2015 GA-SC Junior Challenge Match

 

Peach State Wins GA-SC Junior Challenge Match, 8 1/2 - 7 1/2

 

BLUFFTON, S.C. - The Peach State defeats the Palmetto State, 8 1/2 to 7 1/2, to claim its 24th victory at the Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Match. The 40th playing of this border-state competition took place at Berkeley Hall Club, July 24-25.

The first two matches of day two finished all square, giving a half point to each side. Grant Sutliff of Suwanee earned a half point for Georgia in his match versus Drayton Stewart of Charleston, S.C. In the second match, Will Chandler of Atlanta split a point with South Carolina's Wil Sheppard of Charleston.

Match three gave Georgia its first point of day two as Luukas Alakulppi of Valdosta beat Patrick Golden of Murrells Inlet, S.C., 4 and 3. Match four went the Palmetto State's way with Brady Keran of Canton falling to Logan Sowell of Kershaw, 5 and 3. JonErik Alford of Roswell earned his point with a win over Nick Willis of Cowpens, S.C., 2 up. In match six, Ryan Hines of Woodstock dropped his match to Jack Parrott of Columbia, 2 and 1, giving the home team its point. Georgia's Patrick Edwards of Columbus then fell to South Carolina's Christian Salzer of Sumter, 6 and 5.

In the final match to finish, Ryan Hines of Woodstock gave Georgia a crucial half point to earn the 3 1/2 points needed to seal the victory with his split with Jack Parrott of Columbia, S.C.

Georgia won four of eight matches to kick off the border-state competition on day one. Chandler topped Stewart of Charleston, S.C., 3 and 1. Alford beat South Carolina's Kent Lawrence of Mount Pleasant, 4 and 2. Dunagan, who represented Georgia last year, defeated Willis of Cowpens, S.C., 1 up. Hines earned his point over the Palmetto State's Salzer of Sumter, 3 and 1.

Two matches on the first day on finished all square, resulting in a half point awarded to each team. Georgia's Sutliff and Sheppard of Charleston, S.C., split their match, as did Georgia's Alakulppi and South Carolina's Sowell of Kershaw.

The two matches where Team Georgia fell short in round one included Keran falling to Golden of Murrells Inlet, S.C., 3 and 2, and Edwards coming up short to South Carolina's Parrott of Columbia, 5 and 4.

Over the two-day competition, Georgia's Alford went 2-0 in his matches. This win also extends Georgia's overall record to 24-13-3.