Baseball scoreboard: Dawson knocks off Gilmer, Union, Banks open region with wins

ELLIJAY, Ga. — Jacson Rickett's go-ahead ground-out RBI lifted 10th-ranked Dawson County past Gilmer, 3-2, on the road Tuesday. 

Rickett's RBI ground out scored Sawyer Bearden, who reached on a single a batter earlier. 

Joshua Priest entered one batter into the bottom of the seventh inning to close the game. He forced two ground outs, a walk, and a strikeout to seal the win for the Tigers (8-4, 2-2 Region 7-3A). 

The Tigers rallied from a run down in the fifth inning. Trailing 2-1, Rickett smacked a line-drive single to center field that scored Preston Bannister to tie the game, 2-2. 

Trey Harvey earned the win on the hill for the Tigers. He surrendered five hits and two runs over six innings, while striking out six. 

Bearden led the Tigers at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance. Rickett was 1-for-2 with 2 RBIs. 

PICKENS 4, 4
WHITE COUNTY 0,0

No. 2-ranked Pickens pitched two shutouts, one no-hitter, on Tuesday en route to a doubleheader win over White County in Jasper. 

Conner Shouse was one walk away from tossing the perfect game in Game 1. He allowed no hits over seven innings, striking out 12 and walking one. 

It was a scoreless game through four innings, but Pickens found home plate in the bottom of the fifth, scoring all four runs. Christian Starks singled in one run, Shouse doubled in two runs, and Cade Sutton singled in a run to push the Dragons ahead, 4-0 after five. 

In Game 2, Pickens (11-3, 4-1 Region 7-3A) scattered four runs over the first four innings and held on for the 4-0 win. 

White County (8-6, 2-3 Region 7-3A) managed three hits. Carson Bruce was 2-for-2, and John Bannon was 1-for-2. 

ATHENS ACADEMY 6,
EAST JACKSON 4

The Eagles rally fell short in the loss to Athens Academy on Thursday in Athens. 

The Spartans jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning. 

East Jackson added three runs over the next three innings on a double and two singles but couldn't come up with more. 

Bryce Patterson led the Eagles offensively with a 2-for-3 day at the plate. Payton Garner and Walker Mauldin drove in one run each. 

UNION COUNTY 5,
FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN 3

The Panthers (4-3, 1-0 Region 8-2A) jumped out to a five-run lead in the third inning and held on to pick up the Region 8-2A opener at home on Tuesday. 

With bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, Moses Stevens pushed home a run when he was hit by a pitch. Later in the inning, Travis Tracy singled in two runs for a 3-0 lead. 

In the third inning, Maddox Patton singled in a run, and Hayden Hughes drove in a run on a sac fly. 

The Paladins (6-5, 0-1 Region 8-2A) added three runs in the seventh inning. 

Eli Gwynn picked up the win for the Panthers, allowing three hits and three runs (unearned) over 6 2/3 innings. He recorded six strikeouts and walked three. 

BANKS COUNTY 3, 
PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 2

Andrew Humphries singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh to lead the Leopards past Providence Christian at home on Tuesday. 

The Leopards (7-4, 1-0 Region 8-2A) trailed 1-0 but grabbed the lead, 2-1, in the fourth inning on a Humphries double, and Walker Brown was hit by a pitch. 

Providence tied the game in the fifth inning on a single. 

Gaven Sears earned the win for the Leopards, allowing one hit over three innings and five Ks. Judd Spear started for Banks, allowing two runs on four hits and 11 strikeouts through five innings of work. 

Sears also led the Leopards at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance. 

LANIER CHRISTIAN 7, 
PINECREST ACADEMY 5
 
The Lightning (7-0, 1-0 GAPPS) scored runs in the first, second and sixth innings to explode to a 7-0 lead but had to hold off a charge from Pinecrest to get the win.

LCA recorded 15 hits on the day, with Tres Criste leading the way with three hits. Josh Lebel, Gavin Strabala and Evan Kalinauskas added two each. Quinn Winfrey and Liam Howell added a hit and an RBI, while Landry Boling had a hit and scored a run.
 
Strabala, who picked up the win on the mound, Criste and Hayden Davis combined for 14 strikeouts and five hits. Strabala had six Ks, Criste five, and Davis had three.