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Tigers defeat West Hall in 12 innings
Varsity Baseball pic6
Kolton Brumbelow takes a hard slide into third base in a game with Lumpkin County last week. - photo by Ryan Coker Dawson Community News

Just when things were looking bleak for the varsity Tigers' baseball team, Dawson County pulled out an 8-4 win against West Hall in 12 innings in a game played April 3 in Gainesville.

The Tigers led 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning and were one strike away with two outs when a hit scored two Spartans and tied the score, sending the game into extra innings.

In the 10th inning, West Hall had bases loaded with no outs with a chance to win and the Tigers battled out of the inning surrendering just one run.

Dawson County's bats came alive in the 12th inning and scored five runs to pull away with the victory.

Brody Chester led off the inning with a single.

With one out, Zack Buchan reached base on an error by the first baseman.

Dylan Heller then doubled home Chester, which gave Dawson a 4-3 advantage.

Tiger Keaton Coates was then hit by a pitch putting runners on first and third.

Up to the plate stepped Logan Crumley, who took a 1-2 pitch and deposited the baseball over the outfield fence.

Dawson had a commanding 8-3 lead.

West Hall added a run in the bottom of the 12th to make the final score 8-4.

Coach Thad Burgess' team connected on three home runs in the contest.

Including Crumley's game-winning homer, Buchan hit one in the 10th inning and Conner Bearden hit one in the second inning.

Crumley led the Tigers at the plate. He went 3-for-6 with three RBIs.

"This was do or die for us," Burgess said. "We have an uphill road to catch West Hall for the last playoff spot. I like how we fought and how we could have rolled over after both West Hall comebacks."

Before the exciting win over West Hall the Tigers dropped two Region 7-AAA contests earlier in the week.

The Tigers dropped a 6-1 decision to East Hall (9-8; 7-4) on March 30.

Dawson County got on the scoreboard first when leadoff hitter Levi Whitmire doubled off the game's first pitch from Viking pitcher Eli Stuart.

The second batter, Brody Chester, also laced a double to left center that drove in Whitmire and gave Dawson County a short lived 1-0 lead.

It was the only run the Tigers managed.

Kolton Brumbelow led all Tiger hitters. He went 3-for-3 in the contest.

Also picking up hits were Bearden, Buchan, J.T. Eggert and Crumley.

On April 1, Dawson County played region leader Franklin County.

The Lions came into the game with a 13-3 overall record and a 10-1 region record.

The Tigers fell behind 6-0 after two innings of play.

Dawson County then battled back to have the winning run on second and third in the sixth inning but just couldn't find a way to get them home.

Coates homered in the third inning to cut the Franklin lead.

The Tigers added another run in the inning on a single by Whitmire, who then stole second base.

Brody Chester drove in Whitmire to cut the lead to 6-2.

Dawson County added two more runs in the fifth inning on a home run by Brumbelow.

The Tigers threatened again in the same inning following back-to-back walks to Chester and Bearden put runners on first and second. Buchan doubled home Chester to cut the Lion lead to 6-5.

"After playing poorly the first two innings, we played our best game of the year. Our players really battled to the last out against an undefeated region leader," Burgess said.

The Tigers will play two more games this week. The team will face off against Lumpkin County today at home and against Banks County on Friday, also at home.

Both games will begin at 5:55 p.m.