CARTERSVILLE — Lakeview Academy, ranked eighth in Class A Private, continues to look strong in the early going after routing No. 15 St. Francis 16-0 in five innings Friday in a game played at the Lakepoint Sports Complex.
The Lions (6-1) jumped all over the Knights (6-4) scoring six runs in the first and five more in the second. After single runs in the third and fourth Lakeview put the game away with three in the fifth.
That was more than enough for Andrew Estes. The senior hurler tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout striking out 11 batters.
Estes also helped lead a 14-hit attack. Estes, along with Parker Allen and Holden Cooper each had three hits and 3 RBIs. Sam Stewart had two hits and scored four times for the Lions.
Lakeview will travel to Tallulah Falls on Monday.
JOHNSON 5,
WEST HALL 3
Johnson snapped a seven-year losing streak to their arch-rivals with a come-from-behind victory Friday at home.
It also snapped a two-game losing streak for the Knights (5-6).
Johnson led 1-0 after the first, West Hall tied it with a run in the second, and the Knights answered with a run in the bottom of the second. The Spartans took a 3-2 lead plating a pair of runs in the third and Johnson again answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
It stayed that way until the Knights struck for two runs in the fifth.
Tristan Nguyen pitched four innings in relief allowing no runs or hits while striking out 10 to get the win. Nolan Lavergne started and went three innings giving up three runs on three and fanning 6.
Meanwhile, James Lancaster led Johnson at the plate with two hits and he also scored twice. Josh Mascrier stole three bases for the Knights.
Johnson next will travel to Rabun County on Monday.
It was the seventh straight loss for West Hall (2-8) which travels to Habersham Central on Saturday for a doubleheader.
CHESTATEE 6,
GAINESVILLE 5 (9 inn)
The War Eagles rallied from a pair of two-run deficits to take a thrilling extra-innings win at home Friday.
Robbie James drove in Caleb Carter in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly for the game-winner.
Chestatee (4-5) led 2-0 early with single runs in the first and second. But the Red Elephants (3-6) answered with runs in the third and fourth to tie the game and took a 4-2 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth. The War Eagles trimmed it to 4-3 in the sixth but Gainesville answered with a run in the top of the seventh.
The War Eagles, however, scored twice in the bottom of the seventh with James scoring from third on a double steal when Hunter Fouche got in a rundown between first and second.
Fouche, Carter, and Phillip Lemay each had two hits for Chestatee with Fouche also driving in a pair of runs.
Hunter Potzner started on the mound for the War Eagles going four innings and surrendering two runs on four hits and fanning six. Nolan Turner went three innings giving up three runs on four hits. Clay Tyas got the win pitching the final two innings allowing no runs or hits while striking out five.
For Gainesville, Zach Valentine and Grady Vardeman led an 8-hit attack with two hits each. Harris Bell, Victor Vega, Eudy Medina, and Dylan Clark each had a hit and Vardeman, Medina and Clark had one RBI apiece.
Valentine went 6 2/3 innings on the mound for the Red Elephants allowing five runs, just one earned, and scattering eight hits while fanning 7. Ethan Payne took the tough loss going two innings and allowing just one hit.
