SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — The plan was to endure a brutal non-region schedule in order to be ready for league play. 

So far, the scheme’s working to perfection for the Social Circle baseball team. 

Entering this week’s play, the Redskins are sitting atop Region 8-A Public with a perfect 6-0 mark. Before league play began, they had stumbled to a 2-6 record.

The Redskins still have a tough road ahead, including a three-game showdown with league-favorite Commerce to close out the regular season. But so far, so good.

Once a potential liability, the pitching staff has become a strength. Among their six region victories, two have been shutouts and in two others they’ve allowed two or fewer runs.

Meanwhile, the bats have been explosive. The Redskins have averaged 9.5 runs a game.

In a three-game series sweep of Towns County, the Redskins won a pitcher’s duel in the first game, a blowout, in the second, and capped it off with a thrilling comeback in the third.

In the opener of a doubleheader Friday, Ty Lemaster logged most of the innings on the mound during the shutout victory. He threw 97 pitches and recorded four strikeouts and just two walks. Will Atha came on in the sixth and picked up the save. 

Logan Cross’ double in the sixth drove in Mitchell McCullough for the only run of the game.

In the second game, the Redskins were held hitless for the first five innings but exploded for 12 runs over the final two frames.

Ty Lemaster, Mason Moore, and McCullough all had two hits in the game. Kade McConnell pitched four scoreless innings to get the win.

In the series finale on Saturday, Social Circle was trailing 5-3 in the sixth before its bats came alive with some timely hitting. Mason Moore drove in Brayden Mitchell with an RBI single and Mitchell McCollough knocked in Landon Davis with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at five. 

Mason Hill then dove in Ty Lemaster to put the Redskins on top 6-5. Cross sent Moore home with an RBI single to cap the scoring.

The Redskins had this week off before hosting Alabama power Glenwood in a non-region doubleheader on Saturday. They’ll resume league play with a three-game series against Lincoln County starting Tuesday.