The Griffin Bears got a timely hit and a some late-inning luck to defeat the Northgate Vikings 4-3 Friday evening in Region 3-AAAA crossover baseball action at The Bears’ Den.

It is the second straight year Griffin has defeated the Vikings — last year the Bears beat them 5-4 in Newnan, Ga. when the Vikings were state-ranked.

Griffin, a subregion A team, improves to 5-14 overall while subregion B foe Northgate drops its second straight game to fall to 11-9.

Griffin started off well, getting an RBI single from Daniel Gooden and benefiting from a Northgate error to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Northgate sliced the lead in the next inning, as three Griffin errors led to one Vikings run and made the score 3-1. Griffin starting pitcher Trey Mallett hit Northgate’s James Poropatic to load the bases, but he got Jonathan Hamilton to fly out to short to end the threat in the second.

Despite the errors Griffin made, the Bears didn’t allow any runs during the next two innings. Mallett got out of another bases-loaded jam in the third and a diving stop and putout to first by Bears third baseman Telly Sloan (from his knees) helped Griffin escape damage in the fourth. Unfortunately for Griffin, Mallett couldn’t get out of a jam in the fifth.

After getting the first out of the fifth, Mallett surrendered 3 straight hits. The big blow came on the third hit, a 2-run double by Spencer Perry that was just out of the reach of a diving Malik Miller in left, to tie the game at 3-all. After a walk, Bears shortstop Cornelius Randolph completed a double play to keep the game tied at 3.

Griffin had a chance to take the lead, but it committed a base running error and the score remained tied. Gooden replaced Mallett (5 innings, 2 ER on 6 hits with 1 strikeout and 2 walks) on the mound with one on base in the sixth inning and proceeded to walk the bases loaded. But the sophomore struck out the side to end that threat and keep the score knotted at 3-all.

Griffin finally dented the scoreboard again in the bottom of the sixth. With two out, John Pope got his second hit of the game and he was pinch-run for by teammate Anforne’ Stroud. Montico Dodson walked and that was followed by a beautiful bunt down the third base line by right fielder Marquavious Brownlee that somehow stayed fair, loading the bases. A few pitches later, Northgate’s Blake Witney uncorked a wild pitch and Stroud scored to give the Bears the 4-3 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Gooden had Vikings on second and third with one out, but he struck out Buddy Green and got Poropatic to ground out to Sloan at third to end the game. Gooden pitched two innings, striking out 4 and walking 3 without allowing a hit or a run.

The Bears host subregion A foe Jones County Monday at 5:30 p.m. on Senior Night.

GRIFFIN HIGH

Date |Opponent |Time

2/20 |vs. Russell Co, Ala. |L 4-3

2/27 |@ Decatur |W 8-5

2/29 |Newnan |L 10-7

3/2 |@ Whitewater |L 11-0

3/5 |@ Alcovy* |L 5-1

3/7 |Ola* |L 9-2

3/9 |Fayette Co. |L 2-0

3/14 |@ U. Grove* |L 5-1

3/16 |@ McIntosh |L 7-4

3/19 |Woodland* |L 14-3

3/21 |@ Jones Co.* |L 13-3

3/23 |Harris Co. |W 7-6

3/26 |Dutchtown* |W 11-1

3/28 |Alcovy* |W 9-5

4/2 |@ Ola* |L 7-2

4/3 |@ Starr’s Mill |L 12-2

4/9 |Union Grove* |L 5-0

4/11 |@ Woodland* |L 15-5

4/13 |Northgate |W 4-3

4/16 |Jones Co.* |5:30

4/18 |@ Dutchtown* |5:30

4/20 |@ Upson-Lee |5:30