Baseball scoreboard: GHS, Apalachee take big 8-6A wins; Bluff sweeps NHall; Branch, Jefferson lose

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Cooper Reid needed just 74 pitches and allowed just two hits in leading Gainesville to a huge 10-0 Region 8-6A win in six innings over Habersham Central on Friday at Ivey-Watson Field.

The win pushed the Red Elephants (9-11, 6-7 Region 8-6A) to within one game of Habersham Central (15-7, 7-6 Region 8-6A) in the Region 8-6A standings. It was the Raiders third straight loss.

It was a tight pitcher’s duel through three innings as Habersham starter Kade Nicholson had allowed just two hits and a walk. But Gainesville was able to plate three runs in the fourth on a three-run homer from Asher Stephens.

It stayed that way until the Red Elephants exploded for eight runs in the sixth. Tavarus Dowdy had a RBI double, Reid added a two-run double, Smith McGarvey had a two-run single, and Dowdy capped the big inning with his second RBI double of the inning to invoke the run-rule.

Nicholson took the loss and went five innings allowing just three runs on seven hits and he fanned five. Kaleb Chastain and Kaydon Bass were roughed up in the sixth for seven runs and just three hits and two walks and got just two outs combined.

APALACHEE 4,
NORTH FORSYTH 0

Traver Park tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Wildcats past the Raiders in a showdown for first place in Region 8-6A.

The win gave Apalachee (15-10, 11-2 Region 8-6A) a one-game lead over North Forsyth (16-8, 10-3 Region 8-6A) and the head-to-head tiebreaker.

While Park was carving up the Raiders offense with seven strikeouts, the Apalachee offense got just enough against North Forsyth starter Seth Dixon. Dixon allowed four runs, just one earned, and only two hits, but he walked four in five innings while also fanning seven.

The Wildcats twice in the second and once in the third and added an insurance run in the fifth.

Jordan Cox and Jace Cahill had the two North Forsyth hits..

CHEROKEE BLUFF 10,
NORTH HALL 8 (9 inn)

The Class 4A sixth-ranked Bears completed a stunning sweep of the seventh-ranked Trojans on Friday ito conclude their Region 8-4A North series at Lynn Cottrell Field.

The win gave Bluff (19-4, 7-2 Region 8-4A North) a two-game lead over North Hall (10-13, 5-4 Region 8-4A North) in the subregion with just three games remaining. The loss for the Trojans dropped them to just one game ahead of Chestatee, though they swept the War Eagles in their three-game series.

It was a back-and-forth affair. Bluff jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, highlighted by a two-run single from Ethan England. North Hall answered right back with four runs in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single from Luke Sanders and then two hit batters and a walk with the bases loaded.

The Bears then opened up an 8-4 lead, scoring four runs in the fourth. But the Trojans answered again, scoring two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth on a two-run single from Sanders.

It would stay that way until the ninth when Bubba Coleman jacked a two-run home run following a walk to Landon Kemp.

Tucker Holton got the win for Bluff pitching the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five.

Kian Allen took the loss for North Hall, giving up two runs on just two hits but walking six in four innings.

MILL CREEK 12, 
FLOWERY BRANCH 11

Flowery Branch rallied from a pair of deficits but could not make it happen a third time in a tough loss at the Hog Mountain Sports Complex.

The Falcons (10-12) had trailed 5-1 after a five-run second inning by the Hawks but scored four in the third and three more in the fourth to take an 8-6 lead. Mill Creek cut it to 8-7 in the fifth before Branch scored three more in the sixth on a three-run home run by Anthony Almeroth for what looked like a solid 11-7 lead.

But Mill Creek scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 12-11 lead. Branch loaded the bases with two out on a walk and two hit batters but could not get the game-winning hit.

Tristan Browning had a hit and three RBI and Kyle Adamec had a hit and two RBI for Flowery Branch.

The Falcons will be back in action on Saturday at home against First Presbyterian Day.

CARROLLTON 3,
JEFFERSON 2

The Dragons took the Class 7A ninth-ranked Trojans down to the wire but gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth in a tough loss on the road.

Jase Peoples scored one run in the fifth on an error and drove in the other run in the third.

Peoples was in and out of trouble for most of his four innings on the mound giving up just two runs on four hits and five walks but he also struck out seven. But it was Kade Seabolt that took the loss surrendering two hits and a run in two innings.