GHSA baseball quarterfinal roundups

051022 Mableton: Wesleyan shortstop Cooper Blauser (7) fields a throw from the catcher as Whitefield Academy’s Caleb Lavallee steals second base during the third inning of game two in the Private A quarterfinal playoff game at Whitefield Academy, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Mableton, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

051022 Mableton: Wesleyan shortstop Cooper Blauser (7) fields a throw from the catcher as Whitefield Academy’s Caleb Lavallee steals second base during the third inning of game two in the Private A quarterfinal playoff game at Whitefield Academy, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Mableton, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

The GHSA baseball quarterfinals are being played on Saturday May 4 and will resume on Monday and Tuesday. Class 5A, 3A, A Division I and II began their series on Saturday and have Monday scheduled for their Game 3′s. The series between defending Class 3A state champion Harlem and Pickens was postponed to Monday and will get started along with the Class 7A, 6A, 4A and 2A series. These results will determine the semifinal matches which will take place later next week.

This file will be updated for all of the quarterfinal results. Follow the link for the updated brackets or see the semifinals recaps below.

Class 7A

Grayson 2, 6, 4, Walton 5, 3, 3 (Series tied 1-1)

Grayson advanced to the semifinals on Tuesday with a 4-3 road win over Walton in the decisive Game 3 victory. In Game 1, host Walton built a 3-0 lead through in the top of the third inning of Game 1 before the Rams got on the board and cut the deficit to 3-2. Walton added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning and closed out the 5-2 win. In Game 2, it was Grayson that jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning and the Rams closed out a clutch double play in the bottom of the frame to preserve the three-run edge. Walton got on the board in the bottom of the fourth to shrink Grayson’s lead to 3-1, but Grayson responded with an insurance run in the top of the fifth. Walton once again cut it to a three-run game in the bottom of the fifth, but the Rams escaped the jam and grew the lead to 6-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh before holding on for the 6-3 win. Grayson broke open a scoreless Game 3 in the bottom of the fourth to go up 1-0 and grew the lead to 4-0 heading into the top of the sixth inning. The Rams maintained the shutout until Walton put three runs on the board in the top of the sixth, but Grayson got the final out to preserve the 4-3 victory.

Brookwood 0, 4, 5, Buford 3, 3, 4 (Brookwood wins series 2-1)

Host Buford crossed the plate in the first and second inning of Game 1 to build a 2-0 lead and added an insurance run in the fifth inning before closing out a 3-0 victory. Brookwood began the Game 2 marathon with a 1-0 lead in the first inning and Buford took a 2-1 lead after the top of the third off a throwing error. Brookwood tied it back 2-2 after VJ Heath’s RBI double. Buford gained 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning, but Brookwood’s Alex Reyes used an infield hit to tie it at 3-3. Brookwood’s potential go-ahead run was thrown out at third base to end the 11th inning and then Jay Bueno drove home a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning. In Game 3, Brookwood used a five-hit top of the fourth to build a 3-0 lead. The Broncos extended the lead off an error in the top of the fifth inning. Buford responded with a three-run bottom of the fifth inning that included a 2 RBI single by Madden Young. Brookwood added what turned into the game-deciding insurance run in the top of the sixth inning to go up 5-3 before the Wolves plated the final run in the bottom of the seventh.

North Paulding 8, 6, North Gwinnett 4, 0 (North Paulding sweeps series)

North Paulding swept the Bulldogs on the road and return to the semifinals for consecutive seasons. The Wolfpack were coming off their dramatic 5-0 Game 3 win over No. 1 ranked Parkview in the second round. Now, North Paulding will continue its playoff gauntlet against reigning state champion Lowndes in a rematch of last year’s 3-0, 4-3 semifinal loss to the Vikings.

Lowndes 5, 11, South Forsyth 0, 1 (Lowndes sweeps series)

No. 1 seed Lowndes will host North Paulding in the semifinals for the second-straight season. The Vikings were coming off a 6-1 Game 3 win over Harrison in the second round and swept past the War Eagles with a 16-1 scoring advantage.

Class 6A

Houston Co 3, 8, Lassiter 1, 1 (Houston County sweeps series)

Houston County swept Lassiter in the quarterfinals of the Class GHSA 6A state playoffs as the Bears won 3-1 in the first game and 8-1 in the second of the afternoon. Houston County will now play Pope on Saturday for a spot in the state championship. The Bears are coming off a state championship last year in 5A and are looking to become state champions for the first time in their new class this season. After only having three hits in game one, the Bears bats came alive in game two as they were able to record seven hits as Eli Stephens led the way with two hits and two RBIs in game two. Houston County had six different players record hits in their seven-run game two victory.

Pope 2, 6, Thomas Co Central, 0, 1 Pope (Pope sweeps series)

The Greyhounds from Pope sweep Thomas County Central in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A playoffs. Pope held Thomas County Central to one run the entire series as the Greyhounds won 3-1 in game one and 8-1 in the second game of the evening. Pope LHP and Augusta University-commit Dawson Jones was dominant in the first game of the series as he pitched in seven innings and threw eight strikeouts and only allowed one hit. He earned the win for Pope while not allowing a single run.

Blessed Trinity 1, 12, 4, Marist 5, 2, 1 (Blessed Trinity wins series 2-1)

In a series that went to a deciding third game, Blessed Trinity was able to advance to the semifinals as they defeated Marist in a best of three series. The Titans dropped the first game to Marist 5-1 and followed that with a 12-2 victory on Monday night to force a game three. In the final game of the series tonight, Blessed Trinity was able to pull away, winning 4-1 to advance to the Final Four. Blessed Trinity will face Etowah in the semifinals for a spot in the state championship game.

Etowah 2, 8, Tift County, 0,1 (Etowah sweeps series)

The Etowah Eagles only allowed one run in the series against Tift County as the Eagles swept Tift County in the series to advance to the semifinals. Etowah shut out Tift County in game one with a 2-0 victory and followed it with an 8-1 game two victory to win the series on the road. Etowah now awaits the winner of Blessed Trinity and Marist for a spot in the state championship.

Class 5A

Kell 6, 7, 3, Greenbrier 2 (Kell wins series 2-1)

Visiting Greenbrier was down 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning before senior Jameson Daly’s three-run homer gave the Wolfpack a 5-4 lead. The Longhorns tied it up 5-5 in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings, but Greenbrier’s Ryan Patrick singled to load up the bases and sparked a two-run top of the eighth. Kell’s Bryce Clayvon drove in a run on a sacrifice RBI to cut the deficit to 7-6 before Greenbrier closed out the victory. The Longhorns—who previously defeated No. 1 seed Villa Rica in three games last round—extended the series with a swift 7-2 Game 2 victory and then clinched the series at home on Monday with a 3-2 victory.

Loganville 2-7, McIntosh 1, 5 (Loganville sweeps)

Host Loganville swept McIntosh in a rematch of last year’s finals. The Red Devils scored a 4-1, 5-4 victory over the Chiefs in the championship a year ago at Coolray and secured the program’s seventh all-time state title in the process. Loganville will host the winner over No. 2 seeds Kell and Greenbrier in the semifinals.

Ware County 1, 3, 8, Greater Atlanta Christian 2, 0, 2 (Ware County wins series 2-1)

Ware County capitalized on its homefield advantage and bounced back from a 5-1 loss to the Spartans Game 1 with a 3-0 shutout to extend the series and then returned to “The Swamp on Monday to celebrate an 8-2 victory and semifinal berth. Ware County’s victory in Game 2 snapped Greater Atlanta Christian’s eight-game win-streak and served the Spartans their first shutout of the season. The Gators’ Game 3 victory resulted in Greater Atlanta Christian’s first consecutive losses of the season.

Cartersville 9, 3, Locust Grove 2, 2 (Cartersville sweeps)

Saturday’s double-header was postponed due to weather and Game 1 was pushed back to a 6:30 p.m. start. After the delay, Cartersville senior and UGA-commit Ryan Johnson made quick work of visiting Locust Grove—finishing six one-hit innings with 11 strikeouts and helping the top-ranked Canes open the series with a commanding 9-2 victory. The Canes clinched the series after midnight with a 3-2 victory.

Class 4A

Holy Innocents’ 4, 12, 5, Troup 7, 3, 0 (HIES wins series 2-1)

No. 3 seed Troup and Holy Innocents’ were the only Class 4A series that left Monday undecided. The Bears followed their 12-3 Game 2 victory by building a 3-0 lead through four innings and advanced to the semifinals with an impressive 5-0 victory.

Cherokee Bluff 9, 11, Wayne County 5, 3 (Cherokee Bluff sweeps)

Cherokee Bluff’s Jacob Bokal had 2 RBI and a home run in Game 1 and sophomore Ethan England also drove in a pair of runs to fuel the Bears’ 9-5 victory. Wayne County opened up a 2-0 lead in Game 2 before Cherokee Bluff’s six-run third inning put the Bears up 6-2. Senior Tanaka Mukono added a solo home run to open the fourth and Cherokee Bluff grew the lead to 9-2 after Wayne County escaped the inning. Cherokee Bluff added an insurance run and got out of the fifth inning with two stranded Jackets on base to preserve a 10-2 lead. The Bears pushed the lead to 11-2 before Wayne County added its final run.

Starr’s Mill 4, 13, Heritage-Catoosa 1, 4 (Starr’s Mill sweeps)

No. 1 ranked Starr’s Mill improved to a perfect 22-0 at home this season after sweeping past visiting Heritage-Catoosa 4-1, 13-4. The Panthers will take on North Oconee in the semifinals in a rematch of last year’s semifinal defeat.

North Oconee 10, 8, Perry 1-1 (North Oconee sweeps)

Two-time defending state champion North Oconee swept Perry on the road and grew its win-streak to 16-straight games heading into the semifinals. The Titans built a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning and closed out the Game 1 victory with five unanswered. The Titans stifled Perry Game 2 with an 8-1 victory. Perry finishes its season 24-10 and North Oconee improved to 28-7 with the sweep.

Class 3A

Mary Persons 3, 14, Wesleyan 2, 7 (Mary Persons sweeps)

Mary Persons swept Wesleyan in the quarterfinals today as the Bulldogs advanced to the Final Four of the 2024 Class 3A baseball state championships. Mary Persons defeated the Wolves by one run in game one winning 3-2 and handled Wesleyan 14-7 in the second game to clinch the sweep for the Bulldogs. They will face Calvary Day in the semifinals next week.

Calvary Day 7, 11, Dawson County 3, 3 (Calvary Day sweeps)

The Cavaliers from Calvary Day moved onto the semifinals of the Class 3A baseball state championships as they swept Dawson County, holding them to three runs in each game. In game one the Cavs defeated Dawson County 7-3 and followed it with a 11-3 victory in game two. This was Calvary Day’s third straight series in the playoffs where they swept their opponent. In Game 1, seven different players registered hits for the Cavs as two players, Caden Arnold and Sam Renshaw totaled more than one hit and Renshaw added two RBIs in the victory as well. In game two it was more of the same from Calvary Day as they totaled 13 hits in the game. Brooks Phillips went three-for-five in game two with two RBIs while Renshaw, Brody Dawson, Ryan Wallace and Will Hampton each added two hits each on their own. Calvary Day will face Mary Persons in the semifinals next week.

Harlem 2, 12, Pickens 1,0 (Harlem sweeps series)

The No. 16-team in the MaxPreps Top-25, the Harlem Bulldogs swept Pickens in their quarterfinals matchup to advance to the Final Four. The Bulldogs defeated Pickens 2-1 and followed that with a overwhelming 12-0 victory in game two outscoring their opponents 14-1 in the series. Harlem will face Oconee County for a spot in the Class 3A state championship.

Oconee County 5, 5, 6, Thomasville, 11, 3, 5 (Oconee County wins series 2-1)

Game two of the series continued where they left off in the bottom of the third with Oconee County holding a 1-0 lead. The Warriors were able to defeat Thomasville 5-2 to force a series deciding third game. In game three on Monday night, Isaac Smith’s solo shot was the only home run of the game as the Warriors pulled away and defeated Thomasville 6-4 in the tiebreaker. Oconee County will play the winner of Pickens and Harlem for a spot in the Class 3A state championship.

Class 2A

Mt. Paran Christian 6, 8, Worth County 0,0 (Mt. Paran Christian sweeps series)

Mt. Paran Christian punched their ticket to the semifinals on Monday evening as the Eagles swept Worth County in two games. Mt. Paran did not allow a run in the series as they put up 14 of their own in the series. The Eagles won 6-0 in game one and followed it with a 8-0 victory in game two on their way to the Final Four in the GHSA Class 2A baseball state playoffs. The Eagles await the winner of Appling County and Walker as they split the first two games of their series and will play the tiebreaker Tuesday night.

Appling County 8, 5, 9, The Walker School, 1, 6, 0 (Appling County wins series 2-1)

The Appling County Pirates advanced to the semifinals in the GHSA Class 2A Baseball State Championships as they defeated The Walker School in a three game series. The Pirates won game one 8-1, followed by a Walker one-run victory 6-5 before Appling County was able to shut them out in game three, winning 9-0. Appling County now faces Mt. Paran Christian for a spot in the 2A state championship.

Rockmart 9, 7, Toombs County 1,0 (Rockmart sweeps series)

The Rockmart Yellow Jackets outscored their opponents 16-1 in their two-game series against Toombs County as they were able to sweep the Bulldogs on Monday afternoon. Rockmart won 9-1 in the first game and 7-0 in the second on their way to the Final Four where they will play North Cobb Christian for a spot in the Class 2A state championship. The Yellow Jackets made it to the Sweet 16 last season and have improved on that mark, making the Final Four with sights on a state championship in 2024.

North Cobb Christian 7, 2, Jeff Davis, 2, 1 (North Cobb Christian sweeps the series)

The North Cobb Christian Eagles swept Jeff Davis tonight in two games as they held the Yellowjackets to three runs in the series. The Eagles won 7-2 and 2-1 in the second game pushing their ticket to the Final Four. North Cobb Christian is 30-4 on the season and nationally ranked by MaxPreps at No. 18. They will face another team of Yellowjackets— this time from Rockmart High School in the Final Four.

Class A Division I

Prince Avenue Christian 15, 7, Bleckley County 5, 2 (Prince Avenue Christian sweeps)

Defending state champion Prince Avenue Christian swept Bleckley County in the quarterfinals of the Class 1A-Division I state baseball playoffs. The Wolverines defeated the Royals 15-5 in game one and 7-2 in the second game of the day. Next week, Prince Avenue Christian Will face the winner of the Weber School and Crawford County in the semifinals of the state championships.

Tallulah Falls 5, Swainsboro 0 (Tallulah Falls leads 1-0)

The Tallulah Falls Indians defeated Swainsboro tonight in the first game of their best-of-three series as they defeated the Tigers 5-0 in game one. The Indians went 24-10 overall this season and have a chance to continue their postseason run with a game two victory on Monday night. The winner of this series will face Kings Ridge in the semifinals as the Tigers swept Irwin County in their quarterfinals series.

Kings Ridge 5, 12 vs Irwin Co 1, 2 (King’s Ridge sweeps)

After going 25-8 on the season and finishing first in their region, the Kings Ridge Christian Tigers advanced to the semifinals today after their quarterfinals series sweep over Irwin County. The Tigers defeated Irwin County 5-1 in game one before the Kings Ridge bats got hot and the Tigers won by 10 runs in game two with a 12-2 victory. Kings Ridge will face __ in the semifinals

Weber 6, 0 vs Crawford Co 0, 15 (Series tied 1-1)

The Weber School and Crawford County baseball programs split their two games today in their quarterfinals series as the tiebreaker will be played on Monday afternoon. In both games, both teams shut each other out with pitching proving to be a factor. The Weber School won the first game 6-0 before Crawford County came alive at the plate in game two and shutout the Rams, putting up 15 runs in their 15-0 victory. The tiebreaker will decide who will face Prince Avenue Christian in the semifinals of the Class A-Division 1 baseball state championships.

Crawford County 0, 15, 4, The Weber School, 6, 0, 3 (Crawford County wins series 2-1)

Crawford County was ultimately able to defeat the Weber School 4-3 in game three to advance to the Final Four where they will face Prince Avenue Christian who was able to score 22 runs in their quarterfinals matchup against Bleckley County. The Eagles recorded six hits as opposed to the Weber Rams four on their way to victory. Four of the Eagles hits came in the second and third inning. Crawford County had lifted by three home runs including back-to-back home runs from Griffin Parker and Isaac Meadows that was followed by a two-run home run from Drew Hammock.

Class A Division II

Charlton County 13, 7, Mt. Zion-Carroll 2, 0 (Charlton County sweeps)

Defending state champion Charlton County swept visiting Mt. Zion-Carroll to advance to the semifinals. The Indians improved their overall record to 34-2 and used a 20-2 scoring advantage to avoid a Game 3 after having to rally past Miller County in its second-round triumph. Charlton County’s 4-2 loss to Miller County in Game 1 of last round’s series was the Indians’ first loss in 30 games (6-4 loss to Class 2A Brantley County on Feb. 22) and their only loss within Class A Division II this season. Charlton County responded with a 14-0 Game 2 victory and a 10-0 series clinching win in Game 3. As a result, the Indians have accumulated a 44-2 scoring advantage in their last four playoff victories heading into the semifinals.

Lake Oconee Academy 4, 6, Emanuel County Institute 0, 1 (Lake Oconee Academy sweeps)

After missing out on the playoffs with a 10-14 record in 2022 and falling to Schley County in last year’s second round, the Lake Oconee Academy Titans are set to face defending state champion Charlton County after sweeping past Region 3 No. 1 seed ECI on Saturday. The Titans are riding a 26-5 overall record this season.

Bowdon 5, 1, Wilcox County 2, 0 (Bowdon sweeps)

The Bowdon Red Devils advanced to the final four for the eighth-time in school history and will be looking to advance to the finals for the first time since 2002 where they can finally achieve an elusive first-ever state title. Bowdon opened up Saturday’s road sweep with a 5-2 victory and grinded out a 1-0 Game 2 victory.

Lanier County 3, 10, 6, Schley County 6, 9, 5 (Lanier County wins series 2-1)

Schley County opened up the series with a 6-3 victory and was tied before the action halted. Lanier County and Schley County were tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 and that was postponed until Monday with a 2 p.m. starting time. Lanier County ran away with a 10-9 victory Game 2 to even the series and then stunned the No. 1 ranked Bobcats with a series-clinching 6-5 victory.