Quantico Dodson hit a three-run, walk-off homer Saturday in the bottom of the seventh as Griffin High overcame eight errors on defense and eight walks and three hit batters by the pitching staff to top Howard 13-12 in the opening game of the inaugural GHS Diamond Day Tournament and remain undefeated on the season.

"It was definitely a good effort for the guys," said first-year Bears head coach Kevin Mobley. "I told them at the end of the game it was probably the worst game we've played defensively, but offensively I thought we battled and hung in there and just kept clawing and actually came out with a win."

"It was good for the team to see they were never out of the game," Mobley added.

Steven Ventura started the game for Griffin and and worked four innings, giving way to Jotavius Fuller in relief before Thrayland Lowe came on to finish the game. Lowe ended up recording the win as the Bears (3-0 overall) won their third in a row.

Mobley — who had Trey Mallett, Devontae Stanford and Montico Dodson slated to throw in the nightcap (still in progress at deadline) against Washington County — was just happy to see several different pitchers get some time atop the mound.

"The way the schedule has been laid out this year we've had a lot of time between games," said Mobley. "We haven't been able to use a lot of guys. That's what we wanted this day to be — a chance to see some other guys throw. It gave us a chance to get out there and put them in game situations and see how they perform. Any time we can get a win with some other guys, it's a bonus for us."

With five different players — Quantico Dodson, Montico Dodson, Cornelius Randolph, Daniel Gooden and Telly Sloan — getting two hits each, Griffin's 12-hit attack was more than potent enough for victory against Howard during a season where the Bears are averaging 12 runs per game.

With both teams testing pitchers, Saturday's game was nothing less than a see-saw battle.

Griffin plated a run in the first, three in the second and two in the third to carry a 6-2 lead into the top of the fourth. There, however, the Howard Huskies, plated five runs to climb back into the game. The Huskies, which held Griffin scoreless in fourth inning, led 7-6 going into the fifth.

Things looks bleak for the home team when the Huskies plated two more runs in the top of the fifth and the Bears went down scoreless in the bottom half of the fifth. Griffin, however, held Howard scoreless in the top of the sixth and plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth to carry a 10-9 lead into the top of the seventh where Howard took a two-run lead.

Quantico Dodson's heroics left the home team on top in a game that started with snow flurries. snow flurries were also falling when the coached exchanged lineup cards prior to the nightcap.

Griffin, which had a game Friday night at Jonesboro cancelled because of field conditions, continues its season with a Region 4-AAAA game Monday at home against Woodland-Stockbridge before hitting to road to take on Riverdale on Wednesday and Dutchtown on Friday each also in region action.

Friday's region game against Jonesboro was rescheduled for March 12.