Ridgeland High School's softball season ended Monday as the Lady Panthers lost 1-0 twice to top-ranked Eastside in the twice-delayed Georgia Class AAA second-round playoff series at Eastside.

Amanda Henderson, regarded as one of the state's best pitchers, struck out 16 in a game-one no-hitter for Eastside (26-8). She provided the game's only run with a sixth-inning suicide squeeze bunt.

She added 15 strikeouts in game two, and though the Lady Panthers (21-9) had five hits, they never had a runner past second base. Amanda Hawkins drove in the game's only run with a double in the first inning.

Ridgeland senior pitcher Jessie Forrester was nearly as unhittable as her counterpart, allowing just seven total hits and striking out 14 in the two games.

Though the Lady Panthers fell one game short of making the Elite Eight in Columbus, the northwest Georgia area will be well represented when the tournament starts Thursday. Northwest Whitfield in Class AAAA, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and Heritage in Class AAA, Dade County in Class AA and Gordon Lee in Class A will be playing for titles.

Double royalty

Dade County senior center fielder Madeline Barton rushed back to Trenton from Watkinsville, Ga., last Friday after the Lady Wolverines beat second-ranked North Oconee. As a member of the homecoming court, she arrived after the halftime festivities began and went on the field in her softball uniform.

The day just got better for Barton when she was crowned homecoming queen.

Doubly supportive

Boyd-Buchanan volleyball statistician Jim Harper was watching the first game of the Lady Bucs' semifinal match in the District 6-A tournament at Boyd-Buchanan last Tuesday when he was interrupted.

"I got a call from my wife at the hospital," Harper said. "She said, 'She's fixing to have it now!'"

Harper left from watching daughter Rachel on the court to see older daughter Lindsay and greet Elijah Mathis as he was brought into the world. Harper said his second grandchild -- another boy, Ty, being the first -- was born exactly between the semifinal and final.

After a brief stay, Jim got back in time to see the Lady Bucs win the last game of the night and clinch the championship. He then was expecting to see a happy Rachel, but that wasn't the case.

"She was upset because it happened while she was playing," he said. "She cried because she wasn't there."