Daniel baseball team thriving under new coach Jarrod Payne

           Central – The Daniel High School baseball team was off to a fast start in its first season under new head coach Jarrod Payne. The Lions won nine of their first 13 game, but more importantly they started 5-1 in Region 1-AAA.

           Daniel had swept its 2-game series with region foes Walhalla and West-Oak before splitting its games with Seneca.

           The Lions, owning a .285 batting average as a team, had five players batting .300 or better. Junior Greyson Davis was leading the way with an even .400 average on a team high 16 hits. Junior Lee Turnipseed was batting .357 with a team high 16 runs scored to go with 12 runs batted in and five doubles.

           Junior Spencer Conn led Daniel in runs batted in with 18 and doubles with sis along with a .341 average. Junior Jasean Perry had a .324 average, and freshman Jackson Ownbey was at .333.

           Senior Braden Mauro was only hitting .211 but had a team high eight stolen bases along with seven RBI. Turnipseed had six steals.

           Junior Julian Baldwin was at .258, senior Daniel Counts at .250, sophomore Liam Purcell at .229 with the team’s only home run, and Quint Cumbie at .158 with five stolen bases.

           Junior Ian McCary has been the top pitching performer for Daniel. He had worked a team high 24 1/3 innings while striking out 34 and walking just nine. He had a 1.73 earned run average. Purcell had worked 14 2/3 innings and had a 2.86 ERA. Junior Matthew Smith had a 3.82 ERA in 14 2/3 innings.

           Baldwin had appeared in five games, sporting a 1.80 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.

           The Lions will close out the region schedule this month. They have 2-game series left with Crescent and Pendleton.

           DANIEL SOCCER TEAMS OFF TO FAST STARTS

           Daniel is the defending AAA boys soccer state champion and it appears to be putting itself in position to make another run at a state title. The Lions were off to a 9-3 overall start and were undefeated in five region contests.

           Daniel was allowing just over one goal a game, having outscored the opposition 52-14. Senior Kenneth Walton-Flores led in scoring early in the season, averaging two goals a game. Eddie Merck had five goals and five assists.

           The Daniel girls had the same identical record as the boys, 9-3 and 5-0.

           Senior Addison Kornegay was leading the Lions with 13 goals. Freshman Daisy Mullis had eight goals and four assists, while junior Gibson Yoder had five goals and a team high six assists.