FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Top-ranked Cherokee Bluff scored six runs in the sixth to run rule Madison County 14-4 at home on Friday.
It was the Bears' (11-0, 5-0) 11th straight win and sixth double-digit victory of the season.
Bluff gave up three runs in the first inning and didn't take the lead until a four-run third inning, 5-4. Madison County gave the No. 1 team in Class 4A a tough time for four innings.
But the Bears took control in the bottom of the fourth inning -- Caleb Miele, Brett House and Ty Corbin all crossed the plate to give the Bears an 8-4 advantage.
The Bears blew it open in the bottom of the six, recording five hits, two walks, and scoring six runs to force the mercy rule.
Corbin led the Bears at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance and one RBI. Jacob Vokal and Miele had two hits each. Kaden Thompson, Garrett Harper and Landon Kemp had one hit and two RBIs each, while Ethan England and House had one hit and one RBI a piece.
Tucker Holton was credited with the win, going 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out 10.
SECKINGER 2,
NORTH HALL 1
The Jaguars (5-7, 3-2) scored in the top of the 8th inning and held on to beat North Hall at Cottrell Field on Friday.
The Trojans (9-4, 2-3) have lost the last four out of six games and are 2-3 against Region 8-4A south teams this season.
Seckinger grabbed the lead, 1-0, in the first inning and held on until North Hall tied it up in the bottom of the seventh -- Mills Lothridge, Korbyn Sosebee singled, then Lothridge scored on an error to tie the game. The Trojans couldn't bring the game-winning run home, ending the seventh with three straight strikeouts.
In the top of the eighth, the Jags started with a ground out and doubt from Malachi Jefferies. Joseph Montgomery singled in Jefferies to give Seckinger the 2-1 lead.
The Trojans had two runners on in the bottom of the inning with two outs. Ajay Jones was caught stealing home to end the inning.
JEFFERSON 10,
CLARKE CENTRAL 0
Jefferson (9-3, 2-0) scattered 10 runs across five innings to run-rule Clarke Central at home on Friday.
The Dragons opened the game with a four-run first and a three-run second inning to blow open the game 7-0.
Bowman Horn was 3-for-3 to lead the Dragons' offensive slugfest. Roger Hulsey was 2-for-2, while Brett Kelley, Jase Peoples, Aiden Mixon, Eston Simpson, Riley Rainer and Sammy Maxwell all had one hit each. Dumas, Rainer, Simpson, Peoples and Kelley all drove in a run.
WALNUT GROVE 7,
CHESTATEE 2
Walnut Grove slowly built a lead one run at a time through five innings to knock off Chestatee at the Lynn Cottrell Complex on Friday.
The Warriors scored two runs in the first and one run in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
Chestatee (7-6, 3-2) didn't get on the board until the bottom of the seventh inning. Joshua Bull singled in Jake Hitchcock, and Dylan Thompson scored Eli Chaffin on a single to center field.
DAWSON COUNTY 9,
WEST HALL 2
The Tigers took control with a four-run fourth inning and never looked back to take the season series against West Hall on Friday at home.
The Spartans scored their two runs in the top of the fifth inning, while the Tigers added three more runs, two in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Colton Rucker highlighted Dawson County's offensive show with a two-run homer in the big fourth inning, scoring Sawyer Bearden. He was 2-for-4 on the day. Julian Horner was a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI, Davis Glass was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Bearden, Elijah Odom and Trey Harvey added one hit each.
Joshua Priest earned the win for the Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits and 13 strikeouts in the complete-game performance.
Justin Shaffer, Brett Sturm, Ozzie Lopez and Drew Svetz each had a hit for the Spartans.
PARKVIEW 12,
BUFORD 2
Top-ranked Parkview blew past Buford on the road Friday.
Blake Russell was 1-for-3 with a triple, while Jayden Clark and Cannon Golden had one hit each for the Wolves.
The Wolves struck first in the bottom of the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead, then Parkeview's bats got going. The Panthers scored one run in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.
Buford answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Parkview added four runs in the sixth and four in the seventh.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCOREBOARD, Friday, March 10
Athens Christian 19, 14, Rabun County 4, 1*
East Forsyth 16, Cedar Shoals 1*
East Jackson 4, Central Gwinnett 3
Cherokee Bluff 14, Madison County 4*
Jefferson 10, Clarke Central 0*
Commerce 12, 18, Barrow Arts and Sciences 0, 2*
Winder-Barrow 2, Flowery Branch 0*
Gilmer 11, Union County 0.
Jackson County 9, Gainesville 1*
North Forsyth 2, Norcross 1
Parkview 12, Buford 2
Seckinger 2, North Hall 1* (8 inns)
South Gwinnett 11, Johnson 4
Walnut Grove 7, Chestatee 2*
Dawson County 9, West Hall 2*
(* -- denotes region contest)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/3/1172748/baseball-scoreboard