GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Gainesville shocked No. 5 and Region 7-5A leader Seckinger 3-1 on the road Monday to take Game 1 of the series.
The Red Elephants (7-13, 5-5 Region 7-5A) rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the second inning to tie the game when CJ Saudarg's single down the left field line tied it up.
Dawson Vaughn gave his team the lead in the third with an RBI double, making it 2-1. Big Red added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Chase Gannon scored on a wild pitch to go up 3-1.
Vaughn earned the win on the hill, throwing a complete game with four strikeouts, allowing four hits and one run.
Harry Pirkle went the distance for Seckinger (11-6, 6-2 Region 7-5A), striking out nine while allowing three runs on nine hits.
Asher Stephens led Gainesville with three hits, while Saudarg and Vaughn each had two.
Gainesville will host Seckinger on Wednesday.
BUFORD 6,
MILL CREEK 5 (8)
The Wolves rallied past Region 8-6A leader and rival Mill Creek in eight innings on the road Monday.
The win ties the two at the top of the region standings. Game 2 is set for Wednesday at Gerald McQuaig Field in Buford.
Tied at five in the top of the eighth inning, Caleb Griffin drew a bases-loaded walk to score the go-ahead run and give the Wolves (13-4, 9-1 Region 8-6A).
But the day was full of lead changes.
The Wolves opened the scoring in the first, with Cannon Goldin’s double driving in a run. He added another RBI with a single in the second inning.
Mill Creek responded in the third, as Ethan Ratliff's two-run single gave the Hawks a 3-2 lead.
The Wolves tied it in the fourth. But Ratliff's clutch hit in the fifth put Mill Creek ahead again, 4-3.
Buford answered in the sixth and seventh innings to force extras.
Ayden Lockett earned the win for Buford, pitching four innings while allowing just two runs on one hit, striking out five. Jack McCoy took the loss for Mill Creek, giving up one run in two-thirds of an inning.
Goldin, Lockett and Lio Garcia also had three hits for the Wolves, while Ratliff led Mill Creek with three RBIs.
WINDER-BARROW 3,
JACKSON COUNTY 2
The Bulldoggs grabbed the lead in the third inning and never relinquished it en route to the key Region 8-5A win against Jackson County at home on Monday.
The win ties the Bulldoggs (11-5, 3-3 Region 8-5A) in the standings with the Panthers (10-8, 3-3 Region 8-5A)
Jackson County struck first in the top of the first inning with Landon VanWormer's RBI single down the left field line, leading to an early 2-0 lead.
However, Winder-Barrow responded quickly. Parker Waits launched a solo home run in the second inning to close the gap, 2-1.
The Bulldoggs then pushed ahead in the third inning when Brett Bennett grounded into a fielder's choice, bringing home two runs to give Winder-Barrow a 3-2 advantage.
Landon VanWormer, Colin Price, Justin Mills, and Wes Ashcraft each notched one hit for Jackson County, with VanWormer leading the offense with an RBI.
