The Eastside Eagles opened its much anticipated 2017 baseball season with a 10-4 win on the road at Hart County. 

Junior Ryan Shirley got the win and the Eagles bats were active, especially in a big fifth inning that helped Eastside pull away. It marks the second straight season Eastside has won its season opener. The Eagles are coming off a 2016 season that ended with a best-two-of-three series loss to Class AAAA runner up Buford in the state tournament’s semifinals round. 

Eastside will be back in action Wednesday at Walnut Grove with a turnaround game against the Warriors at home on Friday. 

All three GHSA schools’ baseball teams were in action tonight in regular season openers. 

Newton traveled to Woodland-Stockbridge and defeated the Wolfpack 13-2. Jacob Redmon recorded the win on the mound for the Rams. After a Tuesday hiatus, the Rams will start a three-game stretch in consecutive days on Wednesday at Morgan County, followed by home games against Heritage-Conyers and Southwest DeKalb on Thursday and Friday respectively. 

Meanwhile, Alcovy dropped a 5-4 decision at home against Ola. The Tigers will next play Friday when they host Pike County at 5:55 p.m. They’ll then get a rematch against Ola on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. as part of a double header that includes a 1 p.m. game against Banks County. 

Make sure to pick up Sunday’s print edition of The Covington News to see more about our baseball teams in our comprehensive spring sports preview.