RABBITTOWN – Chestatee’s four-run seventh inning was the turning point in a 7-6 eight-inning win over East Hall on Tuesday at East Hall Park.
The four runs pushed the War Eagles (8-10, 2-6 Region 8-4A) ahead for the 6-5, forcing the Vikings (0-13, 0-5 Region 8-4A) to score in the bottom of the seventh inning. Well, they did just that to send the Region 8-4A battle to extra innings.
Asa Smith’s RBI line drive single scored Hunter Potzner, who reached on a hit by a pitch two batters earlier and lifted the War Eagles to the lead in the eighth inning.
Potzner also helped the War Eagles seal the win but it didn't come easy. He worked his way out of trouble in the bottom of the eight -- giving up a hit and a walk to open in the inning -- fanning the final three batters to seal the victory.
It was a tight game from the get-go, with both teams trading runs in the first, East Hall going ahead, 2-1, after the second, and Chestatee tying things up again in the third inning.
The two stalemated each other until the Vikings finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth and taking advantage of two War Eagle errors.
Gavin Morters ripped a two-RBI triple that sent Orlando Mayweather, who reached on an error, and Alex Brock. Brock singled earlier. Morters later crossed the plate on an error at shortstop to give the Vikings a 5-2 lead.
But the War Eagles sent nine batters to the plate in the seventh inning, five of them singled, one reached on an error and one on an HBP. Smith, Bryan Cantrell, on a ground out, Nick McKoy and Nolan Turner drove in runs in the inning.
Turner finished the day with three RBIs.
Levi Stowers started the game for the War Eagles, going 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on nine hits and four Ks. Potzner earned the win in 2 1/3 innings of relief work, allowing two hits while striking out six.
BUFORD 12,
DACULA 0
No. 1 Buford (18-0, 10-0 Region 8-6A) out-hit the Falcons 13-2 in the shutout win on Tuesday at Dacula.
The Wolves scored one run in the first, six in the second, one in the fourth and five in the fifth in the run-rule win.
Treyton Rank and Dylan Lesko had three hits each, while Lesko drove in five runs. Brant Baughcum and Stan Zagrodnik each had two hits.
COMMERCE 10,
TOWNS COUNTY 1
This one got ugly early as the No. 7 Tigers (14-3, 9-1 Region 8A Public) roared out to an 8-0 lead after three innings of play en route to the nine-run win over Towns County (5-9, 3-6 Region 8A Public) on Tuesday in Hiawassee.
Towns County’s only run came in the sixth inning on a fielder’s choice that scored C Smith.
Cayden Lord was the RBI leader with three, while Will Slater and Coleson Smith drove in two apiece. Lord and Slater combined for five hits on the day.
Lord also went the distance on the mound, allowing six hits, no earned runs and had 11 strikeouts.
RABUN COUNTY 18,
RIVERSIDE MILITARY 3
The Wildcats (6-5, 1-3 Region 8-2A) only needed four innings to down Riverside on Tuesday in Tiger.
Rabun County scored 15 runs in three innings and added three more in the fourth to run-rule the Eagles.
Grayson Carver, Cooper Welch and Cory Keller had the hot bats for the Wildcats. Carver was 3-for-2 with four RBIs, Welch drove in three runs on a 2-for-3 day at the plate, and Keller was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Brady Wilson also had two RBIs.
Wilson allowed just three runs on four hits while striking out eight to get the win on the hill.
HART COUNTY 9,
EAST JACKSON 2
East Jackson (3-11, 0-4 Region 8-3A) stayed close until the No. 2 Bulldogs hacked out four runs in the seventh inning to roll past the Eagles on Tuesday at home.
The Eagles were tied with Hart County 2-2 after the first inning, but the Bulldogs (11-3, 3-1 Region 8-3A) slowly hammered out seven unanswered runs over the next six innings to walk away with the Region 8-3A win.
Malichi Thomas and Casey Thomas led the Bulldogs with three hits. Casey Thomas drove in two runs as well.
Aiden Holley drove in one of the Eagles’ two runs.
Tanner Ayers was tough to crack on the mound, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out 11 in seven innings of work.
ELBERT COUNTY 11,
HAB CENTRAL 1
After Habersham Central (6-9) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Blue Devils (12-4) scored 11 straight runs and held the Raiders scoreless in the win on Tuesday at home.
Hunter Tatum’s single in the first inning scored Azzi Cervantes to give the Raiders the early lead in the opening inning.
Tatum was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Elbert County’s Ian Warwick had a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Carson Adams was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Carter Dye also drove in two runs.
FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN 12,
LAKEVIEW 8
A six-run first inning paced the Paladins to the win over the Lions (3-5, 0-5 Region 6A Private) on Tuesday in Gainesville.
Fellowship led 6-2 after the first inning.
The Lions scored four runs over the next three innings but allowed the Paladins to added six more to take a 12-6 lead after the fifth.
Lakeview scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Lakeview’s Tanner Allen was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Jake Hannon and Ryan Black added two hits, and Conley Millwood and Jesse Whiting had one hit each.
Black and Whiting also drove in one run apiece.
