DAHLONEGA, Ga. -- The Lumpkin County baseball team pulled within one game of Region 7-3A leader and second-ranked Pickens with a 4-0 win at home on Tuesday.
Harper Davenport pitched a gem, allowing just four hits while striking out five in the complete-game performance.
The two region foes play again on Thursday and Friday. If the Indians (19-5, 10-3 Region 7-3A) can sweep the Dragons (22-4, 14-2 Region 7-3A), they'll take control of the region lead.
On Tuesday, the Indians opened the first inning with a Davenport double, followed by an Alejandro Narvaez triple that scored Davenport and a Cooper Scott single that pushed Narvaez home for a 2-0 lead. A batter later, Scott scored on a passed ball during Adian Rogers' at-bat.
The Indians added the fourth run in the fourth inning on a Rogers single that brought Peyton Wood home.
Davenport, Mason Hester, Hayden Gilbert, Narvaez, Rogers and Scott managed one hit for the Indians.
WOODSTOCK 7,
FLOWERY BRANCH 4
No. 9 Woodstock scored five runs in the second inning to blow open the game en route to the win.
Flowery Branch scored one run in the second and fourth innings and two in the sixth.
Jackson Freeman was 3-for-3 to lead the Falcons at the plate. Kyle Adamec drove in two runs, and Riley Mitchell drove in one run.
EAST JACKSON 6,
UNION COUNTY 1
The Eagles (10-13, 1-9 Region 8-2A) scored four runs in the third inning to take control to get their first region win over Union County in Blairsville.
East Jackson's Bryse Patterson was 2-for-3 with four RBIs to lead the Eagles at the plate. Randy Smith and Payton Garner each had two hits.
Tristen Pressley allowed one run on two hits and four strikeouts in seven innings.
Maddox Patton and Gunnar Akins had one hit each for the Panthers (1-23, 1-8 Region 8-2A)
WESLEYAN 13,
WEST HALL 3
Wesleyan's Dominick Scales drove in four runs on two hits to lead the Wolves past West Hall in five innings at home on Tuesday.
Scalese smashed a two-run homer during the Wolves' (13-7, 10-3 Region 7-3A) eight-run first inning. Wesleyan recorded three home runs in the inning. He added another two-run shot in the fourth inning.
West Hall (6-17, 2-11 Region 7-3A) scored three runs in the top of the first inning, two of them on an error and an Evan Connor single. Brett Sturm stole home for the Spartans' third run.
With the win, the Wolves are tied with Lumpkin County for second in the region standings.
ELBERT COUNTY 6,
COMMERCE 2
The third-ranked Blue Devils (21-4, 11-2 Region 8-A D1) scattered six runs over the first three innings to pace the win at Commerce on Tuesday.
The Tigers (11-13, 8-5 Region 8-A D1) grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first inning on an error and a sacrifice fly from Beau Neisler but couldn't add any more runs over the next five innings in the loss.
Commerce holds on to the No. 4 spot in the region standings. Elbert County is one game ahead of Athens Christian in first.
Cayden Lord and Coleson Smith had two hits a piece to lead the Tigers.
WHITE COUNTY 6,
GILMER 5
Landon Roberts swiped home to complete the Warriors' four-run rally to beat Gilmer at home on Tuesday.
White County (9-14, 4-9 Region 7-3A) trailed 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning and took advantage of the Bobcats' pitching woes to steal the win.
The Warriors entered Tuesday's game against Gilmer (6-17, 0-13 Region 7-3A) needing a win to strengthen their playoff hopes, and it didn't look good until the big seventh inning.
If the Warriors can sweep the Bobcats, they'll be two games out of the fourth spot with a huge Region 7-3A series against current fourth-place Dawson County next week.
Meanwhile, the Warriors led 2-1 after the fourth inning but gave up four straight runs to fall behind.
The Warriors loaded the bases on an error and two walks in the seventh. Gilmer then walked in three straight runs to tie the game, 5-5. That's when L Roberts stole home for the walk-off.
Alex Freeman, Mark Daniels, Ryan Fowler and Roberts all had one hit for the Warriors.
FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN 6,
BANKS COUNTY 0
Second-ranked Fellowship Christian (20-2, 10-0 Region 8-2A) slowly built its lead across six innings to knock off Banks County at home on Tuesday.
The Leopards (14-9, 7-3 Region 8-2A) entered the series needing to sweep to tie for the Region 8-2A lead. The Leopards remain in second place in the standings after the loss.
The Paladins' Daniel Powell and Griffin Guinther combined to hold the Leopards to just two hits on the day while striking out nine.
Colin Caudell and Aucy Jacobs had one hit each for the Leopards.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCOREBOARD, Tuesday, April 11
Fellowship Christian 6, Banks County 0*
Bethlehem Christian Academy 19, Lakeview Academy 4*
East Jackson 6, Union County 1*
Elbert County 6, Commerce 2*
White County 6, Gilmer 5*
Lumpkin County 4, Pickens 0*
Wesleyan 13, West Hall 3*
Woodstock 7, Flowery Branch 4
(* -- denotes region contest)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/4/1177905/baseball-scoreboard