Baseball: Lions rally past Flowery Branch

GAINESVILLE - You only get one first varsity appearance. And Lakeview Academy freshman Austin Montgomery made the most of it Friday.

The tall, lanky right-hander pitched a scoreless seventh inning to preserve the Lions' 6-5, come-from-behind win over Flowery Branch at Lakeview Field.

"That was our one bright spot of the game," Lakeview coach Duece Roark said. "We're going to need him during the season and what better time to see what he can do. Up to this game he had only had one bullpen season. He did a nice job."

After allowing a bunt single to Cory Sanderson to lead off the seventh, Montgomery struck out Logan Rooks after Sanderson had stolen second, and then got Breck Davidson to pop out to first after Sanderson stole third. But, Montgomery finished the game enticing Jesse Brookshire to ground out to short.

The Lions (2-2) set up the win by scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning without the benefit of a hit off two Flowery Branch pitchers. Trailing 5-3, Lakeview got two hit batsmen sandwiched around three straight walks to tie the game at 5-5 and then got the eventual game-winner on an RBI ground out from Jacob Whitenton.

The Falcons (0-5) had rallied from a 3-2 deficit after the first inning with a run in the second to tie the game. It stayed that way until the fifth when Flowery Branch took a 4-3 lead on a RBI single from Davidson. They made it 5-3 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Jimmy Fitzgerald.

Falcons starter Rooks pitched in and out of jams during his five innings of work, including getting out of a two-on and no out situation in the third and a fifth-inning jam with runners at second and third with one out.

Lakeview starter Ralston Cash lasted four innings surrendering six hits and striking out four but did not allow an earned run as Flowery Branch was able to capitalize on two Lakeview errors.

Cash finished with two hits and one RBI to lead Lakeview at the plate. Dalton Mundy had two hits and Nick Drury had one hit and two RBI for the Lions.

Sanderson finished with three hits and three stolen bases to lead the Flowery Branch offense. Fitzgerald and Taylor Jones each finished with a hit and one RBI and Brookshire, Davidson, Robby Boudreau, and Kyle Famiano each had one hit for the Falcons.