Gordon Lee, Calhoun still alive at GHSA softball championships

Calhoun third baseman Jana Johns, pictured, had a big day Friday as the Lady Yellow Jackets kept their Class AAA softball title hopes alive.
Calhoun third baseman Jana Johns, pictured, had a big day Friday as the Lady Yellow Jackets kept their Class AAA softball title hopes alive.

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Day two of the GHSA softball state championships was the end of the line for five of the seven northwest Georgia teams involved.

The two still kicking, Gordon Lee and Calhoun, are hardly a surprise - each is ranked No. 1 in its class and considered among the top overall teams in the state.

How they got here and what it will take to add more hardware to their trophy cases is another story.

Gordon Lee had to go eight innings to win its opener Thursday, 1-0, and managed just one hit. The Lady Trojans (31-1) were much more Gordon Lee-like Friday with a 7-2 win over Telfair County. They will face Georgia Military College in today's Class A public winners-bracket final, with the winner needing just one more victory to claim the title.

"We came out more our normal selves today and were much more relaxed," Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull said. "We did what we do - move runners over and get them in. That first game is always tough, but they got through it."

Canaan Burnett, after pitching a two-hit shutout Thursday, allowed four hits and struck out eight Friday. Paxton Grimes continued her hot hitting with a 3-for-3 performance.

While Gordon Lee needs only two wins to win its seventh championship in program history, Calhoun will need four victories today to claim its fourth consecutive state title.

The Class AAA Lady Yellow Jackets (36-2) picked a bad time to play their worst game of the year Thursday in a 13-6 loss to Cook as three Calhoun pitchers walked nine batters and the team committed three errors.

The long road back through the bracket began Friday with a pair of wins, 10-1 over Worth County and 7-3 over Morgan County. The Lady Jackets get a rematch with Cook this morning in the losers-bracket semifinal.

"Thursday was just awful," Calhoun coach Diane Smith. "My top two pitchers are juniors, but this is their first time here, so they were nervous. Everyone looked a lot better today, especially that last game. We took advantage of our speed, got our bunts down and hit some long balls."

Torri Gaddis allowed just two hits in each game and the Lady Jackets amassed 22 hits. Seniors Ashlyn Barnes (four hits, including three in the second game) and Jana Johns (three hits, including a home run and a double) were among the stars at the plate.

"Hey, we know it's going to be tough," Smith said, "but some of the girls were saying if we win it this way we get to play more games. I guess that's one way to look at it."

Dalton (Class AAAAAA), Ridgeland (AAAA), Dade County (AA), Trion (A public) and Christian Heritage (A private) were eliminated Friday.

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.

Upcoming Events