Knights Follow Up and Down Performance to 2nd Place Finish at USSSA Championship Belt Bash at Mt. Tabor Park

The Knights show off their hard earned rings for finishing as Runners Up at Mt. Tabor Park in Dallas.  

The Marietta Knights were a little rusty when they arrived at Mt. Tabor Park in Dallas, Georgia on Sunday. It probably should have been expected since Spring Break and unending rains kept them from playing for nearly a month. Even this tournament had to be shortened to a 1 day affair due to rain on Saturday. But after a slow 0-2 start in pool play the Knights stormed back, pun intended, with back to back bracket wins for a spot in the Championship game.

Pool play against the South Spaulding Spartans opened like most of the Knights' successful games with Jack Vargo reaching base. Jack got hit with the first pitch of the game, stole 2nd, moved to 3rd on Jackson Tysinger's single and scored on an RBI single by Hunter Williamson. Austin Hansell added an RBI single and the Knights led 2-0. Unfortunately that would end the Knights scoring. The Spartans took advantage of Marietta's defensive lapses and used a big 2nd inning for a 5-2 victory. Garrett Wells was sharp on the mound and only gave up 1 earned run in 2 innings pitched.

In game 2, the Knights offense remained silent and they squandered another good pitching performance with poor defense in losing to the Fairplay Patriots 4-0. George Krivsky threw 64% strikes and gave up only 1 ER in 2 1/3. Three Knights' errors led to 3 Patriot runs to doom the Knights. The Knights 0-2 record led them to a last place seed entering bracket play.

Undaunted, the Knights set out to make a run starting with the #4 seed Hiram Hornets. Jack didn't get hit until the 2nd pitch of this game. Then he stole 2nd, advanced on a ground out and scored on a passed ball. Best leadoff man in the game. The Knights pushed their lead to 2-0 in the 2nd when Garrett doubled and scored on Luke Martin's RBI single. Hunter made it 3-0 on a daring steal of home when he saw that Hiram's Catcher couldn't find the ball even though it was only about 3 feet from the plate. Nathan Brooks and George Krivsky added RBI hits to score Austin and Garrett to give the Knights a 5-0 win. Jackson Tysinger was almost perfect on the mound. 0 runs, 0 hits and 4 strikeouts in 3 innings pitched. Only 1 Hiram Hornet reached base on a walk.

This set up a rematch with the #1 Seeded Fairplay Patriots. This one went much differently than the first time the teams played. Marietta got on the board early with Garrett's huge 2 out, 2 run single in the 1st that scored Jackson and Hunter. The Knights blew it open in the 2nd with hits from Jack, Hunter and a 2 run single from Austin to make it 5-0. Luke added an RBI single in the 3rd and Jackson picked one up with a bases loaded walk for a 7-0 Knights lead. Jackson continued his dominance on the mound with another 2 1/3 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts. Austin closed it out with the final 2 outs on 4 pitches to preserve the 7-0 win and a spot in the finals. Jack delivered the Defensive Play of the Day. The Patriots threatened in the 2nd with runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out. Jack fielded a hot line drive just inches from the dirt at Short and double the runner off at 2B to end the inning.

The Spartans watch Hunter warm up from the 3B line.

Unfortunately the long day caught up with the Knights in the Championship game and their defense left them as they fell to South Paulding 8-1. The Knights committed 4 errors and only 1 of the Spartans' runs was earned. Gil Hastings led the offense with a bombed double to the CF fence and a run scored. Hunter looked good on the mound striking out 6 in 3 1/3 innings with 1 earned run.

It was a long up and down day after the layoff but the Knights were proud of the run from the bottom seed all the way to the Championship Game.

Be True to Your School!

Garrett Wells, Gil Hastings, George Krivsky and Hunter Williamson come straight from their school games or practices
to work out with their Knights' teammates. Garrett and Hunter each led their team to a win Monday afternoon.

The Marietta Knights are very proud of their 4 players that serve double duty. Garrett Wells plays for the Eastside Christian School Lions, Gil Hastings and George Krivsky play for the Marietta High School Blue Devils and Hunter Williamson plays for The Walker School Wolverines. All 4 of the Knights start for their schools and all 4 have proven to be among their teams' top pitchers. The goal of the Knights has always been to put kids on high school rosters and it is very gratifying to watch these guys get a head start on that path. And all of the innings in the field, at bats and innings on the mound will serve them well as the Knights get into their tourney stretch. Way to go guys!


Swagtastic Treinta y Cuatro. Gil rips a base hit for the Blue Devils.



Big Game Hunter has been a Strikeout machine for the Wolverines. He struck out 8
in 4 innings in this win over Kings Academy while giving up just 1 hit and 0 BB.

Knights Notch Another Win Against Sandy Springs Expos

The Knights are prepared for battle in the vistors' dugout at Morgan Falls Sports Complex

On another gorgeous day for baseball, the Marietta Knights travelled across the top end perimeter to Morgan Falls Sports Complex to take on the Sandy Springs Expos in a Sunday double header. The Knights were the "home" team for game 1 and the visiting team for game 2.

After a leadoff strikeout, the Expos flexed their muscles early with a 2B to deep center and a HR to left (that Garrett Wells almost robbed) to grab a 2-0 lead. After the Knights went 3 up 3 down in their half of the 1st, it looked like it might be a long day for Marietta.

Birthday Bomb - Gil Hastings celebrated his birthday
with a deep HR over the RF fence.

Gil Hastings celebrated his birthday in the best way possible. In the 2nd inning, He took a 1-0 fastball and launched a missile over the RF fence that left the yard in record time for an awesome birthday dinger. The Knights then tied the game on Alex Beaullieu's 2 out, RBI single. An error on the Expos' 1B allowed Garrett Wells to score and gave Marietta a 3-2 lead. Jackson Tysinger settled in and had a great outing on the mound shutting out Sandy Springs in the 2nd and 3rd.

The Expos put together 2 singles in the 4th to tie the game at 3, but a great defensive play kept them from taking a lead. With a runner on 2nd Jackson fielded a grounder at the mound, looked the runner back and threw to Gil at 1B for out #1. The runner broke on the throw and Gil fired across the field to Austin Hansell who applied the tag as the runner tried to slide into 3B for a double play. Jackson struck out the next batter and the threat was over.

Marietta left the bases loaded in the 4th and allowed the Expos to take 4-3 lead in the 5th on their only error of the game. But these guys just expect to win regardless of the score and always play hard. The Knights loaded the bases again in the 5th with singles from Austin and Nathan Brooks and a walk to Garrett. Still trailing by a run, Luke Martin changed the course of the game when he hammered a 3 run double to CF. After a single by Alex, Luke scored when the Expos had to throw to 1B on a dropped 3rd strike. Hunter Williamson made it 8-4 with a 2 out RBI single. Gil followed with a single which brought on the GREAT Hustle Play of the Day. With 2 outs and Gil and Hunter 2B & 3B, Austin hit a routine ground ball that carried the Expos second baseman towards 2B. He fielded and threw to 1B to try to end the inning. Despite the routine nature of the play, Austin went hard out of the box and sprinted down the line towards first. The throw pulled the 1B off the bag where he caught the ball and quickly turned at the last second to tag the hustling Austin. As Austin ran through the tag and hit the bag, the ball flew out of the 1B's mitt and landed in the dirt. Austin was safe and both Hunter and Gil scored. 2 big runs thanks to Austin finishing the play and the Knights led 10-4.

This had to be good.



Jackson got one more out in the 6th to finish his day with 5 1/3 innings, 5 K's and only 1 BB to get the win. Jack Vargo came in a closed it out in just 6 pitches. He used a hard fastball and filthy curve for 1 K and a soft pop up that he handled himself at the mound. Final score, Marietta 10 Sandy Springs 4. It was another complete win for the Knights over a very good team. The Knights out hit the Expos 12-6 and committed only 1 error.

The Expos got the better of the Knights in game 2 of the DH. Neither team could get much going offensively with just 3 hits apiece, but walks and few untimely errors did the Knights in and Sandy Springs won it 6-2. Despite the outcome, the Knights had several defensive highlights including 2 more double plays. With the bases loaded in the first, the batter hit a looping liner towards Hunter at 3B. The runner on 3rd froze as Hunter charged and caught the ball on a hop. He tagged the runner out and threw back to Jackson who tagged out the runner heading from

The Hansells at 1B after Austin's big 2 RBI hit.

2nd to 3rd. In the 3rd, Hunter made one of the best plays of the season so far. From his 3B position, he dove completely flat and stabbed a hard grounder that was headed down the LF line. From flat on the ground and facing away from 1B, he jumped up threw a laser across the diamond that Gil caught on a stretch just ahead of the Expos base runner. Later that inning, Luke used a quick transition and beautiful power throw from behind the plate to gun an Expos' runner trying to steal second. In the 4th, Marietta executed a perfect textbook 4-6-3 (Jack-Jackson-Gil) double play to end the inning.

On a beautiful Sunny Sunday, the Knights got a victory, hit a dinger and a 3 run double and recorded 3 double plays. Definitely a good day.

The Best Fan Club in Travel Baseball!
Knights Trivia: What % of girls in this picture are named Ella?