BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

All five County teams in the first round of the playoffs were sent home after a rough weekend on the diamond.  Red Level and Straughn didn't make it to Saturday as both were knocked out after two games.  Defending Champ Leroy took care of the Tigers 10-0; 17-7 as Red Level tried to end the 2A title reign from the Bears.

The young Straughn squad faced Clarke County and also ran up against a hot team igniting the Tigers for 31 runs in two games (13-3; 18-1).

Andalusia, Opp and Pleasant Home made it to Saturday and forced a decisive game three, but no team made it out of the first round matchups.

Jackson took care of the Bulldogs and 4A Elmore County travelled to Opp and ended the Bobcats season.  Pleasant Home saw their season end for the second straight year in Dothan as 1A Private School Providence Christian took care of the Eagles in game three.  

Battle of Top 10s
Eagles fall to Bulldogs

Pleasant Home went into extra innings on Monday falling to the Brantley Bulldogs in the eight inning.  The Eagles could have tired down the stretch leading the entire game until late when Brantley tied Pleasant Home in the 7th and won in the 8th.

Josh Dozier picked up the loss pitching all eight innings as the senior gave up three hits and struck out nine.  Emory Rabren and Josh Sutton collected half of the Eagles hits as Wesley Spivey shut down the Eagles.

"Spivey and Dozier pitched two great games" said Eagles Coach Robert Bradford,  "It was a pitching duel and if you're a fan, fun to watch."

The Eagles and Bulldogs square off in two more games today beginning at 4:30 as host Pleasant Home looks to take the series. 

Eagles move to .500

Pleasant Home evened their season mark to 6-6 with a win over 2A Georgiana on Tuesday.  The Eagles picked up a strong relief performance from Emory Rabren and Ethan King went five strong allowing 3 hits and 3 earned runs. 

Pleasant Home allowed six runs over all and won 9-6 over the Panthers. 

Blake Herman went a perfect 4-4, all singles as Garrett Roland added support going 2-3, with a double and a triple.  Roland also had a walk.  Ethan King went 2-3 at the plate with a single and double.

 Pleasant Home picks up Split

The Pleasant Home Eagles picked up a double-header split with Zion Chapel on Monday going 1-1. Josh Dozier took the mound in the first game and gave up 3 hits while picking up 7 strike outs.  Dozier allowed two earned runs en-route to an 8-2 victory over the Rebels.  Ethan King came on to get the save on the 6th. He had 4 strike outs and no hits in 2 innings.
Garrett Roland hit a towering home run in the third inning and went 2-4 from the plate. Josh Sutton reached base 4 times, while going 2-2 from the plate and walking twice.  Ethan King went 3-4 with a triple and two singles.

Game two of the double header wasn't as successful to the Eagles who are still getting their pitchers in game shape from basketball season.  Emory Rabren started game two going 5 innings while giving up 5 hits and recording 5 strike outs.  The junior gave up three earned runs. 

Dozier reached base 2 times at 3 at bats with a triple. King went 2-2, and Blake Herman went 2-3 with a single and a HBP.

The Eagles ran into trouble late in the game going into the 6th trailing 4-3 and ended with Zion Chapel on top 18-3.

Eagles fall in baseball opener

If last season is any indication the Pleasant Home Eagles could be headed to the Post season playoffs for a second season.  Last season the Eagles started 0-13 before going on a tear through the schedule.  Monday the Eagles lost their first baseball game of the season to Laurel Hill (Florida), 7-2.  Junior Emory Rabren, started pitching and threw a no hitter through 5 innings along with 10 strike outs.

He came out because of pitch count and early in the season to give way to some of the younger talent and the Eagles soon found themselves in trouble. 

Coach Bradford felt the team lost though because of poor hitting and that many of the players just came off the basketball court and are still not in baseball condition.

PLEASANT HOME
Looking for return to Post Season

The Lady Eagles were down but never out until the final out of the AHSAA State Softball Finals.  Pleasant Home lost their first game in the double elimination tournament, but clawed their way back the hard way until making the finals and losing to perennial softball power Kinston.

The Varsity Boys started with lucky thirteen straight losses, before going on a tear and winding up in the quarterfinals.  Further than any team in Eagles History. 

This Year the Eagles could be headed back to the playoffs for a second straight year as the Lady Eagles and varsity boys are loading up for a productive 2008 season.