Wildcats force deciding game with Falcons

Julian Wright had two hits including a double and one RBI in the Wildcats' 14-7 win Monday night.

Woodland and Flowery Branch will play the rubber game of their best-of-three first-round Class 5A state playoff series Tuesday evening after the Wildcats and Falcons split a doubleheader Monday.

Visiting Flowery Branch won the first game of the series 1-0 as Falcons’ starting pitcher Mason Compton tossed a complete-game shutout.

Woodland powered back in Game 2 to win 14-7 and send the series to a deciding third game.

A pair of Woodland errors led to the Falcons’ run in the sixth inning of Game 1. The Wildcats’ loss spoiled the strong pitching performances of Ayden Ray and Zach Lambert. Ray scattered four hits and three walks. He struck out four. Lambert retired the final three outs in order in the seventh.

Jakiyon Porter had two hits for the Wildcats in the loss. Rowan Billings, Connor Stermer, and Conner Lujan had the other Woodland base hits.

In Game 2 with Woodland batting first as the visitors, the Wildcats scored six runs in the top of the second to grab an early 6-1 lead. Woodland added two more runs in the fourth and four additional runs in the fifth inning to lead 12-1.

Flowery Branch rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to narrow the Woodland lead to 12-7, but the Falcons got no closer.

Austin Daves (4 IP, 3R, 1ER, 4H, 3BB, 8K) made the pitching start for Woodland in Game 2 and fanned eight. Coby Barrett (0.2 IP, 4ER, 5H, 0BB, 2K) retired two outs in the fifth inning and Lambert (2.1 IP, 0ER, 2H, 1BB, 3K) worked the final 2-⅓ innings to collect the Wildcats’ pitching victory.

Billings had four hits in the Woodland win with two RBIs. Chase Carson (two RBIs) and Julian Wright (double, RBI) had two hits each. Stermer (two RBIs), Lujan (RBI), Mason Williams, and Porter (RBI) added one hit apiece for the Wildcats.

Woodland (19-13) and Flowery Branch (20-11) will square off Tuesday at The Ballpark at Woodland with the first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s winner will advance to the Class 5A Sweet Sixteen round to play at Centennial. The Knights swept Tri-Cities in the first round Monday, 10-0 and 15-0.