Practice sometimes does make perfect.
Take Ella Blansit, for instance. The Heritage senior catcher found the surroundings at the South Commons Softball Complex to her liking during batting practice Tuesday in Columbus, hitting several long bombs the day before the Lady Generals played their opening game as one of the final eight teams in Class AAA at the GHSA state tournament.
The work paid off Wednesday, when Blansit hit two homers and drove in five runs as Heritage eased past Region 7-AAA rival LaFayette 10-0 in the double-elimination event. It was the fourth meeting of the season between those two Northwest Georgia programs, with Heritage winning each contest.
Heritage (31-2) will next face West Laurens, a 5-2 winner over LaGrange, in a winners-bracket semifinal at 1 p.m. Thursday. LaFayette (27-5) goes against LaGrange at 5 p.m. with each team needing a win to stay alive.
In Class A Division I, Gordon Lee overcame an early 2-0 deficit to overcome Social Circle, 12-3, and will face former region foe Bremen in a winners-bracket semifinal at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Heritage jumped on LaFayette ace Olivia Free in the bottom of the first inning as Jenna Ryans led off with a single, Molly Corvin followed with another hit and, one out later, Blansit hit her first home run of the game to right field. Blansit connected for a solo shot in the third inning, with Brylee Pritchett and Ema Tanner adding RBI doubles for a 6-0 lead.
Heritage ace Addie Edwards allowed three hits and struck out four batters in the game, which was shortened to five innings by the mercy rule, with Pritchett, Macie Collins and Ryans joining Blansit with two hits each. LaFayette’s Raven Yancy was 2-for-2.
“Ella’s bat has come alive in the postseason,” Heritage coach Meagan Crawford said. “We hit last night on the field here, and she was absolutely swinging it, and one of my assistants, Reagan Armour, said Ella’s about to have the tournament of her life. So far, she absolutely is!”
Gordon Lee fell behind 2-0 in the first inning against Social Circle (25-7) as the Lady Redskins sent eight to the plate and chased Lady Trojans starter Laney Wilson from the pitching circle.
Gordon Lee rallied in the third for a pair of runs, starting with Kyleigh Cluster’s leadoff double — the team’s first hit off Social Circle starter Emily Turner. The score was tied after EG Hixon’s RBI single in the third, an inning that began what would be an adventurous day on the basepaths for Gordon Lee and, subsequently, in the field for Social Circle.
After that inning, which included two bunt hits, an infield single and two stolen bases, Gordon Lee put on a pressure clinic to unravel its opponent’s defense.
The Lady Trojans began the bottom of the fifth tied at three and started it with a walk and Kaley Russell’s single. Speedy Tenslee Wilson then sacrificed, but the ball was thrown around, with both runners scoring and Wilson ending up on third. She scored moments later when Hixon lined out but the ball was thrown away in the infield. Kate Chambers and Custer followed with RBI singles for an 8-3 lead.
“First games in Columbus are always crazy,” Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull said. “I think we used our speed to kind of get us going. Kyleigh Custer had a huge hit to get the monkey off our backs in the third inning. Once we were tied up, we were able to relax and play our ball.”
Custer, Russell and Chambers had two hits each for Gordon Lee, while reliever Abby Logan earned the win, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing just one hit and one run.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.