The Gordon Lee High School bats have awakened just in time for the postseason.
Gordon Lee, which started the season 1-6, rapped out 11 hits in each game Wednesday while sweeping visiting Johnson County, 12-2 and 9-4, in the second round of the GHSA Class A public baseball playoffs.
While the bats may have dominated, steady Bo Rhudy set the tone on the mound in the six-inning opener for Gordon Lee (22-10) by going the distance and allowing three hits and two runs while striking out 10 batters.
A four-run first inning gave Rhudy all the runs he would need. Brodie Genter started the scoring with an RBI double, with Blake Rodgers adding a two-run single. Genter had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, with Rodgers adding two hits and four RBIs.
In game two, Gordon Lee jumped out to a 6-0 lead during the top of the third inning, highlighted by Garren Ramey's two-run homer. Johnson County (24-6) cut its deficit to two on Germivy Tucker's three-run triple in the fifth, but Gordon Lee tacked on three runs in the seventh, including Kade Cowan's RBI walk, to seal the win and avoid a third game in the best-of-three series.
Ramey had three hits and three RBIs, with Nate Dunfee and Tanner Wilson adding two hits. Gordon Lee will visit Metter in a best-of-three quarterfinal series starting Tuesday.
Benedictine 13, Northwest Whitfield 3: Class AAAA's Bruins, after winning game one on Cade Fisher's strong outing before dropping the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, were eliminated by the Region 3 champions in Savannah in game three Wednesday.
Heritage 13, Bainbridge 12 (8): Also in AAAA, the Generals (22-12) scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete a second-round sweep in Bainbridge after midnight Tuesday. After Cason Priest's two-run triple in the top half gave the hosts a two-run lead, Max Owens cut Heritage's deficit to one with a single.
Jonathan Glover, after an out, singled and Nathan Johnson reached on an error, with the tying run and winning runs scoring. On the Glover hit, Johnson went to second on the throw home and the ensuing throw from the catcher to second went into center field, allowing the winning run to score.
Heritage will travel to LaGrange for a best-of-three quarterfinal series starting Monday.
Harlem 4-9, Ringgold 0-3: The Tigers (20-14) left seven men on base in each game as the hosts secured the second-round sweep in Class AAA and improved to 27-6. Harlem's Emery Burnett pitched a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts in game one while also adding two hits. The Tigers left two runners on in the first inning and had four baserunners in the fourth without producing a run, with one caught stealing and a runner thrown out at home stalling the inning.
Harlem jumped out to a 3- 0 lead in the first inning of game two and never looked back. Trysten McCladdie had three hits, two RBIs and three runs, with Burnett adding two RBIs. Connor Christopher and Dre Morris had two hits for Ringgold, with Brady Hermann and Mason Parker adding RBIs.
Sonoraville 3-0, Pike County 0-5: Phoenix ace Trevor Childers and Pike County's Brandon Osbolt pitched two-hitters in the split doubleheader in Zebulon to start a Class AAA second-round series. Childers allowed an earned run and fanned four batters in game one, while Osbolt struck out seven and walked one in game two.
A walk, a catcher's interference call and an error put Sonoraville up 2-1 in the sixth inning, and Cole Gross followed with a run-scoring single to make it a two-run game. Jaxon Pate two hits for the Phoenix in the win. Mason Trucks was 4-for-4 and Kaleb Hammond drove in two runs for Pike County in game two.
The deciding game is at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Hixson 7, Red Bank 1: The Wildcats scored in every inning they went to the plate save the sixth, steadily pulling away for a home win in the TSSAA regular season. Hixson's Riley Frazier was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, Maddox Russak doubled, walked twice and scored three runs, and Kane Johnson drew three walks, had an RBI and was the winning pitcher. Johnson gave up a run in the first but lasted six innings, allowing five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Red Bank's Aiden Porter was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
SOFTBALL
Sequatchie County 14, South Pittsburg 4: Cana Green was 4-for-4 with two doubles and scored three runs, and Addy Edgmon added three hits, drove in two runs and was the winning pitcher with 10 strikeouts in Tuesday's road victory. Edgmon had a double and Jadeyn Girdley homered as Sequatchie County outhit South Pittsburg 17-4 and played error-free defense while improving to 25-8 this season. Gracie Turner was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and five stolen bases for the winners, and Jalyn Kelly and Cloe Shell each went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
TENNIS
East Hamilton swept the District 6-AA team championships Tuesday, with the boys defeating Soddy-Daisy 4-2 and the girls defeating Hixson 4-1. In the Hurricanes' title win, Aaarav Amin and Josh Hales each won a singles match and teamed up for a dominant doubles victory. For the Lady Hurricanes, Zoey Burgner cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Compiled by Marty Kirkland and Lindsey Young. Contact them at sports@timefreepress.com.