Final Class AAA news and notes

Posted 4/24/16

 

Just a year after getting swept by Blessed Trinity in the state semifinals, Westside-Augusta will be seeking another deep postseason run. The Patriots captured the Region 3-AAA crown last week, beating Washington County 5-0 behind South Carolina signee Jonathan Jahn, who hurled a three-hit shutout.
The senior also went 2 for 4 at the plate with a triple. Tim Gray also went 2 for 4 with a homer and a pair of RBIs, while Brandon Brown finished 2 for 3. The Patriots have won 19 straight. Jahn and senior Owen Price have been the Patriots' top pitching performers.
Washington County finished as the No. 2 seed, while Laney earned the No. 3 seed and Hephzibah finished as the fourth seed.


In Region 1-AAA, Appling County held on to beat Southeast Bulloch 2-1 to clinch the region title Tuesday night. Appling earned the top seed with the victory. Southeast Bulloch finished as the region runner-up, while Pierce County finished third and Brantley County earned the fourth seed.


In Region 2-AAA, Jackson captured the region crown for the second straight year. The Red Devils defeated Rutland 5-1 on Thursday. Hunter West tossed a complete-game to earn the victory, while Avis Turner went 2 for 4 to lead the offense.
Peach County earned the No. 2 seed, while Rutland and Jordan finished three and four respectively.


Blessed Trinity continues to flex its muscles in Region 4-AAA. The Titans have won seven straight since their only loss of the season in a tournament in Louisiana which broke their 49-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Blessed Trinity defeated rival Westminster 9-3 in its regular-season finale on Thursday to capture the region crown. The Titans built a 6-0 lead and never looked back as starting pitcher Hayden Lehman cruised to earn the victory. John Michael Bertrand pitched a scoreless seventh. Conor Davis went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs to pace the offense, while Ryan Davis finished 2 for 4.
Westminster earned the region's No. 2 seed. The Wildcats defeated Decatur and Cedar Grove last week. in the 13-3 victory over Decatur, Blake Huber earned the victory in the five-inning game, while Kenneth Hartzfeld went 3 for 4 with a double, a homer and three RBIs to lead the offense.
Decatur finished as the No. 3 seed, while North Clayton earned the No. 4 seed after defeating Cedar Grove on Saturday.


In Region 5-AAA, Cedartown rolled to the region title, while Rockmart earned the No. 2 seed. Callaway finished as the third seed and Central-Carrollton, picked by many to win the region title in the preseason, finished as the fourth seed.


In Region 6-AAA, Ringgold took the region crown. They recorded a pair of shutout victories over Coahulla Creek and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe before falling 9-6 to Sonoraville on Thursday, which helped the Phoenix earn the fourth seed in their first season under coach Bret Greene.
The Phoenix used a 3 for 3 performance with a trio of RBIs from Hayden Bunch and a 2 for 4 performance from Chase Kirby, who finished with a homer and a pair of RBIs.
Calhoun finished as the No. 2 seed, despite falling to Adairsville 5-3 Thursday night. Adairsville earned the third seed.


In Region 7-AAA, Franklin County's pursuit of perfection ended in a 4-2 loss at Fannin County on Tuesday. Franklin County clinched the region title two weeks ago.
However, the Lions rebounded with a pair of victories to close the season with a 24-1 record. Dawson County beat Lumpkin County three times to secure the No. 2 seed. West Hall, under first-year coach Chad Sage, earned the third seed, while Banks County finished fourth. The Leopards are in their first season under coach Tom Kelley.


The brutal Region 8-AAA was finally decided last week. Jefferson captured the region title after taking three games from Elbert County. Idle Hart County earned the No. 2 seed, while preseason region favorite Jackson County finished as the third seed. Oconee County finished fourth.