Gilmer High and East Forsyth squared off on the baseball diamond last week.
After the GHS Bobcats lost game one 4-3 Monday, they were on the road Wednesday and fell to the Broncos a second time, 11-5.
With inclement weather in the forecast, game three was postponed from Friday to Saturday. After a strong start, Gilmer saw its lead disappear as the Broncos’ hits started coming, and the Bobcats were defeated, 13-4.
EFHS had its offense churning Wednesday with 15 hits. Three of those hits came in the first inning and included a pair of singles and a double for a 2-0 lead. The Broncos added a third run in the second off a Bobcat error.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases in the third before a base hit to right extended their lead to 4-0. GHS got a much-needed defensive play after Billy Goswick snagged a fly ball in right field and doubled up the runner at second.
The Cats got on the board in the fourth. Ethan McCollum reached on an error to score Austin Zabala, who got on base with a one-out single.
The flood gates opened in the bottom of the fifth when the Broncos plated five runs as they belted six hits and three were for extra bases.
Down 9-1, GHS courtesy runner Haden West scored from third base on a wild pitch. Blake Zabala was rewarded for his one-out base hit. He eventually made his way to third and scored when Austin Zabala grounded out.
A pair of RBI singles in the sixth plated the Broncos’ final two runs of the game. Goswick led off the seventh with a hit and later scored on an error. Grant Cochran singled home Seth Darling for the Cats’ final run.
GHS had six hits on the day as Cochran and Blake Zabala both collected two. Cochran also started on the mound and pitched four innings, struck out four, walked two and gave up six earned runs on 10 hits.
Carter Jones pitched the fifth and sixth innings and surrendered five hits, three earned runs, two walks and struck out one. GHS errors led to a pair of unearned runs.
The Bobcats tallied 10 hits in Saturday’s finale. However, GHS left seven runners in scoring position, and managed to load the bases in the fifth inning but were unable to score.
Gilmer had one of its best innings since the start of region play in the first and plated three runs. Austin Zabala’s RBI single to center scored one, and two more crossed home plate when Noah Gutillo doubled to right.
The Broncos took over with an eight-run fourth inning while only collecting three singles. They were aided by GHS control issues and drew four walks and were hit by three pitches.
Gilmer scored its final run in its half of the inning with a two-out base hit by Cochran. EFHS added another run in the fifth and four more in the sixth to win by nine.
Cochran and Branson Teague both had two hits for GHS. Pitching: Darling 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 3 K, 5 BB. A. Zabala 1 2/3 IP, 3H, 4 ER, 1 K, 3 BB. Goswick 1/3 IP, 1H. Eli Cooper 1 2/3 IP, 1 H.
Gilmer is 6-8 overall and 1-6 versus region opponents after Monday’s 12-9 win over West Hall. Game two versus the Spartans will be at GHS Thursday, and the series will wrap up Friday in West Hall. All games start at 5:55 p.m.