the Wildcats came back and faced the minimum three Bulldog batters in the fourth. It was not until the fifth inning that things unraveled as the Bulldogs went on a hit parade that included two home runs, and did not end until the final score was 13-2. The loss brings the Wildcats record to 11-8 overall and 1-4 in the region.

Wildcats Out Joust The Knights  9-8 

(4/21/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  In a game where it appeared that the Wildcats were down for the count, the team responded by fighting back at the end to pull out an exciting win over the Centennial Knights. The Knights led the entire way until the bottom of the last inning. However, the Wildcats roared back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim the victory. With Duluth trailing the Knights 8-6, Kevin Newton (4 for 4 with two home runs, a double and three RBIs!) hit a two run shot in the bottom of the seventh, driving in Caleb Samples (running for Brad Hall who went 2 for 4) to tie the game at 8-8. Later in the inning, Chris Smith (1 for 2 with two walks) came through with a clutch, two out hit to drive in Drew Wright (1 for 3 with two runs scored) with the winning run to end the game. During the course of the game, the Wildcats also drove home four runs by way of the sacrifice fly, coming from Preston Bradshaw (2 for 2), Jesse Richeson (1 for 3), and Andrew Riedel (with two SAC flys). 

Collins Hill Slips Past Duluth  2-0 

(4/19/06 – Collins Hill High School)  Duluth traveled to Collins Hill for what turned out to be a fiercely competitive contest. The pitching on this night was outstanding for both teams. Even with the loss, Jesse Richeson pitched the complete game for Duluth, recording eight strikeouts with only one walk. In three different innings, the Wildcats succeeded in putting runners into scoring position, but just could not get the timely hit to put runs on the board. On the other hand, the Eagles got one clutch, two out hit in the third inning to drive in the game’s only two runs. The Wildcats scattered five hits in the game coming from Chris Pethan (1 for 3 with a double), Kevin Newton (1 for 3 with a double), Chris Smith (1 for 3 with a double), Drew Wright (1 for 3) and Preston Bradshaw (1 for 3). Duluth’s record goes to 10-7 overall and 0-3 in the region.

Hawks Soar Over Wildcats  6-4 

(4/17/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  The Duluth Wildcats fell victim to a very opportunistic Mill Creek baseball team on this night. The visiting Hawks were effective in taking full advantage of walks and errors from the Wildcats during the game. Four of the six Mill Creek batters who crossed home plate and scored for the Hawks did so by reaching first base either with a walk (3) or an error (1). Wildcat errors also figured in the scoring of a couple of those runs as well. At the same time, the Mill Creek pitchers did not give up a walk in the game. Still, the Wildcats never gave up, and battled the Hawks with a chance to still win right up until the last out. In the game, Scott Welborn (2 for 4 with a double) and Brad Hall (2 for 4 with a double and an RBI) both had two hits. Drew Wright (1 for 2), Chris Smith (1 for 3) and Andrew Riedel (1 for 4 with a double and an RBI) each had hits as well. Kevin Newton picked up an RBI with a SAC fly. 

After giving up a run in the top of the first inning, the Wildcats jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first. Chris Pethan led off, and reached first base after being hit by a pitch. Scott Welborn followed with a bunt single. Brad Hall doubled to score Pethan. Welborn crossed home plate on a wild pitch. Kevin Newton then drove in Chandler Pethan (running for Hall) with a SAC fly. The Wildcats added another run in the bottom of the third inning. Brad Hall reached safely with a base hit. Andrew Riedel then followed with a double to score Chandler Pethan (running for Hall). After the third inning, however, the Wildcat offense was kept in check by some very effective Mill Creek pitching. Duluth did make things interesting for a moment in bottom of the seventh inning as Scott Welborn led off the inning with a double, with the Wildcats still only down by two runs. However, the Hawks pitching again stepped up to prevent the rally and secure the win for Mill Creek. The Wildcats record goes to 10-6 overall and 0-2 in the region.

Lions Steal One From Wildcats  7-6

(4/14/06 - Peachtree Ridge High School, Duluth)  The Wildcats suffered a stinging loss to the cross town rival Peachtree Ridge Lions in their region opener despite producing twelve hits in the contest. Duluth seemed to have opportunities to put the game away early but just could not deliver that timely knockout punch to do so. The Lions, on the other hand, finished strong with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to steal away the victory. Jesse Richeson started the game and pitched solidly for five complete innings. Eric Tineo took the loss in relief. Brad Hall led the way offensively, going 2 for 4 with a home run. Drew Wright (2 for 4 with two RBIs), Chris Pethan (2 for 4 with a double), and Scott Welborn (2 for 5) each had two hits. Also getting hits were Kevin Newton (1 for 3 with a double), Caleb Samples (1 for 3), Chris Smith (1 for 4), and Preston Bradshaw (1 for 4 with an RBI). Chandler Pethan had an RBI with a SAC fly. 

Duluth jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Chris Pethan opened the game with a leadoff double. Scott Welborn followed with an infield hit. Pethan scored on a wild pitch. Drew Wright drove in Welborn with a base hit. The Wildcats struck again in the third when the first four batters for Duluth all scored in the inning. Brad Hall opened the inning with a home run. Kevin Newton followed with a double. Drew Wright drove in Newton with a single. Caleb Samples reached on an error. Chandler Pethan brought Wright home with a SAC fly. Preston Bradshaw later drove in Samples with a base hit to bring the score to 6-0 in the third inning. Duluth appeared at that time to be in complete command of the game. However, following that point, the Wildcats would produce base runners but just not the timely hits to produce further runs. Even so, Duluth entered the bottom of the seventh with a 6-3 lead. After recording a quick first out in the seventh, the Lions would see their next seven batters reach safely (three walks and four singles) to snatch the win away from the Wildcats – bringing Duluth’s record to 10-5 overall and 0-1 in the region.

Wildcats Take A Bite Out Of Dawgs  4-2 

(3/31/06 - Franklin Field, Duluth)  In a much anticipated match-up with the highly ranked, and previously undefeated North Gwinnett Bulldogs, Duluth came out on this night and served the Bulldogs their first loss of the year. Jesse Richeson pitched 6 1/3 strong innings, giving up just one earned run, with six strikeouts and one walk. The win brings Richeson’s record to 4-0 on the season. Eric Tineo came on to record the last two outs of the game to earn his third save. Brad Hall led the Wildcats at the plate going 3 for 3 with two home runs and three RBIs. Chris Smith went 2 for 3. Also getting hits were Scott Welborn (1 for 2 with an RBI) and Chris Pethan (1 for 4). 

In a game where it appeared that runs were going to be hard to come by, Duluth was able to strike first in the bottom of the third inning. Following a base hit by Scott Welborn, Brad Hall went deep over the center field fence for his first home run of the night, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Duluth would push across another run in the fourth. With Chris Smith (single), Preston Bradshaw (fielder’s choice), and Chris Pethan (single) on base, Scott Welborn drew a walk bringing in Smith from third to make the score 3-0. However, the Bulldogs did escape from the inning without further damage. In the fifth inning, Brad Hall came back with his second home run on the night, this time a solo shot, extending the lead to 4-0. The Bulldogs would not go down easily however, as they battled back for two runs in the top of the seventh. However, the comeback ended there as the Wildcats prevailed by the final score of 4-2, bringing Duluth’s record to 10-4 on the year!

Wildcats Post Second Win Over Berkmar 8-2 

(3/29/06 - Franklin Field, Duluth)  The Wildcats erupted for six runs in the fourth inning to go with a solid pitching performance in capturing its second victory of the year over the Berkmar Patriots. Drew Wright started on the mound and went five complete innings to pick up the win, bringing his record to 5-0 on the year. Logan Woodruff faced the minimum number of Patriot batters (6) in the last two innings to earn the save. Brad Hall led the way at the plate going 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and three RBI’s. Also getting hits on the night were Chris Pethan (1 for 4 with a double and an RBI), Scott Welborn (1 for 4 with a double and two RBI’s), Andrew Riedel (1 for 3), Drew Wright (1 for 2 with a double), Caleb Samples (1 for 1 with two walks), Chris Smith (1 for 3 with a double and an RBI) and Preston Bradshaw (1 for 2 with an RBI). 

After giving up a run to the Patriots in the top of the third, Duluth answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the third as Brad Hall drove in Scott Welborn (reaching on a fielder’s choice) from first base with a double. The Patriots plated a second run in the top of the fourth to go back out front 2-1. However, the Wildcats proceeded to break things open in the bottom of the fourth as Drew Wright started things off with double, followed by a walk to Caleb Samples. With two outs in the inning, Preston Bradshaw delivered what turned out to be the game winning RBI with a clutch base hit scoring Jeremy Dixon (running for Wright). Chris Pethan followed with a double to drive in Samples. Scott Welborn doubled to bring home Bradshaw and Pethan. Brad Hall then capped the inning with a two run home run. Duluth would add one more insurance run in the fifth as Chris Smith drove in Caleb Samples (single) with a double. The Wildcats held Berkmar in check from there to secure the win, bringing Duluth’s record on the year to 9-4!

Wildcats Conquer The Generals 11-5 

(3/24/06 – Shiloh High School)  This was a night when the pitching was sound and the bats came alive as Duluth stormed past the Shiloh Generals 11-5. Drew Wright pitched five solid innings to pick up his fourth win (4-0). Eric Tineo finished with two strong innings in relief without giving up a run to earn his second save on the year. Brad Hall led Duluth at the plate going 3 for 4 with an RBI. Getting two hits each were Preston Bradshaw (2 for 4 with three RBI’s), Drew Wright (2 for 4 with a double and an RBI), Chris Smith (2 for 4 with a double and an RBI), and Scott Welborn (2 for 5 with a double). Also getting hits on the night were Kevin Newton and Andrew Riedel (also with an RBI). 

Duluth struck quickly for three runs in the top of the first inning. Scott Welborn (double), Brad Hall (walk), and Kevin Newton (walk) all reached safely to load the bases. Andrew Riedel and Drew Wright each followed with back to back base hits, driving in Welborn and Chandler Pethan (courtesy runner for Hall). Newton crossed home plate on a wild pitch to make the lead 3-0. Shiloh answered back with a run in the bottom of the first. Duluth again loaded the bases in the third inning with Brad Hall (single), Kevin Newton (single), and Andrew Riedel (walk). Caleb Samples drew a walk, bringing home Chandler Pethan (running for Hall). Preston Bradshaw connected for a key two out base hit scoring both Newton and Riedel. Duluth would let its guard down in the bottom of the third with three errors in the field. This momentary lapse by the Wildcats resulted in four runs for the Generals, putting Shiloh right back in the game at 6-5. Duluth regained its composure after the third inning however, and shut down the Generals the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Wildcats continued to put runs on the board with 3 more in the fourth. Brad Hall drove in Chris Pethan (walk) with a hit. Scott Welborn (single) and Chandler Pethan (running for Hall) also scored together after a wild pitch followed up by an errant throw to third by the Shiloh catcher. Duluth added two more insurance runs in the seventh as Chris Smith drove in Caleb Samples (walk) with a double. Preston Bradshaw then brought home Smith with a base hit to end the scoring at 11-5.

Wildcats Shipwreck The Vikings 3-2 and 2-0 

(3/22/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  On this day, strong pitching and timely hitting proved to be the winning combination for Duluth as the Wildcats came away with two very gratifying wins over a stubborn Lakeside Vikings team.   

The first win came from the completion of the previously scheduled game at Lakeside which was suspended at the end of eight innings with the score tied at 2-2. The teams began the evening by picking up where they left off in the top of the ninth inning. Duluth would bat first as the visiting team in game one. With two outs and no one on base in the top of the ninth, Eric Smith came through with a double to get into scoring position. Jeremy Dixon entered the game to pinch run for Smith. Chris Smith then promptly drove in Dixon with a clutch two out base hit for the go ahead run.  Daniel Sarisky came in to nail down the first win of the evening by facing the minimum three Lakeside batters in the bottom of the ninth, striking out two. 

As the regularly scheduled Lakeside game next got under way, Jesse Richeson took the mound for the Wildcats, and delivered what turned out to be a truly outstanding pitching performance. Richeson wowed the Duluth faithful by throwing a complete game, one hit shutout against the Vikings, striking out nine batters with no walks!  The one hit surrendered by Richeson did not come until the seventh inning with one out. The Vikings pitcher also did an outstanding job, limiting the Wildcats to four hits, with Chris Pethan, Brad Hall, Kevin Newton (double), and Andrew Riedel (double) each going 1 for 3. 

Duluth pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fourth as Brad Hall led off the inning with a base hit. Chandler Pethan came in as a courtesy runner for Hall. It was Andrew Riedel who delivered the timely hit this time with a hard hit double, driving in Chandler Pethan for what turned out to be the winning run. Riedel followed up by scoring himself on an errant throw by the Vikings for the second run in the inning. Those two runs would be all the Wildcats needed as Richeson finished strong on the mound for the 2-0 win – the second of the night!

Wildcats Silenced By Rams  3-0 

(3/21/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  The Wildcats went head to head with the Grayson Rams at home on Franklin Field in what turned out to be quite a pitching duel. Logan Woodruff started on the mound and kept Duluth very much in the game throughout the contest by pitching effectively for six complete innings. In the process, Woodruff struck out a couple of Ram hitters and surrendered only one walk. Eric Tineo came in to pitch a scoreless seventh inning to hold the Rams to three runs on the night. However, the Rams pitching succeeded in keeping the Duluth batters off balance at the plate throughout the game. The Wildcats repeatedly put the ball in play (striking out just three times during the seven innings) yet managed only four hits on the night. Brad Hall went 2 for 2 with a walk and two hits. Scott Welborn (1 for 3) and Andrew Riedel (1 for 3) also had hits in the game. Both teams certainly played well enough to win from a pitching and defensive standpoint. However, in the end, it would be the Grayson Rams this time who delivered the timely hits to earn the victory.

Duluth Defeats The Berkmar Patriots  6-3 

(3/18/06 – Berkmar High School, Lilburn)  The Duluth Wildcats visited the Berkmar Patriots and came away with a 6-3 win behind the steady pitching of Jesse Richeson. Richeson went six complete innings giving up no earned runs with six strikeouts and two walks, bringing his record on the season to 2-0. Daniel Sarisky came on in the seventh to record the save. Leading the Wildcats at the plate were Scott Welborn (3 for 4 with two RBI’s) and Brad Hall (2 for 3 with a home run and two RBI’s). Also delivering hits on the afternoon were Andrew McCrary (1 for 3 with an RBI), Andrew Riedel (1 for 3 with a double), Drew Wright (1 for 2) and Chris Pethan (1 for 4).    

The Wildcats entered the fourth inning trailing the Patriots 1-0 after giving up an unearned run in the third. Brad Hall opened the top of the fourth with a walk. Caleb Samples (courtesy runner for Hall) later scored from third on a ground ball hit to short by Andrew Riedel (error) to pull the Wildcats even at 1-1. Duluth broke things open a bit in the fifth with two outs. Chris Pethan reached on a fly ball (error) and later advanced on a wild pitch. Scott Welborn drove Pethan home with a base hit. Brad Hall promptly followed with a two run shot (home run), bringing the score to 4-1. The Wildcats extended the lead by one run in the sixth as Andrew McCrary drove in Andrew Riedel (double) with a base hit. The Cats would again put up an insurance run in the top of seventh when Chris Pethan reached base (single) and advance to third on a wild pitch. Scott Welborn followed with a single to bring in Pethan, extending the lead to 6-1. The Patriots made a gallant effort to come back in the bottom of the seventh. However, the Wildcats were able to limit the Patriot rally to two runs, and come away with a 6-3 win over the Patriots!

Wildcats Tame The Lions  11-7 

(3/16/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  In front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Franklin Field, Duluth exploded out of the gate with six runs in the first inning and went on to defeat the cross town rival Peachtree Ridge Lions 11-7. Drew Wright took the mound for the Wildcats and battled the Lions for 6 2/3 innings, picking up his third win (3-0). Drew had 5 strikeouts and walked only one batter. Eric Tineo struck out the last batter in the seventh to record the save. Leading the Wildcats at the plate were Drew Wright (2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI’s), Chris Pethan (2 for 4 with 2 doubles), and Brad Hall (2 for 3). Key hits were also delivered by Chris Smith (double with 2 RBI’s), Preston Bradshaw (2 RBI’s), Kevin Newton (double with one RBI), and Andrew Riedel (with an RBI).

The first five batters in the game for Duluth all scored in the first inning. Chris Pethan (error), Scott Welborn (walk) and Brad Hall (single) loaded the bases. Pethan scored the first run on a wild pitch. Following a walk to Kevin Newton, Andrew Riedel drove in Welborn with a base hit. Drew Wright drove in Chandler Pethan (courtesy runner for Hall) and Newton with a double. Preston Bradshaw completed the scoring in the first inning with a base hit scoring both Riedel and Jeremy Dixon (courtesy runner for Wright). The Lions came back with a run in each of the next two innings bringing the score to 6-2. Duluth answered back with two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Kevin Newton opened the inning with a double and moved to third on a base hit by Drew Wright. Chris Smith drove in Newton and Jeremy Dixon (courtesy runner for Wright) with a double. Peachtree Ridge fought back again with 4 runs in the top of the fourth to make things interesting at 8-6. Duluth did not let up however. In the bottom of the fourth, Duluth again loaded the bases with Chris Pethan (double), Scott Welborn (hit by pitch) and Brad Hall (single) reaching safely. Chris Pethan scored on a wild pitch for the second time in the game. Caleb Samples drove in Welborn with a SAC fly. Duluth would add one last run in the sixth as Chris Pethan opened the inning with a double and later scored on a SAC bunt by Kevin Newton. The Lions’ comeback attempt in the seventh produced one more run as the Wildcats wrapped up the victory by the final score of 11-7!

Lakeside Game Suspended Due To Darkness After Eight Innings  2-2

(3/15/06 - Lakeside High School) The Duluth Wildcats traveled to Lakeside and found themselves locked up in a hard fought contest that was suspended after eight innings of play due to darkness with the score tied at 2-2. Because the Lakeside facility does not have the necessary lighting, this game will be completed when Lakeside visits Duluth on March 22^nd.  

Logan Woodruff started on the mound for Duluth and pitched 4 1/3 quality innings, allowing one hit and no earned runs, with 4 strikeouts. Lakeside did manage to score one unearned run in the first inning. Eric Tineo followed with one inning in relief, holding the Vikings scoreless with one strikeout. Daniel Sarisky finished out the remaining 2 2/3 innings on the afternoon, giving up one run with 2 two strikeouts. Offensively, Chris Smith accounted for the Duluth runs in the fifth inning with a two run blast (home run) with Drew Wright (single) aboard. The Wildcats scattered eight hits in the course of the eight innings with Andrew Riedel (2 for 3 with a triple), Chris Pethan (2 for 4), and Preston Bradshaw (2 for 3) each picking up two hits on the afternoon. However, Lakeside would not allow that timely hit by Duluth to put more runs on the board.

As mentioned, the conclusion of this game will take place on March 22^nd prior to the next game with Lakeside in Duluth.

Wildcats Ambush The Cherokee Warriors 11-1 

(3/11/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  After a rough outing on the previous day, Duluth came back with an outstanding performance against the Cherokee Warriors. Drew Wright pitched a complete game allowing only one hit to pick up his second victory, bringing his record to 2-0. In the process, he had four strikeouts and no walks. Meanwhile, the Wildcats hammered out 12 hits with Brad Hall leading the way, going 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBI’s. Chris Pethan went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI’s. Preston Bradshaw was 2 for 3 (with a double and an RBI) and Kevin Newton went 2 for 2. Also getting hits were Scott Welborn, Chris Smith and Caleb Samples.  

Duluth scored quickly in the first inning with the first three Duluth batters in the game crossing home plate. Brad Hall delivered a three run homer scoring Chris Pethan (single) and Scott Welborn (walk). The Wildcats would add another run in the 3^rd inning. Welborn led off with a walk and moved to 3^rd on a Kevin Newton base hit. Andrew Riedel reached on a ball hit to second (error) scoring Welborn from third. In the 4^th inning, Chris Pethan went deep with a two run homer, driving in Preston Bradshaw (double). The Wildcats ended the game with a big five run fifth inning. Drew Wright (hit by pitch), Chris Smith (single), and Caleb Samples (singled) loaded the bases for Duluth. Jeremy Dixon came in to run for the pitcher Wright. Preston Bradshaw (single) drove in Dixon. Chris Smith scored from third on a wild pitch. Chris Pethan drove in Samples with a groundout to short. Scott Welborn followed with a SAC fly scoring Bradshaw. Brad Hall then hit a line drive solo home run to end the game (by way of the 10 run rule after five innings), with the final score being 11-1 Wildcats!

Hoyas Take Bite Out Of Duluth 10-0 

Duluth Defeats Newnan For Second Win In Dugout Tourney  10-4  

(3/8/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth)  The Wildcats came out firing on all cylinders this night with effective pitching, solid defense, and some strength at the plate. Four Duluth home runs would help to put the game out of reach for Newnan as the Wildcats played long ball in the early innings. Andrew Riedel (3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI’s), Scott Welborn (2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI’s), Kevin Newton (1 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBI’s) and Chris Pethan (2 for 4) led the hitting attack. Caleb Samples and Preston Bradshaw also contributed with base hits. Jesse Richeson started the game and went four solid innings to pick up the win. Richeson struck out four batters and allowed just four hits. Eric Tineo faced a total of seven batters in the 5^th and 6^th innings, striking out three. Daniel Sarisky came in to close out the game by striking out the side in the top of the 7^th inning. 

Duluth would score 9 of its 10 runs in the first two innings. After Newnan jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Duluth answered with four of its own in the bottom of the first. Brad Hall drove in Scott Welborn (single) on a hard hit ball (ruled an error). Kevin Newton and Andrew Riedel followed with back-to-back home runs, with Newton’s being a two run shot. The second inning was highlighted by two Wildcat home runs coming from Scott Welborn and (again) Andrew Riedel. Welborn had a three run homer, driving in Preston Bradshaw (single) and Chris Pethan (single). Riedel followed later with a two run homer, driving in Newton (walk). The 10^th run for Duluth came in the 4^th inning. Drew Wright reached second base (walk/stolen base) and then moved to third on a base hit by Caleb Samples. Samples stole second with Wright scoring from third on the throw down to second. That ended the scoring for a 10-4 victory.

Wildcats Rebound With Impressive Win Over Salem  9-1 

(3/4/06 – Salem High School, Conyers)  Duluth bounced back with an impressive victory over the Salem High Seminoles (last year’s runnerup to the 4A state championship). Drew Wright pitched five strong innings to pick up the win by giving up just two hits and recording three strikeouts. Kevin Newton went 2 for 4 (with a double) and Brad Hall contributed with a home run. Other hits came from Preston Bradshaw, Drew Wright, Caleb Samples, Chandler Pethan and Andrew Riedel.

Duluth struck first in the second inning as Kevin Newton led off with a double down the left field line.  Drew Wright singled to center scoring Newton for the 1st run. Caleb Samples followed with a base hit. Preston Bradshaw then singled scoring Chandler Pethan (pinch running for Wright). Samples crossed the plate from third base on a wild pitch to end the scoring for the inning. The Wildcats would add two more runs in the 4th inning with help of three Seminole errors. Caleb Samples reached first on a ball hit past third base (error). Preston Bradshaw put down a sacrifice bunt moving Samples to second. Chris Smith reached on the second Seminole error, moving Samples to third. Smith then stole second base allowing Samples to score from third on the throw. Scott Welborn later brought home Chris Smith on a ball hit past first base (error) to end the scoring for the 4th inning. Andrew McCrary came in to pitch a scoreless sixth inning with the Cats up 5-0 at the end of the sixth. Duluth finished strong with four more runs in the top of the seventh. Brad Hall led off with an opposite field home run to right. Duluth loaded the bases with Kevin Newton (single), Andrew Riedel (hit by pitch) and Drew Wright (walk) reaching base. Chandler Pethan (pinch hitting) delivered a key line drive base hit to score both Newton and Riedel. The final Duluth run came on a SAC fly from Chris Smith scoring Drew Wright. Daniel Sarisky came in to close the seventh inning for the Wildcats. The only Seminole run came on a two out solo home run in the seventh. And finally, worthy of note is the fact that Duluth played seven innings without an error in securing its first win of the season!

Duluth Falls To Highly Ranked Kell  10-0 

(3/3/06 – Kell High School, Marietta) The Duluth Wildcats traveled to Kell High School and were dominated this evening by a strong pitching performance coming from the Kell Longhorns. Duluth would manage only one hit on the night coming from Scott Welborn (1 for 3).

The Wildcats made it difficult for Kell through two frames, thanks to some strong pitching by Logan Woodruff. Duluth did manage to get runners into scoring position twice during the early innings but could not get the timely hits it needed to close the gap. The Wildcats may have helped the opponent with a couple of fielding errors in that six run third inning for the Longhorns. However, in the end, the credit for this game should go to the Kell Longhorns for an extremely strong showing in their home opener for the season.

Norcross Rallies to take Season Opener 11-9

(3/1/06 – Franklin Field, Duluth, GA) The Duluth Wildcats opened the 2006 season with a disappointing 11-9 loss to cross town rival Norcross. The Wildcats did manage ten (10 hits) with Scott Welborn leading the pack with four (two singles, double and home run and 3 RBIs); Andrew Riedel,  who had a three run homerun (4 RBIs on the night) and Brad Hall who had two doubles (1 RBI).

 The Wildcats took the field with Jesse Richeson on the mound to open the season at home in front of an enthusiastic, near capacity crowd. The Wildcats responded immediately by jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Key hit was Andrew Riedel with a three run blast in right center. That scored Scott Welborn (base hit) and Kevin Newton (walk). Duluth added another run in the bottom of the second inning to go up 4-0. Welborn doubled scoring Preston Bradshaw who also doubled in the inning. Norcross came back with three runs in the top of the third to bring the score to 4-3. Duluth answered back in the bottom of the third with its fifth run. Brad Hall doubled, followed by two walks and a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCrary that scored Caleb Samples who was running for Hall. After Norcross posted its 4th run in the top of the fourth inning, the Wildcats again answered with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two run home run by Welborn scoring Chris Smith who singled. Duluth had a 7-4 lead. After a scoreless fifth, Norcross put up five runs in the sixth for a 9-7 advantage.

 After going quietly in the bottom of the sixth, Norcross got two more runs in the top of the seventh for the 11-7 lead. The Wildcats did manage two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make the game closer and give hope to the faithful. Welborn led off the bottom of the 7^th with a line drive single to right. He would then reach 3^rd base on two errant throws by the Norcross infield. Brad Hall immediately then stroked a double (his 2^nd double of the night) down left field line scoring Welborn from third. Caleb Samples again came in as a pinch runner for Hall, and scored on two infield groundouts. That scored the ninth run, but the rally fail short. Daniel Sarisky (0-1) took the loss.

 Duluth starts the Georgia Dugout Club Tournament this Fri (3/3) traveling to Kell High School. Game time is 5:55.

Last update: Sunday, May 07, 2006