Baseball season ended Saturday for Trion High School, despite the host Bulldogs holding an early lead in the deciding game of a best-of-three series in the first round of the GHSA Class A public school playoffs.
After splitting Friday's doubleheader to open the series, Social Circle - the No. 3 seed from Region 8 - won 7-3 against Region 6 runner-up Trion.
Trion (16-12) took a 2-0 lead Saturday on Brandon Dover's two-run double in the bottom of the opening inning, but Social Circle (23-10) rallied for three in the second, highlighted by Brayden Mitchell's two-run single. The Bulldogs, who took game one Friday in walk-off fashion on Cayden Watson's big hit, tied it at three on Kade Smith's bases-loaded walk, but an unearned run in the fourth gave Social Circle a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
Trion put four runners on in the bottom of the fourth, but a runner caught stealing slowed the rally against Social Circle starter Will Atha, who went the distance while allowing three earned runs and striking out seven batters. Trion's Brantley Willbanks was 2-for-3 and Dover added two hits.
For northwest Georgia baseball teams moving on, the second-round matchups are set. In Class AAAA, Northwest Whitfield travels to Benedictine and Heritage visits Bainbridge in doubleheader starts Tuesday to best-of-three series. In Class AAA, Ringgold plays at Harlem and Sonoraville visits Pike County beginning Wednesday, while Gordon Lee hosts Johnson County in a Wednesday doubleheader to start a second-round Class A public series.
LACROSSE
GPS advanced to the Division II semifinals of the Tennessee Girls' Lacrosse Association state tournament with a 15-14 win against Briarcrest Christian on Friday night. Reagan Ziegler scored eight goals to lead the Bruisers.
TENNIS
Baylor's boys' and girls' tennis teams each defeated Ensworth by identical 6-1 scores. Jace Sanford and Matthew Templeton each won singles and doubles matches for the boys' team, while Agda Laakso won 6-0, 6-0 in No. 1 singles for the girls and paired with Gabby Czarnicki to win in No. 1 doubles.
Compiled by Stephen Hargis and Lindsey Young. Contact them at sports@timesfreepress.com.