DAWSONVILLE — Dawson County rallied from an early deficit and then held off a furious late-inning Cherokee Bluff rally to beat the Bears 8-6 in a key Region 7-3A game Saturday.
The loss dropped Cherokee Bluff (8-5, 4-2 Region 7-3A) into third place one game behind North Hall (6-7, 5-1) and the two teams' open a three-game series at Jody Davis Field on Monday.
The Bears jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first when Brody Beal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and then Jacob Jones walked with the bases loaded against Dawson County starter Cameron Moore. But the Tigers (5-4, 3-3) answered right back in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run from Bo Lewis to tie the game.
Dawson County exploded for four runs in the second getting RBI hits from Jackson Verhoven, Hudson Sapp, Lewis, and Mauricio Hernendez to open up a 6-2 lead against Bluff starter Chandler Shope, who lasted just two innings yielding six runs on seven hits. The Tigers added a run in the third to push it to 7-2.
Cherokee Bluff did not go away, however. The Bears scored one in the sixth, and after the Tigers matched that with a run in the bottom of the sixth, they went to work in the seventh against relievers Payton Goodwin and Kristian Kelley. Moore went 5 2/3 innings allowing three runs on two hits while walking five and striking out five.
Goodwin gave up three runs on a hit and two walks when Beal drove in another run on a bases loaded walk and Jared Holcombe had an RBI ground out to pull the Bears within 8-5. Tino Mukuno made it 8-6 with a RBI sacrifice fly but Kelly got Dylan Kautz to fly out to center to end the game.
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY 10,
CLARKE CENTRAL 0
Holden Cooper tossed a three-hit shutout Saturday to lead Lakeview Academy to a 10-0, five-inning victory over Clark Central in a non-region battle at home.
The Lions (9-2) jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning when Andrew Estes singled, stole second, and scored on a Campbell Melson single. Melson later scored on a Gladiators error on a Ian Echols grounder and Echols scored on a Jordan Thomas single.
Lakeview Academy added a pair of runs in the fourth when KJ Millwood singled and scored on an Estes RBI double. Estes moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a Melson sacrifice fly. The Lions blew it open with a five-run fifth as Parker Allen and Millwood both had RBI bases loaded walks and Estes and Melson followed with RBI singles.
Cooper scattered three Clarke Central hits and fanned six.
Lakeview next will travel to Commerce on Tuesday in a key Region 8-A showdown.
