If the remainder of this year’s GHSA baseball postseason is anything like Friday — at least for the area’s teams — fans better buckle up.
Two of the winningest programs in Northwest Georgia, Class A Division I’s Gordon Lee and Class AA’s Ringgold, will be forced to play deciding games Saturday at home after splitting doubleheaders Friday to open their best-of-three series.
In three other AAA series involving area teams, Northwest Whitfield is already moving on after a doubleheader sweep at home that required a big rally in the opener, while Heritage swept on the road and Calhoun got swept on the road.
Also, Class AA’s Coahulla Creek split a doubleheader to force a third game on the road and Christian Heritage swept its doubleheader in the bracket for private schools.
CLASS AAA
Northwest Whitfield 10-11, Islands 9-1: The Bruins (19-13), the Region 7 champions, were on the ropes in game one, trailing 8-0 before rallying for two runs in the fourth inning and six in the sixth, then scoring single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Eli Speights’ RBI single gave Islands a 9-5 lead in the sixth before Cameron Collins blasted a three-run homer to get Northwest within one. The Bruins tied it in the seventh on Caden Ramsey’s one-out double and won it in the eighth on Deakon Edwards’ two-out single that scored Gavin Nuckolls.
Ramsey made sure game two had little drama as the senior pitched a no-hitter with nine strikeouts, with Nuckolls driving in three runs on two hits and Ethan Searles going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Heritage 12-3, Riverdale 0-1: The Generals (19-12), who struggled down the stretch of the regular season, used dominating outings from pitchers Owen Carstens and Ty Hunt to advance to the second round.
Carstens allowed two hits and struck out eight batters in the five-inning first game, with Hunt also fanning eight and allowing four hits and one run in seven innings in game two.
Maddox Henry was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and Hunt added three hits and drove in four in game one. Hunter Zanaty was 2-for-3, including a two-run double, in game two, where Cody Bryan had three stolen bases and scored twice.
Bainbridge 9-4, Calhoun 3-0: The Yellow Jackets (17-15) lost despite getting 15 hits in the doubleheader, including four hits and three RBIs from Jake Jordan.
Northwest Whitfield vs. Islands baseball on April 25, 2025
CLASS AA
Ringgold 12-5, Jackson 2-8: The Tigers (17-11) appeared to be on their way to a first-round sweep of the visitors before seeing a 5-2 lead evaporate in game two.
Jackson Black earned the pitching win in game one and helped his own cause with a third-inning grand slam. Wesley Blair also homered, while Rhett Blankenship drove in two runs.
Ringgold had RBIs from Black, Logan Moore, Haddon Fries and Garrett Edgar in taking the early lead in game two, but Jackson (14-17) scored five in the third inning on five hits, two walks and an error to take control. Game three is at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Coahulla Creek 0-7, Callaway 3-1: The Colts (10-17) earned the split in game two as Tyler Douglass pitched a four-hitter with eight strikeouts and Isaiah Hernandez drove in three runs. Game three is at noon Saturday.
CLASS A DIVISION I
Gordon Lee 1-5, Brantley County 2-3: The top-ranked Trojans (30-2) lost game one when Brantley (9-24) scored a two-out run in the seventh inning and pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth on Gaven Gafford’s RBI hit.
Gordon Lee trailed 3-2 in the sixth inning in game two before capitalizing on a dropped third strike that would have ended the inning, three walks and a hit batter to score twice. Jackson Scali earned the save for Maddox Millard with two perfect innings and also had three RBIs.
Game three is at noon Saturday.
PRIVATE
Christian Heritage 11-10, Aquinas 2-3: Sawyer Corn earned the win in game one with a five-hitter and 11 strikeouts while also going 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBIs. The Lions (21-9) rapped out 13 hits in game two, with David Person going 4-for-5 with three RBIs to lead the way.
CLASS A DIVISION II
Trion 2-15, Taylor County 0-3: The Bulldogs (18-7) completed their sweep Friday afternoon at Coahulla Creek after Tuesday’s second game was delayed in the first inning and washed out Wednesday at Trion. The delay and change of venue didn’t bother Trion as it completed a six-run first inning and added five more runs in the fifth.
Logan Stokes had four RBIs on two hits, with Sam Mobbs and Christian Henderson each adding two hits and three RBIs.
Ben Shephard tossed a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts on Tuesday and added two hits. Lincoln Hefner drove in both runs and Henderson had two hits for the Bulldogs, who travel to Emmanuel Christian Academy for the second round.
CLASS AAAA
Kell 8-12, Dalton 5-1: In a doubleheader Tuesday, Dalton’s season when the Catamounts were swept on the road. Drew Brown had three hits, including two doubles, with Conrad Coleman and Tate Nelson adding a pair of hits for the visitors in game one. Charles Chappelle had a pair of hits in game two for Dalton.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.