Sprayberry Softball

East Cobb softball teams start high school sports season

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The Sprayberry Yellow Jackets will start another season of high school sports as East Cobb softball teams swing into action this week.

The Yellow Jackets are playing at home tonight at 7 against Sequoyah, following a JV game between the two schools at 5:30 p.m.

Clay Ardeeser, Sprayberry softball coach, East Cobb softball teams
Clay Ardeeser, new Sprayberry softball coach

Sprayberry is coming off a 10-15 season in 2017 and will have a new coach. He is Clay Ardeeser, a former baseball assistant coach at North Springs High School, and his appointment was announced July 22.

After several away games over the next week, Sprayberry returns home Aug. 14 to play Osborne.

On Wednesday, the Pope Greyhounds also open their season at home at Harrison at 5:30 p.m.

Pope, a longtime state powerhouse, is coming off a 30-6 record, which was its best winning percentage for a season in school history, and earned a trip to the Class 6-A finals in Columbus. But the Greyhounds lost several standout players to graduation.

They do have four players who were named to the 7-AAAAAA All-Region team: third baseman Zoe Laneaux, pitchers Hallie Adams and Trinity Pizzutti and shortstop Gracie Kittrell.

Laneaux and Adams were both named 1st team All-State in 2017 by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association and Adams was named Cobb County Pitcher of the Year.

This is the 12th season for Pope coach Chris Turco, who is 241-125-2.

The other East Cobb teams will either start their seasons or play their home openers next week.

Kell plays at home next Monday against Hiram.

Lassiter is home to Brookwood on Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Walton is home against Norcross the same day.

Wheeler’s home opener is next Wednesday, Aug. 15, against Riverwood.

 

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Pope, Sprayberry, Walton softball teams open season with victories

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High school sports in East Cobb got underway on Monday, with three softball teams taking the field at home, and all three were winners.

The Pope Greyhounds, which reached the Georgia Class 7A Final Four last season, downed Sequoyah 7-6 in walkoff fashion, as Lea McFadden got the game-winning RBI.

Pope’s Hannah Rogers.

The winning pitcher was Hannah Rogers, an all-region pick in 2016, and Leah Higgs went 2-for-2 at the plate with a homer and two RBI.

The Greyhounds remain at home on Wednesday for their first region game, against Alpharetta, that starts at 5:30 p.m.

Sprayberry defeated North Cobb 8-5 and the top individual performers were:

  • Payton Wade: 2-3 with a walk, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs scored;
  • Cate Willhoff: 1-2 with a stolen base and an RBI
  • Denisa Wilson: 1-1 with a walk and an RBI
  • Nicole DeCuircio: 2-5 with a double and an RBI.

The Yellow Jackets were scheduled to play at Sequoyah tonight but the game has been been delayed to Wednesday due to rain.

Walton won easily over Campbell Monday by an 11-2 score, and the Raiders jump right into region play with a big rivalry game on Wednesday at Wheeler starting at 5:30 p.m.

Lassiter opens its season on Wednesday at home against Mill Creek in a game that starts at 5:30 p.m., while the Kell Longhorns open their season on Thursday, also at home, against Cass. First pitch is 6 p.m.