FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Cherokee Bluff advanced to the Class 3A Elite 8 tournament in Columbus for the first time in program history with a sweep of Whitewater at home on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
The third-seeded Lady Bears (25-6) staged a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory in the first game and then rolled to a 16-1 win in three innings in the second game.
In the series opener, Bluff trailed 4-2 in the fourth before scoring two in the fourth, two in the fifth, and one in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead. But Whitewater rallied back with three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game.
Audrey Graham ended it for the Lady Bears with a two-out, RBI single, driving in Kaitlyn Benitez, who had singled earlier in the inning, for the game-winner.
Graham had three hits and three RBI to pace Bluff. Mac Warren had two hits and two RBI for the Lady Bears.
Jaycee Archer got the win, going seven innings allowing 7 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits. She struck out three.
In the second game, Bluff scored 10 runs in the first and six in the second to quickly finish off the Lady Wildcats and move on to the Elite 8.
They will take on the Pickens-Peach County in the opening game of the Class 3A tournament on Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. in Columbus.
North Hall, the No. 5 seed in Class 3A, split with LaGrange on Thursday. The Lady Grangers took a slim 1-0 in the first game but the Lady Trojans answered with an 11-1 rout in Game 2 to force a deciding third game on Friday at North Hall.
In the Class A Division 1 playoffs, Banks County advanced to the Elite 8 tournament. The Lady Leopards beat Vidalia 11-3 and 3-2 to get back to Columbus for a second straight season. They finished third in 2023 in Class 2A.
Banks County will open the Class A D1 tournament against Haralson County Oct. 30 at 11 a.m..
However, East Hall’s bid to make the Columbus field came to an end on Thursday in an 8-0 and 12-0 sweep at the hands of Monroe Area in the Class 3A tournament.
