Gainesville, Jefferson and Flowery Branch all took dramatic game three victories Saturday to move into the second round of the Georgia High School Association baseball playoffs.
Gainesville rallied in the seventh inning to beat Cambridge 8-5 in a Class 6A battle at Ivey-Watson Field while Jefferson got a two-run, wak-off home run from Kade McNally to beat Chestatee 6-4 in a Class 4A showdown in Jefferson. Meanwhile, Flowery Branch beat Villa Rica 6-3 in its deciding Game 3 on the road to advance in Class 5A.
All three joined four other teams -- Buford in Class 5A, North Hall in Class 3A, Rabun County in Class 2A, and Commerce in Class A Public -- into the second round. The Sweet 16 round will begin next Thursday.
Fannin County, however, suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in its Game 3 against Franklin County in Class 3A. The Rebels lost 10-9 in 10 innings to the Lions.
GAME 3: FLOWERY BRANCH 6, VILLA RICA 3
A.J. Gonzales got things going early for the Falcons (18-15) launching three-run home run to put Flowery Branch up 3-0. Blake Coxworth was hit by pitch scoring Anthony Grutadaurio and Grutadaurio drove in a run as the Branch took a 5-1 lead into the fifth.
Villa Rica trimmed it to 5-3 but the Falcons added a run in the sixth.
Zack Wagner closed out the win with a strikeout to get the save and sent the Falcons into the second round for the second consecutive season.
The Falcons will travel to Region 5-5A champion Arabia Mountain on Friday in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
GAME 3: JEFFERSON 6, CHESTATEE 4
The Region 8-4A champion Dragons rallied from a 4-0 deficit to survive a major upset-bid by the Region 7-4A fourth-seeded War Eagles.
Chestatee led 1-0 after one, 3-0 after the third, and took a 4-0 lead after Storm Yarbrough's RBI single in the top of the fourth. But Jefferson stormed back in the bottom of the fourth.
Justin Cole and Ryan Godfrey each had two-run doubles in the inning to tie the game at 4-4. It was the Vinny Farley show the rest of the way.
Farley retired the final 10 Chestatee batters setting the stage for McNally's dramatic game-winning home run with one out.
Jefferson (20-10) next will play host to Northest Whitfield in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs beginning on Friday.
FIRST ROUND BASEBALL PLAYOFFS April 27 — April 28
(Games listed by time and in alphabetical order by visiting team.)
Friday, April 27
Scores
Class 7A
Mill Creek 5, North Forsyth 0
Mill Creek 7, North Forsyth 1
(Mill Creek wins series 2-0)
Class 6A
Gainesville 4, Cambridge 3
Cambridge 7, Gainesville 5
(Series tied 1-1)
Alpharetta 13, Lanier 1
Alpharetta 4, Lanier 2
(Alpharetta wins series 2-0)
Class 5A
Buford 9, Rome 0
Buford 12, Rome 0
(Buford wins series 2-0)
Flowery Branch 1, Villa Rica 0
Villa Rica 10, Flowery Branch 8
(Series tied 1-1)
Class 4A
North Oconee 12, West Hall 0
North Oconee 6, West Hall 5
(North Oconee wins series 2-0)
Blessed Trinity 5, Stephens County 2
Blessed Trinity 11, Stephens County 0
(Blessed Trinity wins series 2-0)
Jefferson 3, Chestatee 2
Chestatee 5, Jefferson 3
(Series tied 1-1)
Class 3A
Fannin County 11, Franklin County 7
Franklin County 10, Fannin County 1
(Series is tied 1-1)
Morgan County 6, East Hall 1
Morgan County 2, East Hall 0
(Morgan County wins series 2-0)
North Hall 5, Hart County 1
North Hall 11, Hart County 0
(North Hall wins series 2-0)
Class 2A
Rabun County 3, Rockmart 0
Rabun County 3, Rockmart 1
(Rabun County wins series 2-0)
Class A
Commerce 15, Wheeler County 5
Commerce 18, Wheeler County 2
(Commerce wins series 2-0)
Saturday, April 28
(Game 3s)
Class 6A
Gainesville 8, Cambridge 5 (GHS wins series 2-1)
Class 5A
Flowery Branch 6, Villa Rica 3 (Branch wins series 2-1)
Class 4A
Jefferson 6, Chestatee 4 (Jefferson wins series 2-1)
Class 3A
Franklin County 10, Fannin County 9, 10 innings (Franklin County wins series 2-1)
Wednesday, April 26
Scores
Class 3A
Greater Atlanta Christian 10, Jackson County 0
Greater Atlanta Christian 7, Jackson County 2
(GAC wins series 2-0)
