BUFORD — Buford opened its Region 8-6A schedule in impressive style on Thursday.
The Wolves, who are ranked fourth nationally by Perfect Game, pitched a pair of no-hitters in taking a 10-0 and 9-0 doubleheader sweep over Shiloh at Gerald McQuaig Field.
In the first game, junior Dylan Lesko fanned nine in five innings. He also had two hits and RBI at the plate.
Treyton Rank was 2-for-3 with a double and Nate Smith had a hit and an RBI for Buford. Brett Rogers also had a double for the Wolves (5-0, 2-0 Region 8-6A).
In the second game, senior Jackson Gaspard also went 5 innings striking out nine as well.
Smith had two hits, including a double, and three RBI to lead the Buford offense.
Riley Stanford smacked a two-run home run for Buford as well.
Buford will travel to Snellville on Monday to complete the three-game series with Shiloh (3-4, 0-2 Region 8-6A).
GAINESVILLE 7,
HABERSHAM CENTRAL 6 1
Gainesville overcame a pair of deficits and scored five runs over the final three innings to nip the Raiders on Thursday at Ivey-Watson Field.
The Red Elephants literally stole the win when Jahleel Rivas-Dicks scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a double-steal and a throwing error by the Raiders.
Habersham Central seemed ready to make a quick day things scoring two runs each in the first and second innings for a 4-0 lead. But Gainesville scratched out a pair of runs in the third to close the gap to 4-2. Both teams plated a run in the fifth and the Red Elephants got its first lead, 6-5, in the sixth.
In the three-run sixth, Rivas-Dicks walked, moved to third on a Jaden Johnson double, and scored on a passed ball. Victor Vega singled in Johnson, and Gainesville took the lead when Ethan Payne also scored on a passed ball.
The Raiders tied the game in the top of the seventh on a Gainesville error.
Johnson, Vega, and Payne all had two hits for Gainesville.
Vega got the win in relief pitching the final two innings allowing just one hit and one unearned run while striking out two.
FLOWERY BRANCH 11,
DUTCHTOWN 1
The Falcons scored early and often and then used a six-run fifth inning to invoke the 10-run mercy rule in a win at the Hog Mountain Sports Complex.
Flowery Branch scored three runs in the first and two more in the second for a quick 5-0 lead. Dutchtown got its only run in the fifth.
Nick Linkowski paced Flowery Branch with three hits and three RBI while Connor Larson and Jake Beaver had two hits each and combined to drive in two runs. Kade Simmons had a hit and two RBI and Kaleb Freeman, Mason Compton, and Austin Bourrie all had one hit for the Falcons.
Austin Hatcher got the win going all five innings, scattering seven hits and one run while striking out six and walking just one.
DAWSON COUNTY 12,
LFO 6
The Tigers used a pair of big innings to take a non-region road win on Thursday.
Dawson County scored five times in the first, capped by a three-run home run from Carter Turkett. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe rallied for four runs in the bottom of the first but the Tigers exploded for four more in the third, highlighted by a three-run double from Sawyer Bearden. They scored two in the fifth on a two-run single from Julian Horner and one in the sixth on a RBI single by Kinkade Weaver to put the game out of reach.
Brandon Cramer started for Dawson County but could not make it out of the first inning. Andrew Burt came on in relief and then went the distance giving up just two runs on seven hits and striking out seven to get the win.
CHESTATEE 4,
JOHNSON 2
Chestatee scored four runs late and held on to beat the Knights on Thursday at home.
Peyton Lavergne's triple in the top of the first inning drove in Tristian Nguyen and on the next at-bat, Lavergne scored on a wild pitch to give the Knights an early lead, 2-0.
Tristian Nguyen, pitched a gem of a game, allowing one run on two hits while striking out 11 batters and had a no-hitter going until Byran Cantrell ripped a double to start the fifth inning. Cantrell later scored on a Levi Stowers double to put the War Eagles on the board, 2-1.
Nguygen was pulled after the fifth inning, giving way to Lavergne, who took the loss for Johnson. He allowed three runs on two hits and struck out two.
Chestatee grabbed the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Lavergne walked Levi Stowers with the bases loaded and on the next at-bat, Hunter Potzner tripled to right field, scoring Asa Smith and Bryan Cantrell. The runs lifted the War Eagles to the lead, 4-2.
Nolan Turner picked up the win for the War Eagles, tossing two and two-thirds innings with one hit and five strikeouts. Potzner recorded the last three outs of the seventh to earn the save for Chestatee.
Cantrell, Smith, Potzner, and Stowers each collected one hit to lead the War Eagles.
Lavergne went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Johnson in hits.
