Gordon Lee, Dade earn state-eight spots

Gordon Lee made short work of Holy Innocents' in their Georgia Class A softball second-round playoff series.

Coach Dana Mull's Lady Trojans will be returning to Columbus for the state final eight after downing the visitors from Atlanta 14-0 in four innings and 8-0 in five innings Friday in the best-of-three series in Chickamauga.

Jonia Taylor (14-2) pitched a no-hitter with eight strikeouts in the first game and Brenna Nation went to 13-0 with a seven-strikeout one-hitter for Gordon Lee (28-2), the state runner-up last year. Their first game at Columbus this year will be at noon Thursday.

Kendall Johnson went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in the first game, when Lesslie Bohannon added a two-run homer. Anna Quinn had a three-run homer in the rematch, and Holli Brooks batted in two runs in each game.

* At Watkinsville, Dade County is headed to Columbus for the Class AA final eight after its second series upset of the week Friday. The Lady Wolverines (21-10) swept second-ranked North Oconee (31-4-1) by identical 3-2 scores.

The first game went nine innings, with Dade scoring in the top half on Hilary Woodfin's sacrifice fly. North Oconee loaded the bases with one out, but Dade pitcher Haleigh McBryar got a forceout at home and a strikeout to end the game.

Game two was tied at 2 in the sixth when Holly Gross opened with a single, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Emily Waldrop's single. Gross had an RBI single in the third inning and Madeline Barton added an RBI double.

McBryar (18-8) earned the win by scattering seven hits and walking none. Gross had two of the winners' five hits.