COLUMBUS, Ga. — Buford and Banks County both opened the 2023 Elite 8 tournament with wins on Wednesday at the Olympic Softball Complex.
The Reigning Class 7A state champion Lady Wolves beat Lowndes, 4-0, in the first round in Class 7A while the Lady Leopards held off Toombs County, 4-2, in Class 2A.
Buford (29-0) next will take on fellow Region 8-7A opponent Mill Creek in the second round at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Banks County (23-5) will take on Vidalia at 1 p.m. on Thursday in the second round.
For Buford, sophomore Caroline Stanton (13-0) tossed a three-hitter as part of her 9th complete game of the season. She fanned 15 and walked just two. She also got the Lady Wolves' offense going early with two-run single in the first scoring Madison Pickens and Mackenzie Pickens.
The Lady Wolves got a run in the fourth on a bases-loaded wild pitch and junior Kylie Gower pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fifth with a sacrifice fly scoring senior Tavye Borders.
Banks County, meanwhile, battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to get the win. The Lady Leopards took their first lead in the fifth, tying the game on a passed ball and taking a 3-2 lead on a dropped third strike that would have ended the inning. They added an insurance in the top of the seventh on another Toombs County error.
Peyton Gaylor, who went the distance for Banks County, then set down the Lady Bulldogs (19-9) in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win.
