Baseball playoffs: Bluff, Buford, NoFo, Banks sweep; EJax, Gainesville eliminated; Hab splits

Overall, Thursday was another successful night, as four of the seven teams advanced to the second round of the Georgia High School Association baseball playoffs. 

In Class 7A, Buford needed extra innings to beat Kennesaw Mountain in Game 1 and came from behind in Game 2 to advance to the second round. 

In Class 6A, North Forsyth rallied past Alexander in both games to advance; Habersham Central stunned South Paulding in Game 1, but the Spartans took Game 2 to force the rubber match on Friday, and Gainesville was eliminated at Newnan. 

In Class 4A, Cherokee Bluff cruised to two double-digit wins behind stellar pitching and a potent offense. 

In Class 2A, Banks County made a statement with two massive wins over Eagle's Landing Christian, but East Jackson fell on the road at Callaway. 

CHEROKEE BLUFF 13, 13
WOODLAND-STOCK 0, 2

Cherokee Bluff's pitching set the tone on Thursday in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs, allowing just four hits and two runs in the doubleheader win over Woodland. 

Tucker Holton was tough to hit in Game 1, allowing just one hit, no runs and 10 Ks in the 13-0 win. Ethan England highlighted the Bears' offensive output with a solo home run in the second inning. It was part of a four-run second inning that also included a Caleb Davis single that drove in two runs. 

In Game 2, Gabe Gowder earned the win, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out eight in three innings of work. 

The Bears (26-4, Region 8-4A No. 1 seed) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning but exploded for five runs in the second to take complete control. In the inning, Ty Corbin (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) doubled in two runs, and Kaden Thompson's sac fly scored a run. Caleb Miele (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) drew a walk to score a run, and England sacrificed a run in for a 7-0 lead. 

Bluff added four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth. Woodland's two runs came in the bottom of the fifth. 

Cherokee Bluff will host Region 7-4A No. 2 seed Cedartown in Wednesday's second round of the Class 4A playoffs. 

BUFORD 4, 10, 
KENNESAW MOUNTAIN 3, 7

The Mustangs made it as difficult as they could on Buford, but the Wolves (22-8-1, Region 8-7A No. 1 seed) rallied in both games to take the series and advance in the Class 7A playoffs at Gerald McQuaig Field Thursday.

After jumping out to a 5-0 lead in Game 2, the Mustangs tied the game 7-7 in the fifth inning.

But the Wolves took back the lead in the sixth inning when Nate Taylor pushed Cam Wood (2-for-4, RBI, three stolen bases) home on a ground out to second base. In the seventh, Madden Young drove in two insurance runs to seal the win.

Caleb Griffen was 3-for-4 with one RBI, and Young was 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs and two stolen bases. 

Damian Brown earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs on five hits and four strikeouts in three innings.

In Game 1, the Mustangs tied the game in the seventh inning on a lead-off homerun to force extra innings. The Wolves answered in the eighth inning with a game-winning Caleb Griffin (1-for-2) sac fly that scored Ethan Murray (2-for-3). 

Taylor got the start for the Wolves, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out 12 through six innings, but Damian Brown earned the win in relief, tossing two innings and giving up one run on two hits and two Ks. 

Buford will play West Forsyth in a best-of-three series at home on Wednesday. 

NORTH FORSYTH 2, 4
ALEXANDER 1, 3

In an up-and-down doubleheader, the Raiders rallied in both games to advance to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs on Thursday at home.

The Raiders (23-9, Region 8-6A No. 2 seed), leading 2-0 after four innings, gave up three runs to Alexander in the fifth to fall behind 3-2 in Game 2 of the best-of-three series. Heading into their final at-bat, they needed help from the lineup to get past Alexander. Brady Holbrook (1-for-4, 2 RBIs) came to the rescue with a line-drive triple to left field that scored Jake Prince (2-for-2, 1 RBI) and Jordan Cox, giving the Raiders a 4-3 advantage.

Sam Moore handled the Cougars in the bottom of the seventh, striking out three to seal the win. Moore tossed two shut-out, hitless innings to earn the win. 

S Dixon, Ellis Alldredge and Jace Cahill recorded two Raiders hits. 

In Game 1, Alldredge's two-RBI double in the sixth inning pushed the Raiders ahead for good, giving them the come-from-behind win against Alexander. 

Alldredge was 1-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the Raiders offense. 

Brayden Seabold earned the win, allowing one run on two hits and six strikeouts over six innings. 

NoFo will travel to Region 7-6A, No. 1 seed Blessed Trinity, on Wednesday. 

HABERSHAM CENTRAL 8, 10
SOUTH PAULDING 3, 1

South Paulding avoided the sweep with a 10-1 win over the Raiders (20-9, Region 8-6A No. 3 seed) in Game 2 of the Class 6A first-round playoff series on Thursday at home.

Game 3 is set for Friday at South Paulding. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

The Spartans scored two runs in the first, two in the third, one in the fourth, four in the sixth and one in the seventh. Habersham's only run game in the bottom of the seventh. 

In Game 1, Callum Spivey was 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, and a solo home run as the Raiders rallied to the win over South Paulding. 

Habersham fell behind twice, 1-0, in the third and 3-1 in the fourth before the Raiders found an offensive spark in the fifth inning.

Kreed Barrett and Charlie Mills sparked the Raiders in the fifth inning with a sac fly and a single that tied the game. Then in the sixth, Spivey's solo homer push the Raiders ahead for good.

Kade Nicholson picked up the win on the mound, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits, four walks, and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.

Spencer Frady, Hudson Gailey and Spivey combined for seven of the team's 11 hits. They also scored four runs and drove in four. 

NEWNAN 5, 8,
GAINESVILLE 1, 0

Newnan completed the best-of-three series sweep with an 8-0 Game 2 win over Gainesville (12-15, Region 8-6A No. 4 seed) in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs Thursday at home. 

The game was scoreless through the first two innings. Newnan's Dax Kilby knocked the goose egg off the scoreboard when he homered to right field, scoring two and giving Newnan a 2-0 lead.

Newnan added four more runs in the fourth inning and one each in the sixth and seventh.

Gainesville had three hits in Game 2: Cooper Reid, Asher Stephens and Tavarus Dowdy had one hit each.

In Game 1, Gainesville scored its lone run in the top of the seventh inning but couldn't muster enough to get the win. 

Gainesville's Stephens scored on a wild pitch in the seventh. 

Newnan slowly built its lead, scoring one run in the first, one in the second, two in the fourth, and one in the sixth.  

Philip Williams was 2-for-3 to lead the Red Elephants at the plate. 

BANKS COUNTY 15, 18,
EAGLE'S LANDING CHRISTIAN 2, 0

The Leopards (22-8, Region 8-2A No. 1 seed) had no problem scoring, racking up 33 total runs, en route to the Class 2A first-round sweep of Eagle's Landing Christian at home on Thursday.

In Game 1, the Leopards jumped all over ELCA, needing just three innings to produce 15 runs on 11 hits to run-rule the Eagles in Game 1 of the best-of-three Class 2A playoff first-round series. 

Banks County took control out of the gate, scoring four runs in the first inning. Judd Schmakel (3-for-4, 2 RBIs) started the barrage with an RBI single, followed by Gaven Sears's (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) two-run homer to center field. A Humpries stole home to cap the first inning scoring for the Leopards.

Banks County added six more runs in the second and five in the third.

Judd Spear earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit while striking out four in three innings of work. 

In Game 2, Banks County blew the game open with an 11-run fourth inning that included four hits, three walks and a sacrifice fly. Sears was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. 

Sears picked up the win on the hill, allowing one hit and striking out six in three innings of work. 

Banks County will play the winner of the Model-Walker series on Wednesday at home. 

CALLAWAY 3, 8,
EAST JACKSON 2, 3

Callaway completed the doubleheader sweep of East Jackson with an 8-3 Game 2 win in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.

East Jackson took the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning but gave up six runs in the top of the seventh to lose the game. 

Payton Garner blasted his second home run of the day in the sixth inning, giving the Eagles the lead. 

But Bryce Hubbard had another key at-bat in the seventh for the Cavaliers, scoring three runs with a double. 

In Game 1, Callaway's Brantin Swanson RBI double in the sixth inning scored the go-ahead run, and the Cavaliers held on to beat East Jackson.

East Jackson took the lead, 1-0, in the first inning, but the Cavaliers scored two runs in the bottom of the third off a Bryce Hubbard single to go up 2-1. 

The Eagles answered in the top of the fourth when Payton Garner homered to left field, tying the game 3-3.