Generals begin final week in 7-AAAA logjam

With three region games left to be played in the regular season this week, the Heritage Generals still have work to do to guarantee themselves a spot in the state playoffs.

After a home victory over Central-Carroll earlier in the week, the Generals made the trip to Carrollton for a doubleheader on Friday and dropped the final two games of the threegame series.

Now Heritage (16-11 overall) finds itself at 9-6 in Region 7-AAAA and in a four-way tie second with Central, Northwest and Pickens. Cedartown (13-2) has clinched the region championship for a second straight season. Heritage and Cedartown will face off this week, starting Tuesday in Boynton before a doubleheader in Polk County on Friday.

Northwest and Central will play a three-game series this week, while Pickens and Ridgeland will also square off in three games. Southeast has already completed its 18 region games.

Only the top four teams at the end of this week will advance to the state playoffs.

HERITAGE 4, CENTRAL 0

A complete-game shutout by Zach Barrett and some timely RBI’s from J.C. Armour lifted the Generals to a win last Tuesday night in Boynton in Game 1 of the series. Barrett gave up just two hits and one walk in seven innings and finished with four strikeouts.

Armour came through with a two-out RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning to plate Brady Chandler. He delivered another RBI-single in the fourth to score Gage Shaver before crossing the plate himself on a Jonathan Glover two-out double.

He also accounted for the final run of the game for the Generals in the sixth. A triple by Shaver — the fourth and final hit of the day for the home team — led off the inning and Armour followed up with a sacrifice fly.

CENTRAL 5, HERITAGE 4

The Navy-and-Red scored two runs in each of the first two innings, but the Lions cut the gap down to 4-3 by the end of the second inning and later pushed across solo runs in the sixth and seventh to take the win.

Armour pitched the first four innings and allowed three runs with only two being earned. He gave up four hits and four walks and finished with three strikeouts. Glover allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in 2.1 innings of relief. He struck out three batters.

Cannon Stafford went 3 for 3 with a run scored. Shaver was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Chandler had two hits and scored twice, Armour added a single and Barrett picked up an RBI.

CENTRAL 6, HERITAGE 3

The Generals scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning, but gave up three in the bottom of the frame before surrendering three more runs in the bottom of the third.

Heritage finally got two runs back in the top of the sixth, but no more as the Lions completed the Friday night sweep.

Chandler had a double as one of his two hits, while Shaver and Glover also had two hits in the game. Maddox Henry recorded a double, while Barrett added a single. Stafford, Max Owens and Eli Totherow each had one RBI.

Chandler pitched well despite the loss. He went five innings and gave up six hits, though only one of the runs were earned. He scattered seven hits, walked one and finished with six strikeouts. Garrison May worked a hitless, scoreless inning of relief with one walk and strikeout.