DAHLONEGA -- Lumpkin County kept pace with East Hall and Franklin County atop Region 7-AAA taking a 16-6, six-inning slugfest victory over West Hall Thursday.
The victory moved the Indians (11-7, 8-4 Region 7-AAA) into a second place tie with East Hall (10-9, 8-4). West Hall (7-9, 5-6) had a chance to move within one-half game of third place but now sits 2 1/2 games behind both the Spartans and Indians with seven games left.
Lumpkin County scored in every inning, paced by Sebastian Dunn, who reached base all five times he came to the plate. Timmy Summersett had five RBI and Ben Brown had two RBI, including a home run for the Indians.
Senior Joel Crotzer started for Lumpkin County and got the win pitching into the sixth inning. Will Simmons started for West Hall and took the loss.
Lumpkin County took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed. The Spartans tied the game in the top of the second when Trey Horton drove in Zach Collins with an RBI double and then scored on a hit to make it 2-2.
It was almost all Lumpkin the rest of the way. Dunn and Summersett knocked in three runs in the bottom of the inning for a 5-2 lead. In the third Brown belted a solo home run to make it 6-2.
The Indians added on in the fourth. Dunn scored on a bases loaded walk to Cody Waters, and after Simmons was replaced by Horton, Brown followed with a RBI single and a passed ball brought in Summersett for a 9-2 lead. Waters then scored on a sacrifice fly and courtesy-runner Wil Pence scored on a single to push it to 11-2 by the end of the inning.
The Spartans inched closer in the fifth on a two-run home run by Simmons to cut the lead to 11-4. But Lumpkin County pushed the lead to 13-4 by the end of the fifth.
In the sixth, Simmons and Brian Newman each had RBI singles for the Spartans to cut lead to 13-6 but the Indians sealed the mercy-rule victory with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
“It was a collective effort by everyone,” Lumpkin County coach Dustin Allen said. “What we’re trying to do is win each inning. You have to compete on every pitch and if you do that the results are most often in your favor.”
Lumpkin County next will play host to region-leading Franklin County on Friday.
West Hall will play host to East Hall on Friday.
