Baseball: Branch rolls over Madison County; Chestatee wins; Banks falls

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Flowery Branch grabbed a share of the No. 2 spot in Region 8-4A with a 10-1 shellacking of Madison County on Tuesday at home. 

The Falcons (15-8, 9-4 Region 8-4A)  can take sole possession of second place with a sweep of the Red Raiders (15-9, 9-4 Region 8-4A) on Friday. The two are scheduled to play a doubleheader in Danielsville. 

The Falcons, however, would need to take the series against Chestatee in next week's regular-season finale. Madison County, on the other hand, had a three-game series with region leader and Class 4A No. 1 North Oconee to end the regular season. 

On Tuesday, Jake Beaver's return to the lineup was a good one, as the senior was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including the driving in the first run of the game on a single in the first inning. 

But it was the second inning that the Falcons started pulling away as the offense exploded for five runs behind the bates of Nick Linkowski, Kyle Adamec, Beaver, and Kade Smallwood, who each had RBIs in the inning.

Mason Compton earned the win, allowing no runs and no hits while striking out one and walking one in two innings of work.

The Falcons hammered out 12 hits with Beaver, Compton, Riley Mitchell, and Linkowski recording multiple hits on the day, but it was Linkowski, Mitchell, Compton and Beaver that led the team with two hits each. 

Along with Beaver, Smallwood and Adamec added two RBIs. Mitchell and Linkowski both drove in a run each. 

ELBERT COUNTY 11,
BANKS COUNTY 5

Banks County's bid to knock off No. 6 Elbert County and take the Region 8-2A lead fell short on Tuesday in Elberton. 

Banks County remains five games ahead of Union County for the No. 2 playoff spot. 

The Blue Devils (20-3, 9-0 Region 8-2A) jumped on Banks County (12-8, 8-1 Region 8-2A) early, scoring five runs in the fifth and four in the second to blow open the game, 9-0. 

But the Leopards answered with five unanswered runs to rally within four. However, Banks County's bats went cold over the final three innings, and Elbert added two more runs in the fifth to take the win. 

Cade Herring led the Leopards at the plate with a 2-for-3 day and two RBIs. Cam Davis also was 2-for-3. 

CHESTATEE 6, 
CEDAR SHOALS 2

After two scoreless innings, the War Eagles (9-15, 5-8 Region 8-4A) found a groove scoring six straight runs to take a 6-0 lead and the eventual win over Cedar Shoals on Tuesday in Athens, Ga. 

Chestatee scored three runs in the third, and one each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Cedar Shoals added two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

Mattox Miller was 2-for-4 to pace the War Eagles at the plate, while Nolan Turner, Nick McKoy, Bryan Cantrell, Asa Smith and Christian Jarrard all recorded one hit. Cantrell and Nathan Bull also drove in a run each.