DAHLONEGA, Ga. — No. 5 Cherokee Bluff scored 19 runs on 14 hits en route to a 19-1 win over Lumpkin County on the road Friday.
The win keeps the Bears (15-3, 8-1 Region 7-3A) No. 2 in the Region 7-3A standings behind No. 1 North Hall with an impending series coming up in April.
But on Friday, the Bears were churning out runs like crazy, and they only needed four innings to put away the Indians.
After a scoreless first inning, Bluff's bats set ablaze as well as taking advantage of a couple of walks with some key hits. Lucas Tritt began the offensive flurry with a single that drove in Brett House. Ty Corbin added two runs on a double to left field, and Jacob Vokal singled in Landon Kemp. Corbin also scored, but it was on an error on the same play.
That inning was just the start. The Bears added 10 runs in the third and four in the fourth.
Corbin, Vokal, Bryce England, House, Trit and Kaden Thompson all had multiple hits and RBIs to lead the Bears.
Tucker Holton grabbed the win on the mound for the Bears, surrendering just one run on four hits over four innings of play. He also struck out six Indians.
Jack Irwin (2-for-2) and Will Mincey (2-for-3) led the Indians (5-12, 0-9 Region 7-3A) at the plate. The Indians scored their lone run off an error in the second inning.
NORTH OCONEE 13,
FLOWERY BRANCH 4
The No. 5 Falcons (9-7, 3-3 Region 8-4A) kept it close until the top-ranked Titans (17-1, 9-0 Region 8-4A) blew the game open with a seven-run seventh inning to win the first game of the doubleheader on Friday at Hog Mountain Park.
The Falcons scored first and led 1-0 heading in the third inning, that's when North Oconee started its offensive onslaught.
Braden Smith drew a walk, scoring one run, Grayson Godbee doubled on a 1-0 count to score three runs, and Cale Stricklin's sacrifice fly driving in a run for a 5-1 Titans' lead.
Branch, however, answered in the bottom of the third to close the gap to one run.
Nick Linkowski singled and Kyle Adamec doubled on the next at-bat to drive Linkowski home. An error later, Adamec scored on a balk, then Jake Beaver scored on Mason Compton's sacrifice fly.
That was all the offense Flowery Branch could muster as the Titans scored a run in the sixth and seven in the seventh to run away.
Linkowski went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead Falcons at the plate.
BUFORD 9,
DACULA 2
Top-ranked Buford (16-0, 11-0 Region 8-6A) used a five-run first inning to set the pace as they completed the season sweep on the road at Dacula (8-9, 5-6 Region 8-6A) on Friday.
The Wolves scored three runs off errors in the first and Parker Walsh doubled in the rest to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Dacula added one run in the bottom of the first off a Tyson Brown home run to right field.
The Wolves tacked on two more runs in the second, one in the third and one in the seventh inning.
Walsh led Buford at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance and three RBIs. Dylan Lesko and Carson King recorded two hits, while Jackson Gaspard, Riley Stanford and Brent Baughcum added one hit each.
Lesko earned the win, giving up two runs on three hits in four innings of work. He also struck out eight.
