GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Mills Lothridge smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to break a tie and propel Class 4A fourth-ranked North Hall to a 4-2 win over No. 6 East Forsyth on Monday at Lynn Cottrell Field.
Lothridge’s blast gave the Trojans (12-1, 1-0 Region 8-4A North) a win in both teams' subregion openers.
Kaleb Sexton worked around a lead-off single by Zach Aschoff in the bottom of the seventh to close out a complete-game win. Sexton went the distance, scattering four hits and a walk while striking out eight.
Micah Jimerson and Kenny Foudy each drove in a run for North Hall.
East Forsyth (10-4, 0-1 Region 8-4A North) trailed 1-0 when Aschoff knocked in a run in the fourth on a fielder’s choice. The Broncos took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a RBI double from Trey Farr.
Farr took the loss on the hill, giving up four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
CHEROKEE BLUFF 15,
NORTH OCONEE 3
Caleb Miele homered twice, and Ethan England hit one home run to lead No. 2 Cherokee Bluff to an impressive win in six innings on Monday in a Region 8-4A crossover game.
Miele and England also combined to drive in seven runs. The Bears (10-2) scored in all but one inning, breaking a 3-3 tie with four runs in the second. They blew the game open with four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
Bluff pounded out 15 hits, with Jacob Vokal rapping out three hits, and Miele, England, KT Thompson, Landon Kemp, and Beau Bruns all had two hits apiece for Bluff.
After Bluff scored three runs in the first, the Titans (7-5) scored three in the bottom of the first to tie the game. Vokal got the win, allowing just three runs in five innings on five hits while fanning five.
Nate Wilson pitched the final inning, walking one for the Bears.
CHESTATEE 14,
EAST HALL 4
Brock Moody scored three runs, and Dylan Thompson, Colton Wilbanks, and Thomas Martens each drove in two runs. The War Eagles scored in every inning to open subregion play with a win in five innings.
Chestatee (8-6, 1-0 Region 8-4A North) led 3-0 after the first, but East Hall (2-11, 0-1 Region 8-4A North) scored four runs in the second on a passed ball, two wild pitches, and a dropped third strike for a 4-3 lead. The war Eagles answered with a run in the second to tie the game and then plated five in the third, four in the fourth, and one in the fifth.
Thompson got the win in relief, pitching the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on two hits and fanning five.
GAINESVILLE 5,
JACKSON COUNTY 4
The Red Elephants scored five runs in the first two innings and then held on for their first Region 8-6A win of the season.
Cooper Reid had three hits and three RBIs, and Baxter Wright added a hit and RBI for Gainesville (4-6, 1-2 Region 8-6A), which led 4-0 and then 5-1 until the seventh.
Jackson County (3-9, 0-1 Region 8-6A) scored three runs in the top of the seventh off Branson Crawford, who went 6 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and fanned seven.
But Dawson Vaughn came on to get the final out with the go-ahead run on base for the save to preserve the win.
FLOWERY BRANCH 6,
WINDER-BARROW 4
The Falcons scored four runs in the top of the seventh to rally for a huge Region 8-5A road win.
Branch (5-6, 2-0 Region 8-5A) trailed 3-0 until scoring twice in the fourth, and the Bulldoggs (2-11, 0-2 Region 8-5A) pushed their lead to 4-2 with a run in the sixth.
David Ojeda, however, tied the game with a two-run double in the seventh, and then the Falcons took the lead on a sacrifice fly and a dropped third strike.
London Moshiri pitched 1 2/3 innings for Branch to get the win, allowing one run on one hit while striking out four. Ojeda pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
LANIER CHRISTIAN 17,
TRINITY PREP 2
LCA improved to 6-1 on the season with a big win at home on Monday.
Carter Sexton, Carter Hilton, and Drew Kalinauskas combined on a one-hitter on the mound. Sexton picked up the win, striking out five. Hilton and Kalinauskas threw an inning each in relief.
The Lightning offense scored in every inning, amassing 12 hits. Tres Criste led the way with three hits, while Josh Lebel hit his first home run of the season and drove in three runs for LCA.
Lebel, Drew Kalinauskas, and Evan Kalinauskas each had two hits. Hayden Davis and Owen Joy both had their first hits of the season.
BUFORD 2,
MOUNTAIN VIEW 1
On Monday, the Wolves (7-4, 1-0) opened the Region 8-7A schedule with a win over Mountain View at Gerald McQuaig Field.
The game featured two Division 1 pitchers, Buford’s Nate Taylor, a Georgia commit, versus Mountain View’s Cooper Johnson, an Ole Miss commit.
Taylor was better on Monday, allowing just one run on four hits while fanning nine Bears and one walk.
Cooper got into trouble in the third inning when Johnson walked the bases loaded, then walked in Buford’s Ethan Murray for the Wolves’ first run of the game. Buford extended the lead in the fifth inning when Cannon Goldin hit a scorching line drive to right-center for a stand-up double. Two batters later, Taylor helped himself with a fly ball single to deep right field that easily scored Golden.
The Bears made it a one-run game in the sixth inning with two hits off Taylor and a called balk. In the seventh, junior Damian Brown earned the save, sitting the Bears down in order.
Taylor went 2-for-2 with an RBI to lead the Wolves at the plate. Goldin, Ayden Lockett, Madden Young, and Cam Wood each had one hit.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCOREBOARD Monday, March 11
Buford 2, Mountain View 1*
Jefferson 12, Clarke Central 0*
Cherokee Bluff 15, North Oconee 3*
Chestatee 14, East Hall 4*
Flowery Branch 6, Winder-Barrow 4*
Gainesville 5, Jackson County 4*
Habersham Central 6, Shiloh 0*
Lanier Christian 17, Trinity Prep 2
North Hall 4, East Forsyth 2*
Pope 3, North Forsyth 2
(* -- denotes region contest)
