"That fired me up," the Flowery Branch center fielder and No. 9 hitter said.
Ackerman responded with a long single to left driving in Travis Coxworth for the game-winning run to give the Class AAA No. 1-ranked Falcons a 4-3 win Friday at the Hog Mountain Sports Complex and their first region title since 2005.
"It felt good (to get the title-clinching hit)," he said. "I was looking for a fastball and he had been starting with change-ups so I just waited on one."
For Flowery Branch coach Jimmy Lawler, the last two innings played out like the final two weeks of the season. The Falcons had loaded the bases in the seventh only to come away empty.
"It was stressful, but so was the last couple of weeks," Lawler said. "We felt like Gainesville wasn't going to lose so we knew we had to win out to win the title. Every game was tough but we found ways to win.
"This just feels great because we've battled injuries and some adversity and to pull this off is special. I feel excited for the kids."
The Falcons (24-2, 20-2 in region) won the region over Gainesville (20-6, 19-3) by virtue of their two regular season wins over the Elephants. Gainesville fell 8-7 to Pickens in its season finale Friday.
Flowery Branch will take the top seed and play host to Region 5-AAA No. 4 seed Riverwood beginning next Friday with a doubleheader. No time has been set yet on Friday. A third game, if necessary, will be Saturday at Flowery Branch.
The two programs are no strangers to each other. Riverwood won a best-of-three series against the Falcons in 2005 in Flowery Branch. In fact, the last two state champions in Class AAA have come from Region 5
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/5/209599