FLOWERY BRANCH — The sixth-ranked Flowery Branch baseball team jumped on No. 4 Jefferson quickly en route to a 10-2 win over the Dragons at Hog Mountain Park on Thursday.
The win gave the Falcons (14-5, 5-3 Region 8-4A) the series win and the all-important tiebreaker if it comes down to that. Branch can jump into second place with a win over the Dragons (15-6, 9-2 Region 8-4A) on Friday in the series finale in Jefferson.
But it was all Falcons in Game 2 on Thursday. Kaleb Freeman's bat was hot, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs, and Jake Beaver was 1-for-1 with three RBIs. Connor Larson drove in two runs.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Falcons added four runs in the second to blow the game open. Nick Linkowski drove in a run on a single and Beaver's single scored two runs as well. Branch added one in the fourth and three in the sixth inning.
Nick Sellers drove in the Dragons' first run in the fourth inning and later scored on a passed ball in the inning.
Mason Compton picked up the win on the mound, going six innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while striking out four.
The two will duke it out in Game 3 on Friday in Jefferson. Game time is set for 5:55 p.m.
AREA SCOREBOARD, Thursday, April 1
Gilmer 3, White County 2*
Greenbrier 5, Jackson County 1*
Flowery Branch 10, Jefferson 2*
Loganville 10, Johnson 2*
Union County 16-15, Riverside Military 1-0*
West Hall 6, Lumpkin County 3*
