BUFORD, Ga. — Looking for a sweep of its opening Region 8-6A series, Buford could not hold onto a late lead as Mountain View rallied for a 7-4 win on Friday at Gerald McQuaig Field.
Buford (3-2, 2-1 Region 8-6A) led 3-2 going into the sixth inning but Mountain View (2-4, 1-2 Region 8-6A) exploded for five runs, powered by a bases-clearing, three-run double from Trevor Waite.
The Wolves got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch but could not get any closer.
Junior Ryland Perry got the start, allowing one unearned run on no hits, two walks, and he struck out a pair of batters. Junior Kanon Nelson took over and would eventually take the loss going 3 2/3 innings, surrendering six runs on five hits and three walks while fanning nine.
Mountain View led 2-1 after three innings and Buford grabbed a three lead when two runs scored on a Bears error.
Freshman Leo Garcia had a huge game going 3-for-3 with a double and scored twice. Juniors Ayden Lockett and Vance Bock and freshman Dexter McCleon each had one hit for Buford.
The Wolves will open a three-game series with Collins Hill (8-2, 3-0 Region 8-6A) on Monday on the road.
RABUN COUNTY 7,
UNION COUNTY 5
The Wildcats completed a two-game sweep of their arch-rivals on Friday on the road and ran their win streak to three straight.
Rabun County (7-1) scored a run in the first on Chase Alonso sacrifice fly but Union County (3-5) answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a pair of RBI groundouts from Eli Gwynn and Lane Haney.
A three-run third for the Wildcats was the difference, scoring runs on a walk, a groundout, and a Union County error. After the Panthers cut it to 5-4 in the fourth, Rabun County added a pair of runs in the sixth on an Alonso double and a RBI single from Redi Giles.
Lleyton Phillips got the win for Rabun County. Phillips allowed four runs (just two earned) on five hits and struck out six in four innings.
Rabun County will open its Region 8-A Division 1 schedule on Tuesday at home against Providence Christian.
WHITE COUNTY 6,
WEST HALL 5
The Warriors won their second straight road game, holding off the Spartans for a non-region win.
White County (5-2) survived a frantic finish as West Hall (3-6) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and had the winning run at the plate when Alex Freeman, who got the save, got Drew Svetz to fly out to left to end the game. Grant Gooch got the win allowing just one hit and zero earned runs over five innings.
The Warriors scored a run in the first and then the teams matched runs in the third and both scored three in the fifth as they took a 5-4 lead into the seventh.
Cole Shelton got a RBI single in the top of the seventh that proved to be the difference for White County.
Cooper Garrett and Freeman both had two hits to lead the White County offense.
Chase Berger had two hits and Marcus Pugh had one RBI to lead West Hall at the plate.
NORTH HALL 9,
EASTSIDE 2
The Trojans (4-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Lynn Cottrell Field on Friday.
After Eastside grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the first off starter Jake Beard, North Hall answered with four in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Micah Jimerson.
North Hall put the game out of reach with four more in the fifth, getting an RBI single from Kenny Foudy and a two-run double from Smith McGarvey.
Beard got the win giving up two runs on four hits and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings. Thomas Davis and Jimerson each threw one shutout inning for North Hall in relief.
Cole Cable and Foudy both had two hits to lead the Trojans’ offense.
The Trojans next will open their Region 6-3A schedule on Tuesday, opening a three-game series with Greater Atlanta Christian in Norcross.
NORTH FORSYTH 9,
LUMPKIN COUNTY 4
The Raiders (7-2) rallied from an early deficit to knock off the Indians in Coal Mountain.
The big inning was the fourth, where North Forsyth plated seven runs to erase a 2-1 Lumpkin County (6-2) lead. Jace Cahill drove in two with a single, Brady Holbrook followed with another RBI single, and Ellis Alldredge tripled in a run in the decisive inning.
Lumpkin County scored twice in the fifth on an error and a balk by the Raiders but North Forsyth reliever Trey Windham retired all six batters he faced to earn the save.
Jett Cothran earned the win for the Raiders allowing two runs on five hits and fanned five in four innings.
Both teams will open region play next week. North Forsyth travels to rival South Forsyth to begin a Region 6-^A three-game series while the Indians will play host to Chestatee on Tuesday to begin a three-game series in Region 6-3A.
EAST FORSYTH 4,
WEST FORSYTH 3
Grant Barden struck out 11 batters to lead the Broncos to a non-region cross-county battle with the Wolverines on Friday.
Barden scattered two hits and gave up just one run over five innings. But it didn't come easy as West Forsyth scored twice in the sixth inning and had the go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh before Sohrob Azizi got Cade Centracchio to ground into a game-ending double play.
East Forsyth (7-3) took a quick lead with two runs in the first when Zach Aschoff got an RBI groundout and Ryan Ward singled in a run. The Broncos extended it to 4-1 in the fifth when Ward and JD Sexton had back-to-back RBI doubles.
East Forsyth next will play host to Cherokee Bluff on Monday in a battle of former region foes.
(See the full scoreboard for Friday's action below:)
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCOREBOARD FOR FRIDAY, Feb. 28
BASA 16, East Hall 4
East Forsyth 4, West Forsyth 3
Franklin County 7, Jefferson 6
Mountain View 7, Buford 4*
North Forsyth 9, Lumpkin County 4
North Hall 9, Eastside 2
Rabun County 7, Union County 5
Social Circle 6, Banks County 3
Stephens County 18, Habersham Central 2
White County 6, West Hall 5
(* -- denotes region contest)
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