BUFORD, Ga.— North Hall's hopes of keeping its 14-year state playoff streak is still intact.
The Trojans scored five runs in the fifth inning to beat Seckinger, 5-2, and split the doubleheader on the road Tuesday. Game 3 is set for Wednesday at home. The winner is headed to the playoff.
But it wasn't looking good after a 13-7 Game 1 thumping from first-year program Seckinger on the road Tuesday.
The Trojans, however, looked to pitcher Landon Lee on the mound to put the brakes on the Jaguars' hot offense, and he delivered. The senior pitcher allowed just one run on four hits while striking out seven Jaguars to get the win. Luke Sanders, in relief, pitched one inning, allowing one run on two hits and one K.
North Hall's bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth inning, starting with three straight singles from Sanders, Andrew Hlavacek and Jon Jon Read. Read's single drove in Sanders. Later in the inning, Hlavacek scored on a passed ball, Read scored on Korbyn Sosebee's sac fly, and Kenny Foudy sacrificed Lothridge home, walked earlier in the inning, for a 5-1 lead.
Seckinger added one run in the top of the seventh.
In Game 1, the Trojans gave up nine straight runs to fall to Seckinger in Game 1 of the best-of-three Region 8-4A playoff series on the road Tuesday.
If the Trojans lose Game 2, which is about to get underway at Seckinger, their season will be over.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Trojans led 2-0 until Seckinger scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to grab a 4-2 advantage.
The Jaguars rocked the Trojans in the third with an RBI single from Malachi Jefferies, a double from Tyler Greene, and a two-RBI triple from Sebastian Hernandez. Seckinger scored its fourth run off a wild pitch to take the 4-2 lead.
The Trojans tied the game in the fourth, scoring two runs on a Jaguars' error, and would add two more in the sixth.
Jon Jon Read was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Trojans.
Jefferies was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Hernandez was 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead Seckinger's offensive output. Caleb Fleitz created fireworks in the sixth inning with a two-run homer that extended the Jaguars' lead to the final of 13-6.
