COLUMBUS, Ga. — Buford and Banks County both moved within one win of playing for state titles at the Elite 8 tournament at the Olympic Softball Complex on Thursday.
Buford beat Mill Creek, 12-4, in five innings in Class 7A and will play East Coweta on Friday for a spot in the finals. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
Banks County beat Vidalia, 8-0, in five innings in Class 2A and will take on Appling County on Friday for a spot in the finals. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
For Banks County, Peyton Gaylor pitched her second complete game in as many days, spinning a one-hit gem. Gaylor fanned three and walked three.
The Lady Leopards (24-5) scored two runs in the first on a RBI single from Tylee Strickland and a passed ball. They broke it open with a Mary Faulkner grand slam in the fourth.
For Buford, the Lady Wolves (30-0) had to battle back from an early deficit as the Lady Hawks scored twice in the first inning. Buford responded by scoring in every inning.
Madison Pickens hit a solo home run to open the Buford first and Kadyn Gabrels added a three-run homer later in the inning for a 4-2 lead. After Mill Creek cut the lead to 4-3 in the second, Adriana Martinez plated a run with a sacrifice fly and the Lady Wolves extended the lead to 6-3 scoring on an error.
The Lady Hawks stayed within striking distance with a run in the third, but Madison Pickens smacked a two-run single as part of a four-run third. Buford scored twice in the fourth on Summer Castorri and Kylie Gower RBI hits.
Addie Rackley got the win, going the distance. The right-hander gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out three.
