Three area baseball teams began best-of-three series in the second round of the GHSA Class AAA playoffs Saturday. All three are still alive, but each will have to win a deciding game Monday to move on.
After breezing through the first round earlier in the week, Region 6 champion Ringgold, runner-up Gordon Lee and No. 4 seed Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe split doubleheaders in different fashions.
Ringgold (27-6), the state’s top-ranked team in its classification, found itself in desperation mode after losing game one 8-5 to visiting Wesleyan, but the Tigers rallied behind Sebastian Haggard’s six-hit, eight-strikeout complete game to win 8-1 and force a decisive game at 5 p.m. Monday.
Gordon Lee (21-9) did just the opposite, winning game one 4-1 at No. 4-ranked Pickens on ace Bo Rhudy’s six-hit gem before a late rally by the Trojans fizzled and they fell in game two, 5-4. The Trojans and Dragons will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
LFO (20-13) had an even more adventurous day, losing a late 2-0 lead to fall at North Oconee 3-2 in game one before coming back after another late blown lead to win 6-5 in eight innings in game two. Game three is at 5 p.m. Monday.