Darton wins ninth straight, sweeps series vs. Georgia Highlands

ALBANY — It was not the overpowering performance Darton has been displaying lately, but by the seventh inning stretch of Saturday’s game the look of frustration on Georgia Highlands’ Chad Lindstrom’s face said it all.

He had just been robbed of another hit and vented about it to his coach as the Cavs finished off the Chargers at home, 8-5, for a series-sweeping win. The Cavs (26-13, 16-4 Region XVII) are now winners of nine straight and are three games back in the loss column of the region standings.

“We could have come out here flat and just cashed it in after winning eight in a row and playing seven games this week, but these guys fought all day as tired as they were,” Darton head coach Scot Hemmings said. “We spent 24 hours on the bus this week, up and back from Atlanta, but they grinded this one out for a series sweep to keep us in contention for the regular season title.”

Sophomore pitcher Brandon Goldsmith overcame a couple of rough spots before going eight innings with four earned runs, seven hits, three strikeouts and three walks, improving his season record to a region-leading 7-1.

“I just tried to challenge the other team in the strike zone. Some things didn’t go my way, but I stayed focused and let my defense make some plays,” said Goldsmith, who entered the game with 21 consecutive scoreless innings. “The offense was phenomenal, couldn’t ask for a better offense. They really did a great job.”

Brandon Sharpe continued his tear at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a run scored. His first-inning line drive over the centerfielder’s head scored Hill Thomas for the game’s first run. The next inning Luis Salas scored one of his three runs off a fielder’s choice, and a wild pitch enabled William Golden to cross home plate, giving Darton a 3-1 lead.

No one had a better day at the plate than Salas, who was a perfect 5-for-5. Using one of his teammates as a translator, Salas, a native of the Dominican Republic, said the key was coming to the plate focused so he could perform for his team and play every inning, every pitch.

Salas came home from third base in the fourth inning when Thomas hit a two-out single. Payton Mann followed suit in the fifth with an RBI single that brought home Riliani Familia. Thomas went 2-for-3, while Mann finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

After a 1-2-3 inning in the first, Goldsmith’s scoreless streak ended at 22 when Blake Oxenreider scored in the second off a sacrifice fly to right field. The damage could have been worse as the Chargers (13-24, 7-13) filled the bases without any outs. Goldsmith got one hitter to fly out short, then — after the RBI sacrifice fly — struck out the next batter for the third out.

“I just had to stay focused in order to remain in the strike zone,” he said. “I couldn’t blow up and allow the other team to get in my head. The defense made plays when it counted and the offense was really working.

“Now we just have to put it all together. Sometimes we have some bad innings and errors, just mental mistakes. But if we put it all together we’ll be really good.”

One of those mistakes reared its head in the ninth inning when a routine ground ball to shortstop Ventavis Jerger resulted in an error after he threw the ball in the dirt while trying to get the runner out at first base.

“We’ve done that two or three times and we can’t keep doing that; we have to make that play,” Hemmings barked. “Up until that point the defense was perfect.”

Hemmings also pointed out that the team needs some depth in the bullpen in order for it to continue to string together victories.