Central Georgia Sports ReportMay 08, 2025Comment

Thursday's Report: GHSA playoffs, Mercer, Russell Henley, FVSU, Middle Georgia State; Braves, UGA, Tech; NBA/NHL playoffs, golf, soccer, NFL, MLB, NASCAR, CFB, NCAA/Saban/Trump, ACC hoops, WNBA

Central Georgia Sports ReportMay 08, 2025Comment

📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D
High Schools
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

GHSA Playoffs
Class 5A
Houston County 6, Pope 4; Houston County 4, Pope 2; Next: Tuesday, vs. Loganville
One of the state’s better postseason rivalries again went to the Bears, this time on the road. A balk put Pope up 3-2 after two, then Isaiah Galason belted a 2-run double and Ethan Buffone an RBI single in the top of the sixth for a 6-4 lead. Winning pitcher Will Allen retired the Greyhounds (31-5) in order in the bottom of the seventh, finishing an efficient effort. Galason had 2 of Houston County’s 6 hits, he and Logan Elble each with 2 RBI. The Bears (31-5) got all they needed with 3 in the third inning of the nightcap, Galason with another RBI single followed by Elble’s 2-run homer. Max Wilhide went 5.2 innings, fanning four with no walks and 2 hits. Tyson Ganas got the save. Allen had 2 of Houston County’s 8 hits.

Class AAA
Peach County 3, Mary Persons 2; Peach County 3, Mary Persons 0; Next: Tuesday, vs. Cherokee Bluff
The 34-2 Trojans got run-scoring singles in the bottom of the seventh from Zion Hudson and Rigsby Booth for the walk-off winner. Georgia signee Jackson Peavy struck out 14 with 3 walks. Shivan Patel got the loss in relief. Cole Carr started, and fanned 9 with 4 walks in 5.2 innings. DJ Hudson threw a complete-game shutout in the nightcap, striking out 8 with no walks. Andrwe Snow went the distance for Mary Persons, with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks, and 2 earned runs.

Class A/Division I
Bleckley County 6, Pepperell 2; Pepperell 8, Bleckley County 1; 5 p.m.
Clayton Beck drove in 4 runs on 2 hits to lead the Royals in the opener after Pepperell took an early lead. Gavin Cole and Beck helped Bleckley County take the lead in the third. Braegan Cravey went the distance, with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks, adding a 3-for-3 game at the plate. Pepperell broke open a 1-all game with 4 in the fourth, dealing a knockout punch with 3 in the top of the seventh.

Gordon Lee 3, Washington County 0; Gordon Lee 8, Washington County 2
The Golden Hawks finished 26-9, managing only 2 hits in the opener to go with 4 errors. Gordon Lee put up 6 in the second inning of the nightcap to seal it.

GIAA Regular Season
John Milledge 12, Trinity Christain 2
Tattnall 11, Edmund Burke 2

🏫🏫🏫College🏫🏫🏫
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Georgia Tech 4, Mercer 3

🥎 🥎 🥎Softball 🥎 🥎 🥎

Mercer 11, Furman 7; Mercer 5, Wofford 2

Pro

⚾ ⚾ ⚾ MLB⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Cincinnati 4, Atlanta 3

📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰

Around/About Central Georgia

Wildcats prepare for opening game of the NCAA Tournament

SB-Mercer guts out two huge wins at SoCon Tournament, one on a walk-off slam

BSB-Mercer honors Tech’s Hall, comeback falls short

SB-Middle Georgia State third seed at NAIA national tournament opening round

Henley back in action

When everybody tees off Thursday morning at the Truist Championship in Philadelphia, they’ll really be more even than usual.

Nobody’s played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.

The final tournament before next major has a field of 72 and no cut, plus more money.

Russell Henley is considered a legit contender, which is no surprise. The Stratford grad is fifth I the FedExCup rankings and No. 8 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The 7,100-yard par-70 may fit Henley’s game nicely. He’s in the top 10 on the tour in shots gained total, greens in regulation percentage, putting from 20-25 feet, driving accuracy percentage, and scoring average, among other stats.

Henley tees off at 12:37 p.m. on No. 10 with Ludvig Aberg and fellow Georgia Bulldogs Sepp Straka.

Around/About Georgia

Friedl hits 2 homers as Reds overcome Greene’s groin injury to beat Braves and end 4-game skid

Reds right-hander Hunter Greene leaves game against Braves after only 3 innings with groin injury

SB-Hot hitter ends Georgia’s SEC Tourney visit

SB- No. 8 seed Jackets rampage past No. 9 Cal in ACC Tourney

BSB-UGA notes: No. 1, Johnson and MSU, injuries

BSB-Freshmen fuel Tech win at Mercer for sixth straight win

NBA

Celtics’ Jrue Holiday wins NBA’s social justice award, a week after winning sportsmanship award

Knicks take a 2-0 lead over the Celtics after coming from 20 down again to win 91-90

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 34 as Thunder roll past Nuggets 149-106, tie West semis at 1-1