Forsyth Central scored five runs in the sixth to take the lead, getting three consecutive runs on two walks and one hit batter with the bases loaded. The Bulldogs added another run on a sacrifice fly from Chap Lindstrom. David Bermudez's RBI single to shallow right field broke a 3-all tie and gave Forsyth Central the lead earlier in the inning.
Down 8-3, Woodland managed a run on an RBI single from Cody Baxter in the bottom of the sixth but could not rally from behind for the win.
"We hit a bunch of guys. I think that's the difference in the game," said Wildcats coach Corey Gochee, whose team hit three Bulldogs batters and walked six others in the game. "We gave 'em some runs there in the sixth. They scored five runs. I think we either walked or hit four guys in that inning. Heck, that's one run [and] they haven't even done anything."
Josh Day took the loss for Woodland, giving up seven earned runs on six hits, three walks and one hit batter. He struck out two in five innings. Luke Patterson also pitched for the hosts, going two innings with two hits, two hit batters, two walks and one strikeout.
Spencer Transue earned the win on the mound for the visitors from Cumming. Transue threw a complete game, striking out seven and giving up three earned runs on six hits, two walks and one hit batter.
Day allowed three of the first four batters he faced to reach base -- including Lindstrom and Daniel Bermudez, who had run-scoring hits in the form of a double and single, respectively -- before getting out of the inning on a double play.
The Wildcats picked Day up in the bottom of the first when Robert Harris hit an RBI single and Patterson followed up with an RBI triple to tie the game. After Forsyth Central's center fielder lost the ball on a Day fly ball, Patterson scored to give Woodland a 3-2 lead.
The Bulldogs brought the game to 3-all after David Bermudez came home on an infielder's error.
Save for designated hitter Nick McIntyre's double to right in the third, the Wildcats did not place another base runner in scoring position until the they scored their final run in the sixth.
"I thought we were going to come out swinging the bats. We did it in the first, we did it in the second and then we didn't do anything [in] the third, fourth and fifth inning. We basically took three innings off, and we can't do that," Gochee said.
Woodland's Baxter went 1-for-3 (walk, RBI), Camden McGill hit 1-for-3 (hit by a pitch), Harris finished 1-for-4 (RBI), Patterson also was 1-for-4 (RBI triple) and McIntyre went 2-for-4 (double).
Getting hits for Forsyth Central were Lindstrom, 1-for-4 (two RBIs, double); Daniel Bermudez, 2-for-3 (RBI, hit by a pitch); Transue, 1-for-4; David Bermudez, 2-for-3 (hit by a pitch, RBI); and Nick Lawless, 2-for-3 (walk).
The Wildcats (9-8, 7-5 Region 7-AAAA) host Sequoyah Monday at 5:55 p.m. as they try to pick up their 10th win of the season.
"We just gotta get timely hits and keep guys off base. I thought we played pretty good defensively, I mean, we turned two or three double plays. I think that's the key to the game," Gochee said. "We [made] the plays defensively ... we just didn't get timely hits."