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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/28/2018

Vailes gem propels 643 Cougars

Nate Schweers     
Photo: Gage Vailes (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga. – The 643 DP Cougars earned their way to the semifinals of the 18u Perfect Game Summer Showdown with an 8-0 victory over the East Cobb Yankees 17u on Saturday. The Cougars will take on the East Cobb Yankees at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday with a trip to the championship on the line.

Gage Vailes turned in a dominant start of the Cougars on Saturday, tossing six shutout innings. Vailes, who is a Kennesaw State commit, was able to scatter five hits and strike out eight Yankees in the complete game effort.



“I felt really good today. The weather cooperated and it was nice out so that helped a lot,” said Vailes, who was able to keep hitters off balance with a good mix of his fastball and slider. “My catcher and the fielders behind me were definitely working hard. They made a couple really nice plays to keep them from scoring.”

Vailes is just one piece of a pitching staff that has been dominant for the Cougars all summer. Head coach and 643 DP founder Danny Pralgo believes that his pitchers have a unique bond in their training and that only helps the team get better.

“All of these guys push each other because they’re all going to be throwing at the next level,” said Pralgo. “They work so hard to get better on their off days, so what that means to me is that none of these guys think they’re where they need to be yet. It goes to show you that that might have been Gage’s best outing all summer, and I would have said the same thing during his last five or six outings.”

At the plate, Georgia Tech commit Andrew Jenkins had a strong day. Jenkins was 2-for-3 with a pair of hard-hit doubles on Saturday, and one of them drove in a run for the Cougars. Rated as Perfect Game’s ninth-best player in the state of Georgia for the 2019 class, Jenkins has been trying to just keep it simple as of late.

“Today I was just trying to settle down and stay within myself,” said Jenkins, who thinks a championship tomorrow would be the perfect end to the summer. “It would mean a lot to me and all my teammates to just end up on the highest note possible."

With a pair of wins tomorrow, the Cougars would finish off what has been one of the more impressive summers on the travel ball circuit. The Cougars won the 17u WWBA National Championship Qualifier in mid-June, and made a run into the playoffs at the 17u WWBA National Championship earlier this month.

Winners of the last three 17u Perfect Game Summer Showdowns, the Cougars came up just short of four in a row earlier this week with a loss in the championship. While the Home Plate Chili Dogs ended what was a fantastic run, coach Pralgo is looking to start another run on Sunday.

“While we weren’t able to get it done in last week’s championship, you have to tip your hat to the Home Plate team. They played well, we played well, and sometimes it just doesn't bounce your way,” said Pralgo. “My guys have done everything we’ve asked of them all summer long. The motto has been to just do your job.”

To coach Pralgo, winning isn’t the ultimate goal. The 643 DP program consistently produces great baseball players that have the skills and knowledge to succeed at the next level. While championships are great, he judges success in a different way.

“We are absolutely okay with losing baseball games if we play the game the right way. We have been playing it the right way all summer long, so I couldn't be more proud of these guys. They really push each other to get better all the time.”

The Cougars will be looking to cap off a great summer tomorrow, but they will have to compete with three other teams with the same goal in mind.


East Cobb Yankees

The East Cobb Yankees were able to take down the 643 DP Tigers (Beasley) 5-0 in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The Yankees are 4-0 at this week’s event, and will take on the Cougars in tomorrow’s semifinal. Yankees starter Payton MacPherson was able to toss a complete game shutout in the win, and he struck out seven batters while allowing just two hits. At the plate, David Burke led the way with a two-run double to put the Yankees out front. 

East Cobb Colt .45’s 17u

The Colt .45’s were able to sprint to victory in their quarterfinal win over the Denny Pritchett Redbirds. The Colt .45’s were able to score six runs in the fourth inning to jump out to a commanding 8-0 lead. Second baseman Brandon Jolliff was 2-for-3 in Saturday’s game, leading the way with three RBI.

Bodyshop Baseball 18u

Bodyshop Baseball was able to hold on in extra innings to beat the Georgia Scorpions Select 2019 8-7 on Saturday. Bodyshop was able to score three in the top of the eighth inning to create some separation. At the plate, Bryson Fowler was 3-for-3 with as many RBI on Saturday. Fowler is a high follow in the 2018 class and he will be attending Southern Wesleyan University in the fall. On the mound, Thomas Harmon didn't allow an earned run out of the bullpen. Harmon was able to strike out four batters in his 5 2/3 innings. Bodyshop will take on the Colt .45’s in Sunday’s other semifinal.
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