The Gatewood Gators went 2-1 as March came to a close in games against First Presbyterian Day, followed by a home-and-home series versus region rival Brentwood.
Gatewood wrapped up regular-season region play with a 5-1 record in Region 4 AA, the best of all teams in the league (9-4 overall to this point).
Though the Gators have more than likely won the region title, they won’t officially be named conference champs until league play has ended for all teams.
The Gators started on the road on March 23 at First Presbyterian Day in Macon. Gatewood scored its first run in the top of the first inning on a Lawson Wooten six-pitch walk to score Caleb Riser, who also walked on base earlier in the inning.
FPD answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the first on a passed ball to tie the game before the third out was recorded on a fly-out.
The Gators then took a two-run lead in the top of the second on an Ames Johnson double that scored John Wallace Thompson and Caleb Riser. Another double by Walker Roberts scored Johnson and made the score, 4-1.
Gatewood continued to extend its lead in the second inning when Wooten hit a single to score Roberts and Dylan Sinclair, followed by another single to push Wilson Moore across the plate.
Two more Gatewood runs came courtesy of a Wallace Thompson single that scored Wooten and Sinclair to give the Gators an 8-1 lead.
Wooten started on the mound for the Gators and went three-up-three-down in the bottom of the second with three strikeouts.
Both teams remained scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when Roberts sent a solo homer to right field.
FPD mustered only one more run in the bottom of the seventh to reach the 9-2 final score. Wooten pitched five innings for the Gators, striking out six batters and walking one. Wallace Thompson came on in relief duty in the sixth inning and allowed zero hits in two innings to finish off the game.
The Gators were back in action on March 28 at home in Eatonton facing Brentwood. This time, Moore got the start for Gatewood and pitched three-up, three-down in the opening inning.
Gatewood scored its first run in the bottom of the second on a Hunter Johnson single to score Sinclair. The Gators added a second run on a Caleb Riser ground out that scored Wallace Thompson. The Gators took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third after Thompson and Roberts both scored.
The War Eagles answered in the top of the fourth with their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly ball before the Gators recorded the next two outs. Wooten scored the Gators' fifth run of the game in the bottom of the fifth on a passed ball.
After another three-up, three-down inning, the Gators took a commanding lead when Roberts and Moore hit back-to-back homers to boost the Gators lead to 7-1. Gatewood’s final run also came in the bottom of the sixth when Wooten scored on a passed ball to give the Gators an 8-1 win.
Moore pitched 3.1 innings with four strikeouts and two hits allowed, while Roberts got the win after throwing four strikeouts, zero hits allowed, zero runs allowed, and no walks through 3.2 innings of work. The Gatewood bats were led by Roberts, who hammered his third homer of the season and Moore, who homered as well, and Ames Johnson with two hits and an RBI.
On March 31, Gatewood faced Brentwood again and wrapped up region play on the road with a 5-4 loss in Sandersville.
The Gators got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, but Brentwood took the lead with three runs of their own in the fifth.
Single runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings briefly put the Gators back on top at 4-3, but the War Eagles answered with two runs of their own to finish the game.
The Gators have a week off for spring break but will resume non-region play on April 10 against Edmond Burke Academy in Waynesboro before heading to Louisville the next day to play Thomas Jefferson Academy.