Baseball scoreboard: NHall, Dawson Co., GHS, CHS, LCA win; Lumpkin, Johnson lose

JASPER, Ga.— The fourth-ranked North Hall baseball team strengthened its Region 6-3A title hopes with a 3-2 win over No. 2 Pickens on Thursday. 

It was the second straight win over the Dragons (11-3, 3-2 Region 6-3A), and they will go for the season sweep at Lynn Cottrell Field on Friday. 

The Trojans (9-3, 5-0 Region 6-3A) are tied with Dawson County, who knocked off White County on Thursday, for the region lead.

The Dragons struck first in the bottom of the first inning, capitalizing on a pair of walks. Matthew Davis worked a bases loaded walk to bring home the game's first run, giving the Dragons a 1-0 advantage. 

North Hall responded with a run in the fourth, before the game's decisive blow in the fifth inning -- a Kenny Foudy two-run homer to left field that pushed the Trojans ahead for good. 

Jimerson tossed six and one-third innings of scoreless baseball, allowing five hits while striking out two and no walks to earn the win.

North Hall’s offense was led by Foudy, who delivered two RBIs while going 1-for-3. Ty Kemp and Custis Honeycutt each added two hits. 

DAWSON COUNTY 4, 
WHITE COUNTY 0

Dawson County's Anden Wallace put together an impressive pitching performance to lead the Tigers to their second straight win over White County in Cleveland on Thursday.

The win leaves the Tigers (10-4, 5-0 Region 6-3A) tied with North Hall atop the Region 6-3A standings. They'll host White County on Friday.  

Wallace allowed just three hits while striking out four over seven innings. 

Dawson County broke the scoreless tie in the third inning when Jacson Rickett singled to drive in the game’s first run. Rickett finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Tigers’ offense. 

Preston Bannister and Elijah Odom also contributed with two hits each, while Bannister added two stolen bases.

White County managed three hits, with John Bannon, Shelton Ramey, and Trevor Butler each recording one. 

Dawson County will look to keep the momentum going as they face White County again on Friday.

GAINESVILLE 11, 
MILTON 5 (9)

A six-run ninth inning lifted the Red Elephants past Milton on Thursday. 

Adrian Medina had a big night for Gainesville, collecting four hits and recording singles in the second, fourth, fifth and ninth innings.

The Red Elephants (3-11, 1-4 Region 7-5A) broke the game open with a six-run ninth inning with timely hits from CJ Saudarg, who singled to bring in two runs, Medina, who added another RBI single, and three consecutive bases-loaded walks drawn by Chase Gannon, Dawson Vaughn and Cohen Miller.

Gainesville jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first and added another in the second after a Collins Embry RBI single. 

Milton responded in the third, cashing in an error and a sacrifice liner to take a 3-2 lead.

Gainesville reclaimed the lead in the fifth, scoring three runs on clutch hits from Andrew Rice, Saudarg, and Medina. Milton fought back to tie the game in the sixth, but Big Red's offensive explosion in the ninth sealed the victory.

Gannon earned the win in relief, allowing two hits and two runs over three innings while striking out two. Cohen Miller started for Gainesville, striking out six and allowing three runs (one earned) over five innings. 

Gainesville finished with 17 hits, led by Medina’s four-hit effort. Saudarg went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Vaughn and Asher Stephens recorded multiple hits. 

CHESTATEE 9, 
JOHNSON 1

The War Eagles (3-11, 2-3 Region 6-3A) used an eight-run fourth inning to power past Johnson in Oakwood on Thursday. 

The War Eagles erupted for eight runs in the fourth, highlighted by clutch RBI singles from Parker Grant, Ethan Etris, Thomas Martens, Ethan Dunn and Carter Edmondson.

Johnson (2-11, 0-5 Region 6-3A) took the lead in the first after an RBI single from Alex Alvarez, but Chestatee took control behind strong pitching from Cort Hagerman, who allowed just one run on three hits over 3.1 innings while striking out four.

The War Eagles racked up 11 hits, with Edmondson, Eli Chaffin and Dunn with two. 

Alvarez led Johnson with two hits.

GREATER ATLANTA 8, 
LUMPKIN COUNTY 5

GAC's Denzell Watkins's three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning propelled the Spartans to their second straight win over Lumpkin County at home on Thursday. 

The game was tied when Watkins pushed the Spartans (5-6, 2-3 Region 6-3A) to the lead. 

However, the Indians (9-4, 3-2 Region 6-3A) had taken a 5-2 lead in the fourth off a five-run outburst, highlighted by Matthew Mitchell’s RBI single. 

However, the Spartans capitalized on an error and Watkins’s home run in the sixth to regain the lead.

Watkins also earned the win on the mound, striking out eight over six innings while allowing five runs. Jasper Johnson secured the save.

Lumpkin County’s offense was led by Mason Hester, Adian Rogers and Kendal Lee, each contributing a hit. 

LANIER CHRISTIAN 3, 
VICTORY 2

Earl Adamson drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Lightning past Victory Baptist on Thursday. 

The win improved LCA to 4-1. 

Hayden Davis started the game and pitched four strong innings before giving way to Gavin Strabala. Strabala pitched the final four and picked up the win. The two hurlers recorded six Ks and gave up five hits.  

The game was a pitchers' duel, with Victory Baptist scoring first in the fifth inning. The Lightning answered back in the 6th with a solo home run by Strabala.  The game remained tied, 1-1, until the 8th when the Warriors scored to take the lead.

LCA answered in the bottom of the 8th when Drew Kalinauskas drove in a run to tie the game, 2-2, setting it up for Adamson to drive in the game-winner.