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PREP BASEBALL: Redskins roll past Lake Oconee Academy in region opener
Social Circle Baseball
Mason Moore crosses home plate Monday evening as he helped Social Circle steamroll its way to a 15-0 victory over Lake Oconee Academy in the Region 8-A Public opener. - Mason Wittner | The Covington News

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — Social Circle’s first game as a member of Region 8-A Public was short and sweet. 

The Redskins needed just three innings to take care of visiting Lake Oconee Academy at Burks Field on Monday evening. Following a three-run opening frame, they tacked on six runs in the second and third innings, respectively, to invoke the mercy rule and claim a 15-0 victory.

Mason Moore (3-for-3), Mason Hill (2-for-3), Paul Kendall (3-for-3) and Landon Davis (2-for-2) led the offense with multi-hit performances as the club tallied 12 hits. Right-hander Jason Ball had a relatively easy day on the mound, using 41 pitches to throw three scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out four.

“This was something we’ve been working toward all year,” Social Circle head coach Kevin Dawkins said. “Our non-region schedule was really tough. We’ve faced a lot of schools that are bigger than us, and we’ve faced a lot of good pitching, a lot of good offenses. We’ve talked to our guys and told them to just keep plugging, keep grinding, keep competing.”

Social Circle (3-6) showed signs of turning the corner against Eastside on Friday night.

Despite leaving the diamond with another tally in the loss column, the Redskins took the Eagles, who reside in Class AAAAA, took extra innings and found themselves with multiple chances to pull off the upset before ultimately suffering a 5-3 defeat.

“I’m not usually proud of losses,” Dawkins said  “but all things considered, Eastside’s a great team and they’re well-coached. It was a moral victory, and it was a big growing up moment for these guys because we are so sophomore- and freshman-heavy.

“We haven’t been in a lot of situations like that, and it’s going to pay off, hopefully, in the state playoffs when we get put in those situations again and know how to handle it.”

The Redskins will take on Lake Oconee Academy two more times this week. They’ll travel to the Spartans on Wednesday, March 10, before welcoming them back to Burks Field on Friday, March 12. Both games are slated to begin at 5:55 p.m.