Class 3A Blog: Two top-ranked teams fall in quarterfinals; a look at the baseball playoffs

It's a title-hungry semifinals with each of the four remaining teams in the Class 3A playoffs having never won a championship.

Pickens was ranked No. 3 in the pre-playoff baseball rankings but after upending the top-ranked, undefeated and two-time defending champion Harlem, the Dragons are two series away from the programs first-ever title. Harlem was in the hunt for the program's third-straight and 10th overall title before the consecutive losses Wednesday.

Pickens delivered Harlems first loss of the season with an 8-3 victory in the first game and the 5-1 victory in Game 2 sent Harlem packing. Pickens moved past Dougherty 16-1, 12-1 in the first round and No. 8 LaGrange 4-0, 8-1 in the second round before beating Harlem.The Dragons will travel to No. 5 Troup County for the semifinals after Troup beat No. 9 Jefferson 9-3, 5-4 in the quarterfinals.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 6 Cherokee Bluff defeated No. 2 North Hall 7-3, 10-2, earning a road trip to No. 4 Peach County in the semis. The Trojans are alive after beating local-rival Mary Persons 3-2, 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

Follow the link to see the full brackets.