Raiders on a five-game roll
Habersham Central senior infielder Carter Crane (1) celebrates a home run with the team during a baseball game between Apalachee and Habersham Central at Raider Park on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Habersham Central baseball (15-7, 6-2) blew out the Wildcats 10-0 at Raider Park on Friday, March 27, and wrecked the Panthers 10-5 on March 30. That marks their fifth win in a row.
Apalachee
The Raiders scored a combined 17 runs in the two-game series against Apalachee.
In game two, senior infielder Carter Crane got things started, hitting a two-run bomb in the bottom of the second inning. Senior outfielder Kreed Barrett added an RBI double to make it 3-0.
Barrett led the team with three hits and had two RBIs and a run. Crane finished with one hit, two RBIs and a run.
In the bottom of the third, Habersham Central scored a crushing seven runs.
Junior infielder Micah Huff went deep with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to make it 6-0. Barrett made it 7-0 off a ground ball single. Junior Mason Witt hit a double into center field that brought in senior infielder Hudson Gailey, senior outfielder Maverick Chitwood and Barrett for a final 10-0 blow.
Huff had two hits, three RBIs and two runs. Witt hit two, with three RBIs and one run.
The game was called in the fifth inning after a run-rule.
“Team wins top to bottom in the order, we swung it really well,” Baseball Head Coach Chris Akridge said. “We’ve had a really good week of preparation, and that’s a credit to our guys and their maturity and focus. Lucas (Machado) threw really well, threw a lot of strikes. Defense played solid behind him, and so very proud of our guys for the way they came out to compete tonight.”
“Region play is a grind; it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Akridge said. “That’s what we tell our guys. This year, the teams are very, very close, very evenly matched.”
Machado pitched a three-hit shutout win in five innings. He struck out five.
Jackson County
There was no wait for Habersham Central, as it poured on six runs in the bottom of the first inning.
In the top of the third, Jackson County narrowed the Raiders’ lead to 6-5. Habersham Central came right back in the third to score four runs; Witt scored the final tenth run from a sacrifice fly to center field, which brought in Barrett. “We have just kept showing up everyday getting one percent better,” Chitwood said. “Everyone has been stepping in the box and just competing with the mindset we are not going to let whoever is on the mound get us out.”
Barrett, Witt and Huff all had two RBIs on the night. Sophomore catcher Chaz Johnson and Chitwood both had two hits.
Crane came in relief for the final four innings and allowed three hits and no runs.
Junior pitcher Ethan Wheeler brought home the win in three innings pitched; Wheeler allowed nine hits, five runs and struck out four. Akridge picked up his 203rd win tonight; he won his 200th against Prince Avenue Christian on March 21.
The Raiders play game two today against Jackson County at Jackson County High School.
