COMMERCE, Ga. — Coleson Smith smashed Jasper House's first pitch over the centerfield wall to lift Commerce past No. 8 Athens Christian, 7-6, in eight innings at home on Thursday.
The win was huge for the Tigers in the Region 8-A Division 1 standing, keeping them within one game of second place and two out of the top spot.
Athens Christian (16-6, 9-3 Region 8-A Division 1) took the series 2-1 but split the day's doubleheader action by winning Game 1, 4-0.
The win snapped a three-game skid for the Tigers.
In Game 2, Beau Neisler had a massive day for the Tigers, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs, including a home run in the third inning.
He helped the Tigers rushed out to a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-RBI double.
However, the Eagles added a run in the second and three in the third inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Neisler tied the game, 4-4, when he crushed a two-run homer that scored Hampton Hutto to tie the game.
From there, the two region foes traded runs, one each in the fourth and fifth innings, and both were held scoreless in the final two innings of regulation.
In Game 1, Josh Wilson sat down 11 Commerce Tigers and allowed only three hits to lead Athens Christian to the 4-0 shutout win in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Thursday.
Wilson pitched a complete game.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when Parker Westbrook doubled to right field, scoring Jasper House and Abhi Shah to go up 2-0. Garner's sacrifice fly a battle later scored Westbrook for the 3-0 lead.
The Eagles added the fourth run in the seventh inning off a sacrifice fly from Wilson that scored Cummings.
Commerce recorded three hits on the day. Cohen Thomason, Coleson Smith and Hampton Hutto each had a hit.
CHESTATEE 9,
STEPHENS COUNTY 4
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth inning, the Chestatee baseball team (12-11) scored six straight runs and held on to knock off Stephens County on the road Thursday.
The War Eagles loaded the bases in the top of the sixth off a Cohen Miller double, Ethan Andrews walk and an error. Miller scored when Eli Chaffin was hit by pitcher Ben Stowe and Brock Moody scored on an error to grab the lead 5-4.
In the seventh, the War Eagles added runs on a Dylan Thompson single, an error and a ground out.
Nick McCoy was 3-for-4 to lead the War Eagles at the plate. Miller was 2-for-4 and Hitchcock was 2-for-2.
FLOWERY BRANCH 12,
HILLGROVE 4
The Falcons (14-9) stacked 12 runs over the first three innings to roll past Hillgrove at home on Thursday.
Aaron Attaway picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits while striking out four in four innings.
Riley Mitchell was 2-for-2 with three RBIs to lead the Falcons. Kade Smallwood also was 2-for-2 with one RBI.
PICKENS 3,
DAWSON COUNTY 0
The Tigers (12-11, 8-7 Region 7-3A) struggled to hit Pickens pitcher AJ Rice on Thursday.
Rice struck out 12 Tigers and allowed just four hits over seven innings to help the Dragons (22-3, 14-1 Region 7-3A) sweep the Tigers and remain atop the Region 7-3A standings with a three-game series next week against second-place Lumpkin County.
The Indians are just two games behind Pickens.
The Tigers are now three games out of second place, behind Lumpkin County and Wesleyan.
If White County sweeps Gilmer next week, the Warriors will look to steal a playoff spot from the Tigers in the region series finale April 18-21.
On Thursday, Pickens' offense was just enough to get past the Tigers, scoring two runs in the third and one in the fourth.
Sawyer Bearden, Davis Glass, Elijah Odom and Preston Bannister had one hit each for the Tigers.
APALACHEE 5,
NORTH FORSYTH 3
Jacob Harrison struck out Colin Seabold with runners at second and third to silence the Raiders' seventh-inning rally and lead the Wildcats to the win over Region 8-6A leader North Forsyth at Raider Field on Thursday.
The Raiders (17-8, 12-2 Region 8-6A) outhit the Wildcats 10-8 but left 12 men on base.
The loss was the second straight for the Raiders.
Apalachee scored one run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead but took advantage of a few Raider miscues to blow it open in the second inning.
The Wildcats scored one run on a single, and one on a passed ball before Judah Powell ripped a two-run homer to push the Wildcats ahead 5-0.
NoFo answered with one run in the third inning off a single from Mason and tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning before it fell short.
Jake Prince was 3-for-4 to lead the Raiders, while Logan Curry was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
JEFFERSON 10,
OCONEE COUNTY 9
The Dragons (16-6) needed an extra inning to beat Oconee County at home on Thursday.
Jefferson scored outscored Oconee County 9-6 in the final four innings, including five in the seventh to send the game to extra innings. The Dragons loaded the bases and scored the winning run when Aiden Mixon was hit by a pitch. Owen Primm scored the winning run. Primm was 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs to lead the Dragons at the plate.
BUFORD 5
NORTH PAULDING 0
The Wolves held Class 7A fifth-ranked North Paulding to just two hits en route to the win on Thursday in the Battle for Barrow baseball tournament at LakePoint Sports Complex.
The Wolves scored three runs in the third and added one run in the fourth and one in the sixth to secure the win.
Davis Church picked up the win in relief, allowing one hit while striking out two in three innings.
Madden Young was 1-for-3 with three RBIs, Brandon Taliaferro was 1-for-2, and Eli McElwaney was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCOREBOARD, Thursday, April 6
Apalachee 5, North Forsyth 3*
Athens Christian 4, 6, Commerce 0, 7 (DH)
Banks County 3, 17, Clarke Central 2, 1 (DH)
Buford 5, North Paulding 0
Chestatee 9, Stephens County 4
Pickens 3, Dawson County 0*
Flowery Branch 12, Hillgrove 4
Cherokee Bluff 11, North Hall 2*
Jefferson 10, Oconee County 9
White County 19, West Hall 5 *
Buford 5, North Paulding 0
*denotes region contest
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