Lakeside’s Joseph Garcia shown at bat struck out 11 in a complete game win to help the Vikings tie their Class 6A baseball state playoff series and force a Game 3. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Lakeside Vikings needed a win to prolong its Class 6A high school baseball playoff series against Lee County and behind the pitching of Joseph Garcia won 8-1 to force a Game 3 on Friday, 2:00 pm at Lakeside.
Lakeside set Garcia up well with a six-run outburst in the first inning and never looked back. Garcia would go the distance striking out 11 and allowing just three hits and one unearned run.
Isaac Terrell reversed his 0-4 at the plate in the opening game 9-5 loss by going 4-4 in the nightcap to help power the Vikings to the win. Zaylan Washington was 2-4 with a double and Malachi Cloud was 2-4 with two runs scored and a RBI. Reeve Walden had two-run double to join the hitting party for the Vikings (25-5).
Lee County (11-21) won the opener 9-5 breaking away with a three-run fifth inning to pull away after the Vikings had knotted the game at 5-5. Kaden Wilson’s two-run double was the big blow in the inning for Lee County.
Pitcher Smith Pinsm have aided his own cause in the game with a two-run double in the second inning and then his sacrifice fly in the fourth inning gave Lee County a 5-1 lead that Lakeside evened up at 5-5 in the bottom of the inning.
Reeve Walden’s infield single scored a run along with a wild pitch and error by the Lee County defense helped Lakeside push across four runs.
Dunwoody’s Reese Rosen went the distance in a Game 1 victory over South Forsyth. South Forsyth bounced back to earn the split and force Game 3. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Class 7A Playoffs
The Dunwoody Wildcats knocked off South Forsyth in the opening game of their Class 7A playoff doubleheader by a score of 7-1, but South Forsyth came back with an 11-5 victory in the nightcap to extend the series to a Game 3 on Friday at 5:55 pm at Dunwoody.
Dunwoody trailing 1-0 in the second inning pushed two runs across the plate to take the lead for good at 2-1. Will Giles scored on a wild pitch and Connor Haynes drew a bases loaded walk for the go-ahead run.
Singles runs went on the board in the third and fourth innings for Dunwoody on a RBI double by Zach Heavner in the third and a RBI single by Davis Ledoyen in the fourth to make it a 4-1 game.
Winning pitcher Reese Rosen aided his own cause with a two-run double in the sixth and Giles tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 7-1.
Rosen closed out the game in the seventh and finished allowing only five hits and one run while striking out two, walking one and stranding six South Forsyth baserunners on the base paths.
South Forsyth had the bats come alive in the second game led by Brayden Proctor (double, triple, 2 RBIs) and Cameron Paul (2 RBI double) to even the series at 1-1 with the 11-5 victory.
Parker Bakke had two doubles and three RBI to lead the Wildcats (19-11) in the loss.
Class 4A Playoffs
A 7-1 win in the deciding third game by Druid Hills over Northwest Whitfield propelled the Red Devils into the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
Druid Hills got out in front 2-0 in the third inning and built on the lead which grew to 7-1.
Northwest Whitfield threatened in the sixth inning with runners on first and second with one out. Centerfielder David McQuaig then made the first of two big run saving plays in the outfield with a diving catch for the second out of the inning to hold the runners.
Things got tense with the bases loaded in the same inning, but another ball lined into right field was caught on a nice diving catch by Sawyer Elrod to get the Red Devils out of the inning and into the second round.
It was Druid Hills first playoff series win since a 2-1 series victory over Eastside in 2003. The Red Devils travel to North Oconee for the second round on May 3-4.
OTHER PLAYOFF SERIES
The Class 3A playoff series at Redan ended up with a sweep of the Raiders (15-10) by Hart County. Hart County (22-8) took the opener 8-2 and in a pitching duel in the second game won a 2-1 decision to end Redan’s season.
Columbia’s Class 2A playoffs trip ended quickly with a 2-0 series loss on the road at Model. Model won 15-0 and 17-1 to sweep the Eagles (11-9).
DCSD BASEBLL STATE PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 28
Class 6A
Houston Co. (24-6) 13, Tucker (15-12) 2
Houston Co. (25-6) 13, Tucker (15-13) 0
Houston Co. wins series 2-0
Class 5A
Loganville (23-7) 13, Chamblee (20-9-1) 0
Loganville (24-7) 4, Chamblee (20-10-1) 1
Loganville wins series 2-0
Class 4A
Northwest Whitfield (21-9) 3, Druid Hills (16-8) 0
Druid Hills (17-8) 6, Northwest Whitfield (21-10) 3
Series tied at 1-1
Heritage-Catoosa (23-7) 15, Stephenson (9-8) 9
Heritage-Catoosa (24-7) 10, Stephenson (9-9) 3
Heritage wins series 2-0
Thursday, April 29
Class 7A
Dunwoody (19-10) 7, South Forsyth (19-12) 1
South Forsyth (20-12) 11, Dunwoody (19-11) 5
Series tied at 1-1
Class 6A
Lee County (11-20) 9, Lakeside (24-5) 5
Lakeside (25-5) 8, Lee County (11-21) 1
Series Tied at 1-1
Class 3A
Hart Co. (21-8) 8, Redan (15-9) 2
Hart Co. (22-8) 2, Redan (15-10) 1
Hart Co. wins series 2-0
Class 2A
Model (21-6) 15, Columbia (11-8) 0
Model (22-6) 17, Columbia (11-9) 1
Model wins series 2-0
Class 4A
Druid Hills (18-8) 7, Northwest Whitfield (21-11) 1
Druid Hills wins series 2-1
Friday, April 30
Class 7A
South Forsyth (20-12) at Dunwoody (19-11), 5:55 pm
Class 6A
Lee County (11-21) at Lakeside (25-5), 2:00 pm