TIFTON — Lowndes dropped half of its doubleheader Friday to Tift County, but the Vikings are once again on the verge of clinching a region championship.

Any win over Valdosta in the final Region 1-6A series of the year will raise the flag for the Vikings. That would give them 11 wins for the year and Colquitt County and Richmond Hill both have eight. Lowndes won both season series.

Ryan Whitley impressed in the 7-1 Tift win in game one. Lowndes scored six in the seventh of game two, then had to hang on to win 8-7 after the Blue Devils scored four

TIFT 7, VIKINGS 1

Three days after a quick exit on a run-rule at Lowndes, the Blue Devils got it all on the hill from Whitley Friday.

The senior fanned six hitters while only walking four. He faced crises in three innings — bases loaded and no outs in the fourth; and first and third with one out in the sixth and bases loaded with one out in the seventh. Whitley got out of the first two unscathed, but ran into the pitch count limit in the seventh. Lowndes scored its only run on a wild pitch after, but Tyler VanSumeren got a pair of strikeouts to close it out.

Tift scored twice in the first frame, manufacturing both with two outs.

Drew Hembree and Landon Parrish reached on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively. Mac Brooks hit a chopper off Heath Davis’ glove. There was a still a shot to get Brooks, but the throw went wild and Hembree scored. With runners at the corners, Brooks took off for second, provoking a throw. Parrish then took off, scooting in ahead of a tag.

The Blue Devils added skinny runs in the third and fourth. Parrish singled in VanSumeren in the former. In the latter, it seemed like Tift was going to squander Jake Spurlin’s lead-off double, but worked the bases loaded after two were down. Hembree was hit by a pitch for the RBI.

In between, Whitley worked through his first tough spot. After Coleman Lewis, Tyler Burnam and Derick Carter made it aboard with none down, Whitley got the next three men to pop up. Out No. 2 was to Parrish in right field, but it was a shallow fly and the Vikings did no more than tease tagging up.

They were up 4-0 when Lowndes had first and third in the sixth. A crack by Whitley here could open the floodgates for the two-time defending state champions, but instead Whitley coaxed a roller to shortstop Spurlin, who stepped on second and threw to VanSumeren at first for the inning-ending double play.

Insurance came in a big way in the bottom half of the inning.

Sam Pritchard and John Davis reached to start, with Brodie Law taking over as Pritchard’s courtesy runner. VanSumeren singled to center for an RBI. Hembree followed with a sac bunt that saw a rushed throw go wild, plating Davis. Tift picked up its final run on a single by Brooks, scoring VanSumeren.

Lowndes’ Paul Tindall walked to begin the seventh. A single and walk filled the bags and Whitley exited. Tindall slid in on a wild pitch, but that was it for the visitors in the first contest.

Tift finished with seven hits, two by VanSumeren. Four players drove in a run apiece. Grist earned three of the eight walks. Whitley left at exactly the limit, 110 pitches.

The Vikings accumulated eight hits. Matt Kerrigan had three of these at the top of the order. Lowndes used four pitchers on the day, with each recording one strikeout.

VIKINGS 8, TIFT 7

Lowndes exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh frame to take an 8-3 lead into the Blue Devils’ final at-bat. Tift almost pulled off a miracle.

Two Devils reached to begin their half of the seventh, and almost filled the bases with none down, but runners had to hold on a bloop to right and the Vikings got to the ball in time to instead turn it into a fielder’s choice. The next man, Parrish, did walk to load the bases with one down, but a strikeout to the man after him meant the Vikings were an out away from closing it out.

Grist singled into no-man’s land behind second, driving in Davis and Hembree and it was 8-5. Spurlin was nicked by a pitch, filling the bags once more. Walks to Walker Brannen and Pritchard delivered Parrish and Grist, making it a one-run game.

With the top of the order back up, Lowndes went to its fifth pitcher of the second game and ninth for the doubleheader in Noah Burnham. Tift hit a fly to left that began hooking away from the fielder, but not quite enough and Burnham earned his save.

The first six innings belied the seventh, a pitcher’s duel between Garrett Moon and Davis. Davis had started Tuesday as well, but a rough outing saw him throw few pitches over an inning.

The Vikings seemed well on their way to the same results as Tuesday when Cason Fletcher homered to left in the first inning, but had a hard time getting to Davis after.

Moon, however, moved through the Devils with ease over the first three and with Davis now grooving, there was a chance the 1-0 lead might be it. Things changed in the fourth.

Hembree doubled off the wall in left and Brooks singled for runners at the corners. Moon caught a soft liner for the second out, but with Spurlin putting a scare into Lowndes each time at the plate, they walked him intentionally.

Brannen came through with a two-run single up the middle, putting Tift ahead 2-1. An inning later, it was 3-1, as Davis stole home an eyelash ahead of a throw. Davis had been waiting for his chance when VanSumeren got himself caught in a rundown.

Lowndes was down a run when Coleman Lewis blasted a solo shot to the parking lot in the sixth. An inning later, they finally wore down Davis.

Heath Davis singled past second to begin the seventh. Two wild pitches ultimately moved him to third. He had to hold on a short fly to right, but was joined on the bases when Tyler Parker walked. Davis struck out his second man, then Tift made the decision to intentionally walk Kerrigan to set up a force at every base.

Lewis fell into an 0-2 count, but poked a ball to left, scoring Davis and Parker and Lowndes was on top 4-3. Then they blew it open. Lewis walked and Burnham drove in two on a single. An error off Carter’s bat brought in Lewis and Davis, up again, drove in Burnham to make it 8-3.

Fletcher and Lewis homered for Lowndes, and Fletcher and Burnham each had three RBIs. Brannen drove in three for Tift County.

Moon struck out four in four innings. John Davis fanned 11 in 6 2/3.