Baseball roundup: Chestatee stays perfect in 8-4A North; No. 1 Bluff, LCA, Lumpkin, Branch take wins; EHall, Jefferson, White, Buford fall in region

RABBITTOWN, Ga. — Chestatee completed a three-game sweep of East Hall on Thursday with a 7-2 win at East Hall Park.

The win kept the War Eagles (10-6, 3-0 Region 8-4A North) atop the subregion standings after the opening week of play.

Chestatee broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the second on a RBI triple from Colton Wilbanks and a RBI single by Ethan Andrews. The War Eagles added single runs in the third and fourth for a 4-0 lead before the Vikings (4-11, 0-3 Region 8-4A North) got a run back in the fourth on a bases loaded walk to Carter Gillespie.

Chestatee extended the lead to 7-1 with three runs in the seventh, highlighted by RBI singles from Joshua Bull and Dylan Thompson. The Vikings 

Brock Moody got the win for Chestatee giving up two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three.

Cohen Miller earned a save for Chestatee, surrendering one run on two hits over 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking one.

Gillespie took the loss for East Hall allowing nine hits and four runs over five innings while striking out four.

Levi Kinney, Walker Barrett, Caleb Pruitt, Tyler Parker, Caden Crocker, Gillespie, and Drew Campbell all had one hit for the Vikings.

LUMPKIN COUNTY 5,
WEST HALL 3

After falling behind 2-1 in the second inning, the Indians scored four straight to power past West Hall (3-9, 1-4) at home on Thursday. 

Lumpkin County (11-2, 4-1) grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning when Tyler Boggs doubled, scoring two runs to go up 3-2. 

Adian Rogers earned the win on the hill for the Indians, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three through seven innings of work. 

Cooper Scott highlighted the Indians' offensive performance with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. His bomb gave the Indians a 5-2 advantage. 

West Hall added a run in the seventh inning on a single from Camden Page that scored Justin Shaffer, who doubled to start the inning. 

Harper Davenport was 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Indians, while Peyton Wood, Scott, Hayden Gilbert, Tyler Boggs and Aidyn Flanagan recorded one hit on the day. 

Shaffer led the Spartans with two hits. Page, Evan Connor, Cooper Tapp and Brandon Roberts all had one hit. 

FLOWERY BRANCH 6,
JEFFERSON 4

The Falcons snapped the Dragons eight-game win streak rallying for a road win on Thursday in a critical early Region 8-5A game for both teams.

Branch’s (9-7, 2-2 Region 8-5A) win came one day after suffering a tough 6-0 shutout loss to the Dragons (11-4, 3-1 Region 8-5A). It also kept them within striking distance of the region leaders.

Jefferson got on the board in the first inning when Aiden Mixon had a RBI groundout and the Dragons made it 2-0 in the second on a RBI single from Nick Cremeens.

Branch got a run back in the third on a RBI double from Mason Compton. The Falcons exploded for five runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two run home run from Kade Smallwood, to take a 6-2 lead.

The Dragons pulled within 6-4 in the seventh on RBI hits from Bowman Horn and Mixon but Compton got the final out with the tying run at the plate.

Compton got the win going the distance for the Falcons. He allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out 10.

Jace Peoples took the loss for Jefferson giving up five runs, only three earned, on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Peoples struck out 10 and walked one.

CHEROKEE BLUFF 14,
HABERSHAM CENTRAL 7

Class 4A No. 1 Cherokee Bluff stayed perfect on the season rallying to win a slugfest on the road on Thursday.

Habersham Central opened strong with four runs in the first inning with Hunter Tatum getting an RBI single and a two-run single from Alex Nava.

But the Raiders (10-5) could not hold it as the Bears offense exploded for three home runs on the day. Brett House had a solo shot in the second and Jakob Vokal blasted a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give Bluff a 5-4 lead.

Habersham reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a Cooper Shirley two-run home run.

But the Bears blew it open when Bryce England homered to lead off the fifth as part of a seven run inning. England ended the big inning with a RBI single for a 12-6 lead.

The Raiders got within 12-7 in the sixth but Bluff, who pounded out 14 hits on the day, added two more runs in the seventh.

LANIER CHRISTIAN 13,
COVINGTON ACADEMY 1 (5 inn)

The Lightning used an eight-run first inning en route to the lopsided win in five innings.

Carter Raulerson led the LCA offense with a pair of hits and three RBI as well as scoring four times. Camden Hohman had two hits and two RBI and Isaac Dinn, Gavin Strabala, Joshua Waymack, and Drew Kalinauskas also added hits.

Tres Criste pitched three innings giving up only two hits and striking out five to get the win. Dinn closed out the game pitching the final two scoreless innings.

PICKENS 7, 
WHITE COUNTY 2

Pickens (11-3, 4-1) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the fourth inning en route to the win at home on Thursday. 

White County (5-8, 1-4) added two runs on Pickens' errors. 

Kyler Mayo, Landon Roberts and Canaan Cleveland had on hit each. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW 11,
BUFORD 1

Mountain View exploded for 11 runs to take the season series 2-1 on Thursday at home. 

The Bears led 8-0 after the third and added one run in the fourth. 

Junior Nate Taylor's two-out solo home run, the second of the year, in the fourth inning was the lone bright spot for the Wolves (4-9, 2-3). 

Sophomore Cannon Golden was 2-for-2 with one walk, and junior Madden Young was 1-for-2.