HOMER, Ga. — On the brink of elimination, Andrew Humphries drove in the game-winning run to rally Banks County to a 4-3 win over The Walker School in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.
With two outs, the score tied 3-3, in the top of the seventh, Gaven Sears singled to left field, setting up Humphries for a big hit. He delivered on a 1-0 count with an RBI double, scoring Gears for the go-ahead run. Sears and the Leopard defense sat down three of the four Walker batters in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win and force Game 3.
The Leopard rallied from a 3-0 deficit, tying the game on an O Miller two-RBI single in the sixth inning.
Sears and Cam Cooper both recorded two hits on the day.
In Game 1, the Wolverines made a huge defensive play in the bottom of the eighth inning, gunning down Austin Anderson at home to seal the 3-2 extra-innings win.
Banks County led 1-0 after the first, but Walker scored a run in the second and fourth to take the lead. The Leopards tied the game in the sixth, 2-2, but the Wolverines took the lead in the top of the eighth, 3-2.
Humphries led the Leopards with a 3-for-4, 1 RBI performance at the plate.
Game 3 is set for Thursday. The first pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Banks County.
BUFORD 16, 9,
WEST FORSYTH 9, 0
West Forsyth put up a fight in the Game 1 loss to the Wolves, but in Game 2, Buford shut the Wolverines down to advance to the quarterfinals of the Class 7A playoffs on Wednesday at Gerald McQuaig Field.
In Game 1, Buford survived a slugfest, overcoming a first-inning deficit to pull ahead. The Wolves scored all their runs in three innings: seven in the second, five in the third, and four in the fifth.
Nate Taylor started on the mound for the Wolves and pitched into the fifth inning before being relieved by Ayden Lockett. Taylor earned his eighth win of the season, allowing seven runs on seven hits, five strikeouts and four walks.
Lockett pitched to only four batters before being relieved by Damian Brown. Brown threw three innings of hitless baseball to seal the win and earn his fifth save of the season.
Caleb Griffin led the Wolves at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, and Jayden Clark and Taylor collected two hits and drove in two runs each.
In Game 2, Ethan Murray's bat was on fire, finishing the day with three hits, including a home run, double and single to lead the Wolves to the win.
Buford took the lead in the first inning, 1-0, and pushed the lead to 5-0 after the fourth inning.
They added four runs in the top of the seventh inning, including Murray's solo home run to seal the win.
Kyle Krause picked up the win on the mounding, allowing just two hits on the day in 6 1/3 innings while striking out six.
2nd ROUND BASEBALL SCOREBOARD, Wednesday, May 1
CLASS 7A
Buford 16, 9, West Forsyth 9, 0
CLASS 6A
Blessed Trinity 6, 11, North Forsyth 3, 1
Etowah 10, 5, Habersham Central 0, 0
CLASS 4A
Cherokee Bluff 13, 13, Cedartown 9, 0
CLASS 2A
Banks County 2, 4, Walker 3, 3
2nd ROUND BASEBALL SCHEDULE, Thursday, May 2
(Game 3s, if necessary)
CLASS 2A
Walker (R6, S3) at Banks County (R8, S1) -- 5 p.m.
