Hawks top Knights 8-3 in rematch at the Barnyard

 

Upon arriving at the ballpark Big Game Hunter
said, "So this is playing in the farm system."

The Knights ended their NABL season with a tough 8-3 loss to the Hopewell Hawks at Thomas Field in Canton. The Knights gave up 5 unearned runs in the first and then held even with Hopewell for the rest of the game but couldn't overcome the early deficit. Their 0-2-1 record was good for 6th place in the league tournament. Big Game Hunter Williamson had another big day for the offense going 2 for 3 with an RBI, a run scored and 2 stolen bases.

Jack Rinehimer was great on the mound only giving up 1 unearned run in 2 2/3 innings. Jack struck out 2 and had 2 assists from the mound in addition to 1 from short stop. Catcher George Krivsky threw out a Hawks runner trying to steal third. Garrett Wells had a huge defensive day for Marietta recording 6 putouts at 3rd base including the Defensive Play of the Game that was worthy of Sports Center. A Hawks hitter hit a high foul ball that appeared to be headed out of play. Garrett ranged over, leapt and reached his glove just over the top of the 7' foot tall fence and snagged the ball with a loud clang as he hit the fence and pulled the ball back for a big out.

Jack Rinehimer was great on the mound giving up no earned runs
in 2 2/3 innings with 2 strikeouts.

 

The Knights were dissappointed to be knocked out of the tournament but they played good baseball and should be proud of their effort. The Knights will take Memorial Day weekend off before a return trip to Cartersville, Georgia for the USSSA Champs Wear the Rings Tournament on June 2.


Every game at Thomas Field begins with the playing of the National Anthem
(photo courtesy of Gib Hastings)

Knights tie Hawks in NABL Opener

 

The Marietta Knights earned an exciting and hard fought 6-6 tie with the Hopewell Hawks in the first round of the North Atlanta Baseball League Championship Tournament Saturday morning. JD Rinehimer gave the Knights great starting pitching striking out 5 in 4 innings of work. JD also stole home twice including the tying run in the 5th. Tristan Herrera provided the biggest offensive blow of the day with a big RBI triple. Robby Bryan took the mound with the game tied in the 5th and shut down the Hawks with 2 strike outs sending the game to a 1 inning "California Rules" overtime. Each team would start the inning with 1 out and a runner on 2nd. After the Knights failed to push their runner across, the Hawks got to put the winning run on 2nd. He immediately stole 3rd. Robby coaxed the batter into a flyball to short and struck out the final batter to preserve the tie. Robby's near perfect 1 2/3 innings of relief work and 4 strikeouts was the defensive performance of the game.

The Knights dropped game 2 to the Centennial Knights 7-3. JD and George Krivsky each had RBI hits. The Defensive Play of Game 2 came when Gil Hastings stole an extra base hit from a Centennial player when he snagged a hard line drive into RF. Gil made the play look routine but it was a very hard hit ball.

The Knights earned the #6 seed and are set for a rematch with the #3 seed Hopewell Hawks at 11AM Sunday morning.

Knights Late Rally Falls a Run Short against Express

The Marietta Knights played perhaps their most complete game of the season Monday night but fell 1 run short in a 9-8 loss to the Kennesaw Express at Larry Bell Park. The hard hitting Express came in riding high from their recent USSSA Phiten Challenge Tournament Championship. The Knights trailed 9-2 going into their final at bat but exploded for 6 runs to make it a 9-8 game forcing the Express to bring back their starting pitcher to stop the rally 1 run short. Marietta got another great pitching performance from Robby Bryan who went the distance and only allowed 3 earned runs to go along with 3 strikeouts and 0 walks. For the 2nd game in a row the Knights' defense was outstanding. Garrett Wells got things started with 2 long assists from 3B, each of which Presley Field closed with a big stretch and scoop. Gil Hastings was automatic once again in RF which was key against Kennesaw's big bats. Gil hauled in deep fly balls in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd innings. 

 

The Defensive Play of the Game came with 2 outs in the 4th and a runner on second. The Express hit a hard grounder headed for LF but Jack Rinehimer ranged to his right and made the backhand from his SS position. Knowing that he didn't have a chance at the batter and with his momentum carrying him towards 3B, Jack calmly fired to Garrett who laid the tag on the runner to end the inning. Great play athletically and mentally



Gil Hastings singled and had another huge game
in RF. In a strange turn of events, Gil was not
hit by a pitch in the game.

The Knights also had an unconventional double play via an Infield Fly. With one out and runners on 1st and 2nd Kennesaw hit a high flyball between P and 3B. The ump immediately called IF and the batter was out. But when Marietta let the ball drop, the Express runners took off even though the force was off. Coach Rob started shouting 1, 2 and 3 indiscriminantly. Luckily, Coach Kurt calmly told JD to tag both runners that were now standing on 2B and the inning was over. Coach Rob thinks this was a really great play but he's not certain because he's still not quite sure what happened.

JD Rinehimer and Hunter Williamson led the offense each going 2 for 3. JD scored twice and knocked in 2 while Hunter had 4 RBI's including the big 2 run double in the 5th that made it a 1 run game. In all 6 different Knights scored. It was a great effort by the Knights against a very strong Kennesaw Express ball club. The Knights' coaching staff is very pleased that the boys are playing well going into the NABL tournament this weekend.

Hunter Williamson was 2 for 3 with a Double and 4 RBI's



Jackets Get Past Knights at Shaw Park

The Sprayberry Jr. Jackets topped the Marietta Knights 13-2 Saturday evening at Shaw Park in a 6 inning, no time limit game. The Knights offense struggled all night and too many walks by the pitching staff kept the Knights out of the game. However, Marietta turned in their strongest defensive game of the season. Gil Hastings continued his strong performance in the outfield tracking down and hauling in 2 hard hit flyballs in right. The Knights picked off two Jackets base runners. In one of the defensive plays of the game, JD Rinehimer's deadly move to 2B claimed another victim after a perfectly executed run down involving 4 Knights. JD(P) threw to Jack Rinehimer(SS) covering second, who threw to Garrett Wells(3B) who threw to Hunter Williamson (2B) who threw back to JD who applied the tag at third. In the 3rd, Hunter threw to JD to pick off another runner at 2B. JD had the other defensive play of the night in the 4th when he fielded a hard hit ball at SS, touched 2nd and fired to first for a double play. Tristan Herrera recorded 6 putouts for the game. Marietta will be at home Monday night for a game with the Kennesaw Express before heading off to Woodstock next weekend for the NABL Tournament.

Knights Lose a Heartbreaker to the Strikers 13-0

The CC Strikers knocked the Knights out of the Champs Wear the Rings Tournament at Rudy York Field in Cartersville. The Strikers held the Knights to 0 runs on , let's see, 1 hit... that's all we got? One dadgum hit? Marietta will take on their cross town rivals the Sprayberry Jr. Jackets on Saturday evening at Shaw Park.

The Big Boys from the Strikers towered
over even the tallest Knights

Hunter wonders how we ended up with a
JV team on the schedule

Knights drop pool games in Cartersville

 

Garrett Wells holds a Hooks
runner at second.

The Marietta Knights lost their opening 2 games of the Champs Wear the Rings Tournament in Cartersville, Georgia. Game 1 was a 15-5 loss to the Crossroads Knights and game 2 was a 10-0 loss to the GPA Hooks. Marietta found a few positives in the 0-2 morning. Jack Rinehimer was busy in the field once again recording 2 assists and 5 putouts. That included the defensive play of Game 1 when Jack made a leaping catch of a line drive at short and beat a Crossroads baserunner back to 2nd for a double play.

Hunter Williamson was 2 for 2 on the day with a sacrifice, stole 5 bases and scored 3 of the Knights 5 runs. Hunter continued his great baserunning stealing home once on the catcher's throw back to the pitcher and also scoring once on a balk when he went half way coaxing the Crossroads pitcher to stop his motion during his delivery. Presley Field had 2 hits and 2 RBI's on the day and Gil Hastings had 2 hits and stole 2 bases.

  

Presley Field had 2 hits and 2 RBI's on the day.

The Knights also got very good defense out of the pitching position today. Patrick Reddick had 3 assists from the mound. Garrett Wells added 1 and Hunter added 1 and caught a fly ball off the mound. The defensive play of game 2 came when Hunter dove on a slow roller in the Bermuda Triangle of 1-2-P and tossed from his knees to Presley just ahead of the the Hooks' Joe Perry, Hunter and Presley's former teammate from the West Cobb Wolverines. Presley did a great job getting back to the bag on the tweener.


The Knights will try to build on those positives as they start bracket play tomorrow at 11a.m. The opponent will be determined later tonight.

 

P Red threw strong and recorded 3 assists from the mound