The 2016 DCSD Baseball season is underway. This group of top players came to the 2016 DCSD Baseball Media Day. (Photo by Mark Brock)

The 2016 DCSD Baseball season is underway. This group of top players came to the 2016 DCSD Baseball Media Day. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Lakeside and Southwest DeKalb took center stage among five DeKalb County squads that posted perfect records in the opening week of baseball action of the 2016 season.

Donnie Hayes began his Lakeside head coaching tenure with a 3-0 week, rolling past Chamblee (13-2) Feb. 15 and then sweeping a pair of Feb. 20 contests in Alabama against Mountain Brook (4-1) and Fort Payne (4-3).

Lakeside opened a perfect 3-0 week with a 13-2 victory over Chamblee Feb. 15, as senior Jaret Barr (3-4; 3 RS) led a 14-hit attack. Sophomore Charlie Ludwick (2-3; 3 RS; 1 RBI), senior Drew Hinton (2-2; 5 RBI; 2 2B) and junior James Knight (2-3; 2 RS; 1 3B) also registered multiple hits. Senior Cole Howard shined on the pitching end, striking out two and allowing no earned runs over four innings to secure the mound triumph.

The Vikings next hit the road to Alabama Feb. 20 and took care of Mountain Brook by a 4-1 margin in the first of two games. Ludwick turned in a sterling effort on the mound, striking out five and allowing no hits or earned runs in four innings. Junior Michael Hannah closed out the team no-hitter with three strikeouts over the final three frames. Ludwick also drove in three runs while going 1-2 on the offensive end.

Senior Khaalis King (2-4; 2 RBI; 1 RS) and junior Michael Malinowsky (2-3; 1 RS; 1 2B) served as the offensive catalysts for the Vikings in a thrilling 4-3 decision over Fort Payne to close out the trip. Howard improved to 2-0 on the pitching end with three scoreless innings in relief of senior starter Cole Chisholm.

Coach Tyrus Taylor’s Southwest DeKalb Panthers matched that with an equally impressive 3-0 start, out-scoring the opposition by a 28-6 margin in triumphs over Columbia (2-1) Feb. 18, Pebblebrook (15-0) Feb. 19 and Westlake (11-5) Feb. 20.

Senior Tyler Sylvester turned in a stellar effort in Southwest DeKalb’s season-opening 2-1 triumph over Columbia Feb. 18, striking out 10 and allowing only two hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings to garner the mound decision.

Five players garnered two or more hits in helping the Panthers roll to a 15-0 blanking of Pebblebrook Feb. 19, led by senior Jordan Benn (3-3; 3 RS) and senior Matthew Wray (3-4; 2 RS; 2 RBI). Junior Channing Walker tossed a three-hit shutout in the victory, posting four strikeouts in four innings.

Southwest DeKalb closed out their perfect week with a strong 11-5 decision over Westlake Feb. 20, as Sylvester (2-3; 2 RBI; 2 2B) paced a 10-hit offensive attack. Senior Jaquarious Glover allowed two hits and one earned run while striking out two over six innings to secure the pitching decision.

Coach Pete Bartlewski and the Druid Hills Red Devils stormed out of the gates to a 2-0 record, besting Galloway (5-3) Feb. 17 and Chamblee (9-6) Feb. 20.

Druid Hills received multiple hits from senior Nick Ewing (2-3; 1 SB), senior Jack Bartlewski (2-2; 2 RS; 2 RBI; 1 3B) and senior Curtis Jamerson (2-4; 1 RBI) in a season-opening 5-3 victory over Galloway Feb. 17. Sophomore Mason Curtis earned the pitching triumph, allowing one hit and no earned runs over three innings. The Red Devils also knocked off Chamblee (9-6) Feb. 20, with Ewing (2-4; 1 RBI), Jamerson (2-2; 1 RBI) and junior Dontravious Huff (2-5; 1 RS; 1 RBI) pacing the offensive charge. Senior Austin Ledet secured the mound decision with a strong relief effort that included seven strikeouts and four hits allowed over four innings.

Coach Lavato Byrd’s Cedar Grove Saints (1-0) began the 2016 campaign with a solid 9-6 victory over Martin Luther King Jr. Feb. 19.

Coach Adam Beerman also made his DeKalb County debut at Towers a memorable one with a 7-1 decision over Cross Keys Feb. 18.

Junior Preston Rogers went 2-3 with two RBI for Chamblee in a tough 6-5 loss to Riverwood Feb. 17. Senior Travis Anderson allowed two hits and one earned run in taking the tough mound loss. Senior Justin Johnson (2-4), Rogers (2-4; 2 RS; 1 2B) and junior Gavin Holton (2-4; 3 RBI; 1 RS; 1 3B) collected two hits each as the Bulldogs dropped a 9-6 decision to Druid Hills Feb. 20. Senior Nathan Woodruff struck out two and allowed five hits and two earned runs in taking the mound loss.