BUFORD — Winder-Barrow handed Class 6A No. 1-ranked Buford its first Region 8-6A loss of the season after the Bulldoggs rallied for a 6-5 win at Gerald McQuaig Field on Monday.
Buford (20-4, 15-1 Region 8-6A) has now lost four straight after a 20-game win streak to open the season.
The Wolves opened the game with a four-run second to grab a 4-0 lead but Winder answered with three runs in the fifth. The Bulldoggs (14-9, 11-2 Region 8-6A) added single runs in the sixth and seventh to eventually send the game into extra innings.
Winder got a solo home run from Camden Hodge in the top of the ninth to give the Bulldoggs their first, and only, lead of the game.
The Bulldoggs moved to within 1 1/2-games of the first place Wolves with the win. The two teams play on Wednesday in Winder and return back to Buford on Friday.
WHITE COUNTY 10,
CHEROKEE BLUFF 7
The Warriors won their fourth straight Region 7-3A game to climb within a game of fourth place and just two games back of third in the standings with just five games left in the regular season.
It was the fourth straight loss for the Bears (17-8, 10-6 Region 7-3A) who remained in third place but are now just one game ahead of East Forsyth (15-11, 9-7 Region 7-3A).
White County (14-9, 8-8 Region 7-3A) jumped on Bluff early with four runs in the first. Nate Bray doubled in a pair of runs, Dylan Sargent added an RBI double and Devin Norton later singled in Sargent for a 4-0 lead. Ryan Fowler belted a solo home run in the second inning before White County extended its lead to 9-0 on four more runs in the third.
But Bluff answered with five runs in the bottom of the third, capped by a two-run home run from Bryce England, to make it 9-5. In the top of the fourth, Sargent smashed a solo home run to push White County’s lead back to a 10-6 in the fourth.
In the seventh, England drilled his second home run of the game to pull the Bears within 10-7 but they could get no closer.
Mark Daniels got the win for White County, scattering six hits and lasting 6 2/3 innings. Daniels scattered six hits and walked five but also struck out five.
Jacob Vokal took the loss for Bluff going two innings and giving up seven runs on eight hits but walking just one.
NORTH HALL 15,
DAWSON COUNTY 0 (4 inn)
Jaret Bale and Baker Dyer combined on a no-hitter to lead the Class 3A No. 1 Trojans to a stunning four-inning rout of the Tigers in Region 7-3A action.
Bales and Aajay Jones both drove in four runs and Tate Brooks knocked in two runs as part of an 11-hit attack for North Hall.
With the win, North Hall (21-4, 16-0 Region 7-3A) clinched no worse than second place in Region 7-3A and can clinch the title outright with a win over Dawson County (16-9, 11-5 Region 7-3A) on Wednesday or Thursday. The victory also ran the Trojans win streak to 16, all coming in region play.
It was the opening game of a three-game series where the second-place Tigers came in having won three straight and five of their last seven overall. North Hall wasted little time in getting a quick lead.
Jones doubled in Brooks and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Jace Bowen. North Hall exploded in the third with seven runs, highlighted by a two-run home run from Bales and Bradford Puryear homer. The Trojans scored six more in the fourth, including two-run doubles from Jones and Bowen to make it 15-0.
Trey Harvey took the loss for Dawson County. Harvey lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs, only five earned, on six hits and striking out three.
Bales went three innings allowing no hits and no runs. He walked four and struck out one before handing it off to Dyer. Dyer pitched a perfect seventh.
LANIER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 4
HORIZON CHRISTIAN 1
The Lightning scored four runs in the seventh to rally for a win on the road on Monday.
Senior Caleb Moore got the win surrendering just one run on four hits and fanned nine in six innings. Camden Hohman came on to pitch a perfect seventh, striking out three to get the save.
The game was a scoreless tie into the fifth when Horizon took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. LCA, however, rallied with four runs in the top of the seventh on RBI hits from Hohman, Moore, and a walk to Gavin Strabala. Moore stole a pair of bases before later scoring on an error.
The Lightning have a key region contest on the road on Thursday at Westminster Academy in Watkinsville.
