ALPHARETTA, Ga.— It was a slugfest at King's Ridge on Thursday in the second round of the Class A Division 1 playoffs.
Commerce and King's Ridge combined for 41 runs and 40 hits in the first two games of the best-of-three series as the two foes split the day's action.
Commerces captured Game 1, 16-11, and King's Ridge held on for a 9-5 Game 2 win, forcing Game 3 on Friday. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.
In Game 1, Commerce outhit King's Ridge 15-11, but the game remained close until Commerce scored five runs in the fourth inning to pull away for good.
Commerce scored five runs in the first inning, two in the second and third, five in the fourth and two in the seventh.
King's Ridge grabbed the lead in the third inning, 11-9, thanks to a five-run third.
Coy Argo was 3-for-4 with four RBIs to lead Commerce. Cohen Thomason was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Hudson Thomason was 2-for-2 with four RBIs. Alex Rainey drove in two runs on a 2-for-4 day.
In Game 2, King's Ridge jumped out to a 7-1 lead after the first inning and added one run in the second and one in the seventh.
Commerce tried to rally, scoring one run in the first inning, one in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
King's Ridge pitching rotation of Hudson Spencer, Hudson Phillips and Luke Hill combined for 10 strikeouts and only allowed five hits.
Hampton Hutto was 2-for-4 with one RBI to lead Commerce at the plate.
Chandler DeBlois highlighted King's Ridge's offensive performance with a two-run homer in the seven-run first inning.
TOWNS COUNTY 13, 0,
CHATTAHOOCHEE CO. 3, 2
The Indians will need a Game 3 win if they want to advance to the Class A Division 2 quarterfinals.
After blasting the Panthers 13-3 in Game 1, the Indians' bats went cold in a 2-0 Game 2 loss.
Game 3 is set for Friday in Hiawassee. First pitch is 4 p.m.
In Game 1, the Indians led 6-2 after the third inning but exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to run-rule the Panthers.
Kade McConnell allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out nine to get the win on the mound for the Indians.
McConnell also helped himself at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Seth Gillis was 2-for-4 with one RBI, and Connor Chastain and Layne Rouse drove in two runs.
In Game 2, the Panthers held Towns County to just two hits behind the pitching of Zachary Parker, who struck out seven Indians on the day.
The Panthers took the lead, 1-0, in the third and added their second run in the fourth inning.
