GAINESVILLE — Gainesville built an early lead and then held on to beat No. 9 North Forsyth, 4-3, in Region 6-7A action on Monday at Ivey-Watson Field.
It was the first region win of the year for the Red Elephants (8-6, 1-3 Region 6-7A).
Will Barrett got things going for Gainesville with a solo home run in the second. In the third, Cody Brewer singled in a run and Anthony Lugo added a sac fly RBI to push the lead to 3-0.
The Raiders (12-4, 2-2 Region 6-7A) got a run back in the third before Gainesville made it 4-1 in the fourth. North Forsyth got single runs in the sixth and seventh but the Red Elephants were able to hold on as Cooper Reid got the save, stranding the go-ahead run on base.
Riley Valentine started and earned the win for Gainesville scattering five hits and allowing two runs over six innings while striking out 13 and walking none.
Brett Barfield took the loss for North Forsyth lasting 2 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out three.
Trystan Davis, Barfield, Jake Prince, Austin McCabe, and Tyler Triche all had one hit for the Raiders.
CHEROKEE BLUFF 9,
WEST HALL 8
Class 3A No. 5 Cherokee Bluff rallied from a 5-0 deficit and then held on in the final inning to beat the Spartans to open a key Region 7-3A series on Monday.
The Spartans (5-5, 0-4 Region 7-3A) jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first on a two-run double from Nick Sturm and increased it to 5-0 in the fourth.
But the Bears (10-3, 3-1 Region 7-3A) exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth as Jacob Vokal homered and Bryce England, Brett House, and Kaden Thompson also drove in runs in the inning. Both teams scored once in the fifth before Lucas Tritt doubled in a run to ignite a three-run sixth for a 9-6 Bluff lead.
The Spartans scored twice in the top of the seventh and had the go-ahead run on base before Tritt shut the door.
Caleb Piland earned the victory in relief for Cherokee Bluff going three innings, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out four. Tritt threw one-third of an inning in relief out of the bullpen to get the save stranding the winning run on base.
Alex Holman took the loss for West Hall going four innings, allowing six runs on six hits, striking out two and walking one.
Vokal, who had three hits, paced an 11-hit Bluff attack.
Sturm had three of West Hall’ 9 hits on the day.
NORTH HALL 8,
LUMPKIN COUNTY 0
Jaret Bales and Brady Stephens combined for a four-hit shutout to lead the Class 3A No. 1-ranked Trojans to the Region 7-3A win at Cottrell Field in the first of a three-game series.
Bales scattered four hits and two walks while striking out 9 in six innings. Stephens pitched a perfect seventh striking out all three batters he faced.
North Hall (9-4, 4-0 Region 7-3A) scored in every inning but the fifth. Jace Bowen started a three-run first with a RBI fielder's choice. The Trojans added a run in the second, two more in the third, and one in the fourth to jump out to a 7-0 lead.
Alejandro Narvaez took the loss for Lumpkin County (5-7, 0-4 Region 7-3A) allowing six runs, just one earned, on only two hits in three innings but was let down by the defense that committed four errors.
Bales had two hits with Bradford Puryear and Baker Dyer each driving in runs.
Hunter Cooper each had two hits to lead Lumpkin County at the plate.
LANIER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 15,
YOUNG AMERICANS CHRISTIAN 0
The Lightning (4-2) used a huge third inning to take the win on Monday in three innings.
After a pair of scoreless innings, LCA sent 18 batters to the plate, scoring 14 times in the third. The Lightning pounded out 14 hits, with everyone in the lineup tallying at least one hit.
Barry Waymack led the way going 2-for-2 while Carter Raulerson, Isaac Dinn, Camden Hohman, and Gavin Strabala all had multiple hits as well. Joshua Waymack, Jordan Smith, and Drew Kalinauskas had one hit each.
Caleb Moore got his second victory of the season on the mound yielding just one hit while fanning eight.
DAWSON COUNTY 11,
WHITE COUNTY 9
The Tigers (9-4, 4-0 REgion 7-3A) were able to hold off a furious seventh-inning rally to knock off White County at home on Monday and remained tied for first with North Hall in the Region 7-3A standings.
It was the Warriors' (9-2, 3-1 Region 7-3A) first region loss.
The Warriors scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning on a double from Jake Johnson and a Nate Bray home run in the failed comeback.
The Tigers, however, had to rally to the lead after White County grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Dylan Sargent sparked the scoring with a double that scored two runs.
In the third, Dawson County's Colton Rucker singled and Nick Mullinax was hit by a pitch to warm the base pads. An out later, Brandon Cramer singled to score Rucker and two walks later, Mullinax strolled home, followed by a Davis Glass tripled that scored Cramer, Julian Horner and Andrew Burt, pushing the Tigers ahead, 5-4.
White County tied the game, 5-5, in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch. Landon Roberts, who walked earlier in the inning, cross the plate for the Warriors to tie the game.
But in the fourth inning, the Tigers took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth inning when Luke Mulberry doubled on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring two runs and one run scored on a Brandon Cramer ground out.
Ryley Moore earned the victory on the mound for Dawson County, surrendering four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings and striking out three.
Ryan Fowler, Billy Carder and Nate Bray all had multiple hits for White County. Fowler went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead Warriors at the plate.
Dawson County collected nine hits. Colton Rucker, Sawyer Bearden and Mulberry each had multiple hits for Dawson County.
BUFORD 11,
HABERSHAM CENTRAL 4
No. 1 Buford (10-0, 5-0 Region 8-6A) was consistent at the plate in the win over Habersham Central on the road Monday.
The Wolves scattered 11 runs over seven innings on 14 hits to blow past the Raiders (4-6, 3-2 Region 8-6A).
Dylan Lesko (2-for-3) started the game with a double to right field, then stole third, then scored on an error to push the Wolves in front, 1-0. Later in the inning, Kaden Martin scored off a Stan Zagrodnik single. The next at-bat, Zagrodnik swiped second, then scored on Carson King's single. Riley Stanford also scored to give the Wolves a 4-0 lead.
The Raiders added one run in the third and three runs in the seventh. Mason Dawe, Cooper Shirley and Konner Burrell all drove runs home in the three-run seventh.
In the first inning, Buford Wolves got their offense started when Brant Baughcum grounded out, scoring one run.
Jackson Gaspard earned the win on the hill for the Wolves, allowing just one run on one hit, while striking out five.
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