CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County has made the No. 3 and No. 4 state playoff seeds out of Region 7-3A very interesting.
Unfortunately for the Warriors (15-12, 9-11 Region 7-3A), they are not in the state playoff race but with the 7-0 win over East Forsyth (18-12, 12-8 Region 7-3A) on Wednesday, Dawson County now sits in the third spot alone.
The Tigers (18-11, 13-7 Region 7-3A) are one game ahead of the Broncos and if Dawson County completes the sweep against Lumpkin County on Friday, they'll take the No. 3 seed into the Class 3A playoffs later this month.
As for East Forsyth, it'll need some help from the Lumpkin County on Friday to take the No. 3 seed via series tiebreaker over Dawson County.
Regardless, the Warriors proved they may be out of the playoffs but still fighting to finish the 2022 campaign on a high note, and they did just that on Wednesday at Bronco Field.
The Warriors took the lead in the first inning, 1-0, but blew the game open with a five-run fifth inning to get the upper hand on the Broncos.
After White County started the inning with a Kanaan Cleveland walk, a single from Ryan Fowler (3-for-4) and a Bronco error, Dylan Sargent (2-for-4, 3 RBIs) step in the box with bases loaded and answered the call, ripped a line-drive doublet left field to bring Cleveland and Fowler home for a 3-0 advantage. On the next at-back, Nate Bray sacrificed Jake Johnson across the plate for a 4-0 lead. The Warriors weren't done yet, as Sargent and Landon Roberts both advanced home on an error by the catcher for a 6-0 lead.
Jake Johnson lasted seven innings, allowing two hits and zero runs while striking out three to get the win for the Warriors.
Eric Walsh and Logan Pedretti each managed one hit to lead East Forsyth Varsity Broncos.
White County racked up ten hits in the game with Fowler, Devin Norton and Sargent recording multiple hits.
DAWSON COUNTY 10,
LUMPKIN COUNTY 3
The Tigers (18-11, 13-7 Region 7-3A) continue to take care of business en route to their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season.
Dawson County racked up 10 runs on 10 hits to roll past Lumpkin County, 10-3, at home on Wednesday, and with East Forsyth's loss to White County, the Tigers are now in third place alone, one game ahead of East Forsyth.
If they can complete the sweep of the Indians (9-19, 4-16 Region 7-3A) on Friday, they'll be the No. 3 seed out of Region 7-3A.
Nick Mullinax and the Tiger defense held the Indians to three runs on seven hits. He also struck out five to get the win.
Luke Mulberry led the Tigers with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with one RBI.
NORTH HALL 10,
WEST HALL 3
West Hall led, 1-0, through the first three innings but was outscored 10-2 over the final four innings to fall to the top-ranked Trojans on Wednesday at Spartan Field.
North Hall (25-4, 20-0 Region 7-3A) knotted the game up at one in the top of the fourth inning, when Bradford Puryear doubled on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring one run.
In the fifth, Puryear struck again, this time a single that scored two runs. It was part of the five-run fifth inning. The Trojans added four more in the seventh.
West Hall (8-18, 3-17 Region 7-3A) scored two runs in the fifth inning, on a Trojan wild pitch that sent Jace Young home, and Jayden Badger tagged up on a Matthew Griffin fly ball.
Hunter Brooks picked up the win, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out four.
Brooks, Puryear and Jon Jon Read each managed two hits to lead North Hall Trojans Varsity.
Griffin led West Hall with a 2-for-3 performance.
CHEROKEE BLUFF 12,
GILMER 5
The Bears (21-8, 14-6 Region 7-3A) have officially clinched the No. 2 seed out of Region 7-3A with the win over Gilmer (10-17, 5-15 Region 7-3A)at Bluff Field on Wednesday.
Regardless of what happens on Friday, the Bears hold the series tiebreaker over Dawson County and will host at least one Class 3A playoff series next week.
Gilmer's Blake Zabala provided the fireworks for the Bobcats in the first inning with a solo home run to go up 1-0.
The Bears, however, answered in the bottom when Caleb Miele doubled to tie the game, 1-1.
Bluff grabbed the lead for good with four runs in the third inning. Brett House's single scored two runs, Kaden Thompson drove in a run with a single and Ty Corbin sacrificed a run to go up, 5-1.
Gilmer added two runs in the fourth, but the Bears scored four more runs on singles from Brody Beal and Landon Kemp and on a sacrifice fly from Landon Kemp. To go up 9-3.
After Gilmer closed the gap with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, 9-5, Bryce England smashed a home run in the bottom of the inning.
Tucker Holton, pitching four innings, picked up the win, allowing four runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
Caleb Piland, Miele, Kemp and Beal had multiple hits on the day with Piland going 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Bears. Piland also had three stolen bases.
AREA SCOREBOARD, Wednesday, April 20
Apalachee 10, Johnson 0*
Cherokee Bluff 12, Gilmer at Cherokee Bluff 5*
Dawson County 10, Lumpkin County 3*
Jackson County 7, Walnut Grove 2*
Lanier 12, Habersham Central 2*
North Hall 10, West Hall 3*
West Forsyth 5, Gainesville 4*
White County 7, East Forsyth 0*
THURSDAY, April 21
(All games begin at 5:55 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
Buford at Parkview
Forsyth Central at Gainesville, 6:15 p.m.*
Pinecrest at Lakeview Academy, 5:30 p.m.
Rabun County at Walhalla (SC)
Union County at Fellowship Christian, 4:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, April 22
(All games begin at 5:55 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
(Final day of regular season)
Cherokee Bluff at Gilmer*
Dawson County at Lumpkin County*
East Forsyth at White County*
East Hall at Jefferson (DH), noon*
Flowery Branch at Chestatee (DH), 5 p.m.*
Habersham Central at Lanier*
Marist at Buford
Lincoln County at Towns County (DH), 5 p.m.*
North Forsyth at South Forsyth, 6:15 p.m.*
Social Circle at Commerce (DH), 5 p.m.*
West Hall at North Hall*
