Boyd fires Northwest to round 2

TUNNEL HILL, Ga. -- Freshman phenom Emily Boyd continued to amaze Tuesday with two wins as Northwest Whitfield swept a GHSA Class AAAA first-round softball doubleheader from North Springs by identical 8-0 scores.

Boyd struck out 13, allowed one hit and zero walks and struck out nine batters in a row at one point in game one. She received plenty of run support, including two RBIs and three hits from Amy Shampo, two hits and an RBI from Kayla Piorkowsi and two hits from Mykeah Johnson.

Boyd went just three innings in a five-inning game two but struck out seven of the nine batters she faced and did not allow a hit. Carly Hendon and Casey Griffin knocked in two runs each for the 17-12 Lady Bruins, who will host Appalachee in a second-round best-of-three series beginning Friday.

n In Class AAA, Region 7 champion Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (21-8) continued its hot roll with a sweep of visiting Lumpkin County, 6-0 and 11-1. Monica Vickery won her 12th game of the season in game one, no-hitting the visitors and striking out 15. Jody Archer hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning and Maddie Bray had two hits and an RBI.

Bray was the second-game winner, pitching the game's four innings and striking out 10 in a two-hitter. Freshman Courtney Crawford was 3-for-3 with four RBIs, while Archer stayed hot with two his and two RBIs. The Lady Warriors will host the winner of the John's Creek/Elbert County winner Friday.

n Also in AAA, Ridgeland went on the road and swept White County, 8-0 and 4-0. Senior ace Jessie Forrester won both games, pitching four innings in game one and going the distance in game two and striking out 12.

Senior Courtnee Hall had a big day, going a combined 4-for-7 with a first-game home run and two doubles in the second game. She drove in three runs in game one and two more in the clincher. Haley Lawson, Caitlyn Lance and Forrester had two hits in each game for the 21-6 winners. The Lady Panthers will travel to top-ranked Eastside Friday.

n In Class AA, 10th-ranked Dade County split a doubleheader with fourth-ranked Blessed Trinity, losing the first game 4-1 and winning the second game by the same score with three runs in the top of the seventh inning. The deciding game will be played today at 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Hillary Woodfin had an RBI double and freshman Sydney Vaughn added a two-run single in the decisive inning for the Lady Wolverines. Haleigh McBryar was the winning pitcher and went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored.