Gordon Lee, competing in its first GHSA Class AAA postseason, had little trouble Thursday while sweeping its way to within one game of yet another appearance at the state tournament in Columbus.
The Lady Trojans (23-5), however, have never had another postseason game like the one they experienced Wednesday in Chickamauga.
Gordon Lee, hosting a super regional as part of the new playoff format for GHSA fastpitch softball, easily advanced in the opening round with a 16-1 win over Douglass of Atlanta. The Lady Trojans were hitless in the three-inning game but used 14 walks to advance to the winners-bracket final.
Game two was closer but more conventional as Gordon Lee topped Hebron Christian 8-0 to reach Friday’s championship round against the winner of the losers-bracket final between Hebron and Pickens.
“We knew they were a new team with not a lot of experience,” Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull said of Douglass. “We got up 15 runs and tried to be respectful to them as a team. They were a four seed in a region of four teams, so they were in the playoffs no matter what.”
In game two, 11-time state champion Gordon Lee — with most of the titles in Class A — rapped out 11 hits, with Kyliee Fryar leading the way with a 3-for-3 showing and three RBIs. Her sister Chloee Fryar and E.G. Hixon added two hits, with Gracie Helton scoring two runs and driving in one.
Sydney Garrett was strong in the pitcher’s circle, going six innings and allowing four hits and no earned runs while striking out seven batters.
Class AAA
Ringgold, the Region 6-AAA No. 4 seed, split a pair of games at Sandy Creek, defeating the hosts 17-5 before falling to White County 7-6. The Lady Tigers will face the winner of the Oconee County-Sandy Creek game in Friday’s losers-bracket final.
LaFayette, the 6-AAA No. 2 seed, split two games at Wesleyan, defeating Cedar Grove before falling to the hosts 4-0. In that game, Ryley Kutter pitched a 10-strikeout, one-hitter for Wesleyan (27-2) and Anna Kennedy hit a two-run homer in the first inning. The Lady Ramblers will face Franklin County in elimination play Friday.
Class AAAAA
Region 7 No. 2 seed Calhoun remains alive at Cambridge after falling to Flowery Branch 5-3 and defeating Creekside 13-1.
The Lady Yellow Jackets (23-9) led 3-2 against Cambridge entering the sixth inning before Laney Price’s homer and two errors led to a game-turning rally. Lexi Speer drove in three runs with a home run and a double to pace Calhoun.
Against Creekside, the Lady Jackets had 16 hits with Maggy Abernathy leading the way with three, including two triples, and five RBIs. Speer added three hits, one a homer, and four RBIs, with Lyla West going 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored.
Class A (Division II)
Christian Heritage was eliminated with a pair of 17-1 losses, one to Washington-Wilkes and the other to Manchester.
FOOTBALL
LaFayette defeated Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 30-14 as Austin Tucker had a pair of touchdown runs. Sam Hall added a touchdown reception for the Ramblers, who improved to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in Region 6-AAA with the win. LFO is 2-6, 1-4.
Southeast Whitfield lost 51-6 to Central-Carroll in a Region 7-AAA game. The Raiders fell to 4-4, 0-3.
Gordon Central lost 63-0 to Rockmart in a Region 7-AA game. The Warriors fell to 0-8, 0-4.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.