SUGAR HILL, Ga. — Gainesville ran its win streak to four straight with a 6-4 win over Lanier on Wednesday.
The win for the Red Elephants (6-11, 4-4 Region 8-5A) moved them into a tie for fourth place. But they had to rally to keep the streak going.
Lanier took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run single from Nicholas Sampona. Gainesville exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth, the big blow coming on a bases-clearing double from Beckett Brown.
Lanier cut the lead to 6-4 in the sixth and loaded the bases in the seventh on a hit by pitch, a walk, and error. But Chase Gannon was able to get out of the jam getting a fly ball right to end the game.
Cohen Miller got the win for Gainesville allowing four runs, just one earned, on hits in six innings. He struck out six.
Asher Stephens had two hits for the Red Elephants.
The two teams will close out their three-game series on Friday at Ivey-Watson Field.
JACKSON COUNTY 2,
CLARKE CENTRAL 0
The Panthers pulled within one-half game of second place in Region 8-5A with a narrow win on Wednesday at home.
Colin Price was dominant on the hill for the Panthers (10-6, 3-1 Region 8-5A) scattering two hits and striking out six in five innings to get the win. Charlie Crowe tossed the final two innings for Jackson County, striking out three, including getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
Landon VanWormer drove in a run in the third to give Jackson County the lead. Wes Ashcraft knocked in a run in the sixth for the Panthers.
Jackson County next will play host to Winder-Barrow on Friday in another big Region 8-5A contest.
LOGANVILLE 10,
HABERSHAM CENTRAL 8
The Raiders got the tying run to the plate after rallying from an early 9-2 deficit but could not complete the comeback in a Region 8-5A loss to the defending state champion Red Devils on Wednesday.
Loganville (11-3, 4-0 Region 8-5A) exploded for seven runs in the first inning on RBI singles from Jordan Johnson, Tripp Braswell, Aiden Gorvett and Brantley Carter, with Jake Boland highlighting it with a two-run double.
Habersham Central (8-9, 2-4 Region 8-5A) answered with a run in the bottom of the first but the Red Devils added two more in the third. The Raiders then began to chip away.
Habersham Central got a RBI single from Hudson Gailey and Lucas Machado added a sacrifice fly to cut it to 9-3. The Raiders plated three more in the fourth on run-scoring doubles from Maverick Chitwood and Tyler Rothell and a wild pitch to pull within 9-6.
After cutting the lead to 10-7 in the sixth, Habersham Central got another run in the seventh on a RBI single from Kreed Barrett. But Masoon Witt went down swinging to end the game.
Jake Boland got the win for Loganville, giving up six runs, just one earned, on eight hits in three innings.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCOREBOARD FOR WEDNESDAY, March 19
Dawson County 5, Chestatee 4*
Gainesville 6, Lanier 4*
Jackson County 2, Clarke Central 0*
Lakeview Academy 14, Cristo Rey Atlanta 2*
Loganville 10, Habersham Central 8*
West Forsyth at North Forsyth*
(* -- denotes region contest)
