Barfield dominates in Conyers' 5-2 win

CONYERS, Ga. -- If Conyers Post 77 is to win its third consecutive American Legion state baseball title, Aaron Barfield figures to have a prominent role. On Monday against Peachtree City Post 50, Barfield looked the part of an ace.

The right-hander pitched a complete game, seven hitter, striking out 10 in Post 77's 5-2 win. Conyers completed the sweep with a 10-2 win in the nightcap, extending its winning streak to 12 games.

Barfield had an overpowering fastball and got a number of swings and misses from the Post 50 offense. He retired the first four batters he faced, three by strikeout, before Lance Shelton walked with one out in the second. After another strikeout, catcher Taylor Jackson picked off Shelton at second to end the inning. Barfield surrendered Nick Padlo's solo home run in the fourth, and Peachtree City got a run on a ground out in the seventh, but that was all the visitors would get against Barfield, a rising senior at Rockdale High School.

"I was real happy with Aaron. For him to be successful long term, he's got to get the ball down. He's a lot better pitcher pitching ahead," said Conyers coach Eddie Bagwell.

Facing Shelton in a 1-1 game in the fifth, Conyers took the lead for good. Josh Bailey and Kevin Dawkins had one-out singles, Bailey looked to be picked off at second, but Shelton's throw sailed into center field to allow the tie-breaking run to score. After a ground out, Tyler Sanders ripped a two-run home run to put Post 77 up 4-1.

Conyers didn't waste any time taking the lead for good in Game 2. With two outs in the first, Bailey walked, went to second on a passed ball and later came around to score. Post 77 batted around in the second and scored five times, the big hits coming from Dawkins (two-run double) and Ryan Gasque (two-run single). Sanders added two doubles, the last of which drove in a run in the fifth, and in his last four games the first-year Legion player has reached base in eight of 13 plate appearances and has driven in five runs.

"He's swinging extremely hot right now," Bagwell said of Sanders. "Tyler's got a lot of potential with his ability to hit. They (make a) mistake middle-in, he's going to punish you."

The offensive outburst made a winner out of Ryan Conner. The left-hander allowed three hits and four walks, but just one earned run in four innings of work, striking out five.

"We got some good pitching performances tonight. Real happy with the pitching," Bagwell said.

Conyers returned to Henson-Carr Legion Field on Tuesday in a doubleheader against Loganville Post 233.


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Photo: Aaron Barfield pitches for Conyers Post 77 in Monday's game against Peachtree City.