Buford, Cherokee Bluff, and East Forsyth all advanced to the second round of the Georgia High School Association state playoffs on Monday.
Buford moved on in Class 7A playoffs after routing Peachtree Ridge, 10-1, on Monday in Game 3 of their first-round series. The Region 8-7A champion Wolves (19-13) had been pushed to the limit on Saturday with a split with the Lions on Saturday.
Brandon Taliaferro and Ethan Murray each homered, combining for five hits and five RBI to lead the offense. Nick Taylor went 6 2/3 innings, scattering three hits and allowing one run while fanning eight to get the win.
"We got off to a hot start, and we stayed hot," Buford coach Stuart Chester said. "We're practically a brand new team, and it's just been a process all year long. The pitching was fantastic. This was big for us."
Buford will play host to Walton in the second round beginning on Friday.
Bluff and East Forsyth both advanced in In Class 4A. The Bears shook off their tough finish to Region 8-4A, hammering Heritage-Catoosa 12-2 and 8-0 at Bluff Ballpark. In the opening game, Bryce England and Brett House set the tone with back-to-back home runs in an 8-run second inning. England blasted a grand slam for a 7-0 lead, and House followed with a solo shot. Jacob Vokal and Logan Robinson each drove in two runs for Bluff. In the second game, Landon Kemp and KT Thompson both had three-run doubles in back-to-back innings.
East Forsyth won its first-ever playoff series, sweeping Sonoraville 3-0 and 11-0 in five innings on the road. Broncos' starters Wyatt Barden and Trey Farr combined for 10 2/3 scoreless innings on the mound in the two games. East Forsyth will next travel to Region 6-4A champion Holy Innocents in the second round beginning on Saturday in Atlanta.
However, North Hall's streak of deep playoff runs ended quickly in 2023. The young Trojans were swept by Cedartown, 3-0 and 13-7, on the road to be eliminated.
Flowery Branch went on the road in Class 5A and achieved a split with Woodland-Cartersville. The Falcons took a 1-0 victory in Game 1, scoring the only run of the game on a sixth-inning error by the Wildcats. Woodland rallied for a 14-7 win in the second game. Game 3 will be Tuesday in Cartersville.
Jefferson, meanwhile, had a quick and disappointing playoff run in Class 5A. On Monday, the Dragons were swept 11-0 and 2-0 by No. 1 Cartersville on the road.
In Class 3A, Dawson County rallied to get a split on Monday against Franklin County. The Tigers lost 2-1 in the opening game but evened the series with a 4-0 win in the second game. In the second game, the Tigers scored three in the first and one in the second, and Joshua Priest made it stand up, tossing a complete-game three-hitter and striking out nine to get the win. Game 3 will be Tuesday in Carnesville.
Lumpkin County, however, dropped a heartbreaker in its opening game to Oconee County, 8-7 in eight innings, and then could not recover in falling 10-3 in the second game to get swept out of the playoffs in Class 3A.
Banks County saw its season come to an end on Monday. The Leopards got swept at home by Rockmart, losing 4-3 and 3-1 in Class 2A.
Class A Division 1 and Class A Division 2 will get started until Thursday.
(Check below for the full schedule and scores of the first-round series' involving Northeast Georgia-area teams.)
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS SCORES, 1st round, Monday, April 24
(Best-of-three series)
Class 7A (Game 3)
Buford 10, Peachtree Ridge 1 (Buford wins series 2-1)
Class 5A
Flowery Branch 1-7, Woodland-Cartersville 0-14 (Series tied 1-1)
Cartersville 11-2, Jefferson 0-0 (Cartersville wins series 2-0)
Class 4A
East Forsyth 3-11 Sonoraville 0-0 (East Forsyth wins series 2-0)
Cherokee Bluff 12-8, Heritage-Catoosa 2-0 (Cherokee Bluff wins series 2-0)
Cedartown 3-13, North Hall 0-7 (Cedartown wins series 2-0)
Class 3A
Dawson County 1-4, Franklin County 2-0 (Series tied 1-1)
Oconee County 8-10, Lumpkin County 7-3 (Oconee Co. wins series 2-0)
Class 2A
Rockmart 4-3, Banks County 3-1 (Rockmart wins series 2-0)
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Tuesday, April 25
(Best-of-three series)
Class 5A (Game 3)
Flowery Branch (R8, S3) at Woodland-Cartersville (R7, S2), 5:30 p.m.
Class 3A (Game 3)
Dawson County (R7, S3) at Franklin County (R8, S2), 5 p.m.
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Thursday, April 27
(Best-of-three series)
Class A Division 1
Commerce (R8, S4) at Pepperell (R7, S1) DH, 4:30 p.m.
Class A Division 2
Mt. Zion-Carroll (R7, S3, at Towns County (R8, S2) DH, 4 p.m.
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st round, Friday, April 28
(Best-of-three series)
Class A Division 1 (Game 3, if necessary)
Commerce (R8, S4) at Pepperell (R7, S1) DH, 4 p.m.
Class A Division 2 (Game 3, if necessary)
Mt. Zion-Carroll (R7, S3, at Towns County (R8, S2), 1 p.m.
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS, 1st ROUND SCORES, Saturday, April 22
(Best-of-three series)
Class 7A
Buford 10-3, Peachtree Ridge 0-8 (series tied 1-1)
Class 6A
Blessed Trinity 10-6, Jackson County 4-2 (Titans wins series 2-0)
North Forsyth 2-4, Roswell 0-2 (Raiders win series 2-0
