Saturday April 27th, 2024 3:36PM

Baseball playoffs: NoFo sweeps, Buford splits, Jackson Co. gets swept in 1st round

By AccessWDUN Staff

North Forsyth rolled into the second round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs on Saturday.

The Raiders swept Roswell, 2-0 and 4-2, in Coal Mountain in the first round in the Class 6A playoffs.

It wasn't as easy for two others on Saturday, however.

Buford was pushed to a third game by Peachtree Ridge in Class 7A. The Wolves won the first game, 10-0, but the Lions rallied for an 8-3 win in Game 2 at Gerald McQuiag Field.

Meanwhile, Jackson County was swept out in 6A by Blessed Trinity. The Panthers dropped 10-4 and 6-2 decisions to the Titans.

Region 8-6A champion North Forsyth (22-10) will play host to the Etowah-Newnan winner in the second round.

For North Forsyth, Andrew Elkhill, Parker Adams, and Kyle Roper allowed just two total runs to lead the Raiders to a two-game sweep of Roswell -- 2-0 and 4-2 -- at home.

Elkhill threw a one-hit shutout gem in the first game, striking out eight Hornets batters in the series opener. Adams and Roper combined on a two-hitter and fanned 10 in a 4-2 win in the second game.

In the opening game, the Raiders scored in the fourth and a Mason McClennon RBI single and in the fifth on a wild pitch. Roswell had just one baserunner after the third inning.

In the second game, North Forsyth scored three runs in the top of the first on a RBI fielder’s choice from Brady Holbrook, a RBI single from Billy Mason, and on a wild pitch.

Roswell pulled within 3-2 in the fourth but the Raiders got an insurance run in the fifth on a RBI single from Kyle Duckwall.

The Hornets managed just a pair of walks over the final four innings as the Raiders held on for the sweep.

For Buford, Damian Brown tossed a one-hitter in six innings as the Wolves took a run-rule win in the series opener.

Brown struck out nine and walked none in the complete-game win.

He got all the offense he needed with two runs in the third, including a solo home run from Cannon Goldin. Buford blew it open with five runs in the fourth. The Wolves added two in the fifth and invoked the run-rule with a run in the sixth.

Goldin finished with four hits and two RBI to lead the Buford offense. Brandon Taliaferro had three hits for the Wolves.

In the second game, Buford took a 1-0 in the fourth on Goldin’s second home run of the series. But the Lions offense exploded from there.

Peachtree Ridge scored two in the bottom of the fourth and three each in the fifth and sixth, with two huge Buford errors contributing to keeping the inning alive.

Buford pulled within 8-3 in the seventh on a wild pitch and a Jayden Clark home run but could not get any closer.

The two teams will hold Game 3 on Monday at 6 p.m. at McQuaig Field.

(Check below for the full schedule of first round series' involving Northeast Georgia-area teams.)


BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st ROUND SCORES, Saturday, April 22
(Best-of-three series)

Class 7A
Buford 10-3, Peachtree Ridge 0-8 (series tied, 1-1)

Class 6A
Blessed Trinity 10-6, Jackson County 4-2 (Titans wins series 2-0)
North Forsyth 2-4, Roswell 0-2 (Raiders win series 2-0)


BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Monday, April 24
(Best-of-three series)

Class 7A (Game 3)
Peachtree Ridge (Region 7, Seed 4) at Buford (R8, S1), 6 p.m.

Class 5A
Flowery Branch (R8, S3) at Woodland-Cartersville (R7, S2) DH, 3 p.m.
Jefferson (R8, S4) at Cartersville (R7, S1) DH, 4:30 p.m.

Class 4A
East Forsyth (R8, S3) at Sonoraville (R7, S2) DH, 4:30 p.m.
Heritage-Catoosa (R7, S3) at Cherokee Bluff (R8, S2) DH, 4:30 p.m.
North Hall (R8, S4) at Cedartown (R7, S1), DH, 5 p.m.

Class 3A
Lumpkin County (R7, S3) at Oconee County (R8, S2) DH, TBA
Dawson County (R7, S4) at Franklin County (R8, S1) DH, TBA

Class 2A 
Rockmart (R7, S3) at Banks County (R8, S2) DH, 4 p.m.


BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Tuesday, April 25
(Best-of-three series)

Class 5A (Game 3s, if necessary)
Flowery Branch (R8, S3) at Woodland-Cartersville (R7, S2), 5:30 p.m.
Jefferson (R8, S4) at Cartersville (R7, S1) 5:30 p.m.

Class 4A (Game 3s, if necessary)
East Forsyth (R8, S3) at Sonoraville (R7, S2), 5:30 p.m.
Heritage-Catoosa (R7, S3) at Cherokee Bluff (R8, S2), 6 p.m.
North Hall (R8, S4) at Cedartown (R7, S1), 4 p.m.

Class 3A (Game 3s, if necessary)
Dawson County (R7, S3) at Oconee County (R8, S2) DH, TBA
Lumpkin County (R7, S4) at Franklin County (R8, S1) DH, TBA

Class 2A (Game 3, if necessary)
Rockmart (R7, S3) at Banks County (R8, S2) DH, 4 p.m.


BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Thursday, April 27
(Best-of-three series)

Class A Division 1 
Commerce (R8, S4) at Pepperell (R7, S1) DH, 4:30 p.m.

Class A Division 2
Mt. Zion-Carroll (R7, S3, at Towns County (R8, S2) DH, 4 p.m.


BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Thursday, April 28
(Best-of-three series)

Class A Division 1 (Game 3, if necessary)
Commerce (R8, S4) at Pepperell (R7, S1) DH, 1:30 p.m.

Class A Division 2 (Game 3, if necessary)
Mt. Zion-Carroll (R7, S3, at Towns County (R8, S2), 1 p.m.

  • Associated Categories: Sports, High School Sports
  • Associated Tags: High school baseball, Buford baseball, Jackson County baseball, North Forsyth baseball
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