Gordon Lee's softball team is two wins away from repeating as the GHSA Class A public school state champion after winning twice Thursday in Columbus.
Gordon Lee (31-1) was joined in the winners brackets by Class AAAA contenders Heritage and LaFayette, but both Calhoun and Ringgold lost in the first round of the Class AAA competition. All are among the final eight teams remaining in their classifications.
Gordon Lee opened with an 8-3 win over Region 6-A rival Trion, rallying from a 3-1 deficit entering the bottom of the fifth. A two-run homer from Maddie Clark, two hits each from Anna Logan, Macie Pearson and Addi Sturdivant and two RBIs from Allie Farrow led to the comeback win.
Trion (21-4), which has lost three of its four games this season to Gordon Lee, will face Lanier County on Friday at noon in an elimination game.
Gordon Lee later defeated another 6A rival, Bowdon, 11-0 in four innings to advance to the winners-bracket final against Commerce at 8 p.m. Friday. Farrow had two home runs and totaled five RBIs in that victory.
Heritage (26-6), another reigning state champion, rolled past LaGrange 8-0 as Rachel Gibson pitched a three-hitter and struck out 11 batters. Carmen Gayler had a pair of doubles and drove in two runs, and Bailey Christol and Riley KoKinda had two hits and two runs scored each for Heritage, which will face Madison County at 10 a.m. Friday.
LaFayette (20-11) continued its surprising postseason run with a 7-2 win over Central-Carroll. Marquila Howell had three hits - including a home run - three RBIs and two runs scored, while Haynie Gilstrap added three hits, drove in two runs and scored twice. LaFayette will face Oconee County at 10 a.m. Friday in the other AAAA winners-bracket semifinal.
Region 6 champion Ringgold (25-4) was upset 5-2 by Southeast Bulloch, with two errors leading to four unearned runs. The Tigers will face Lumpkin County in an elimination game at 2 p.m. Friday. Calhoun (20-14) was the victim of a four-hit shutout from Lovett School ace Peyton Kanaly and will have to defeat Jefferson at 2 p.m. today to stay alive.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.