Softball Tournament: Banks Co. stays alive in exciting…

COLUMBUS, Ga. – Banks County stayed alive in the Class A D1 tournament on Friday with a thrilling 3-2 win over Social Circle in nine innings at the Olympic Softball Complex.

The Lady Bears trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh when a Social Circle error with two outs allowed the tying run to score.

They won it in the bottom of the ninth on a Reese Murphy RBI single that scored Tylee Strickland.

They will face Bremen in another elimination match at 3 p.m.

CHEROKEE BLUFF 3,
LAFAYETTE 2

Cherokee Bluff stayed alive in the Class 3A state softball tournament with a win over Lafayette

Payton Davis pitched a complete game and struckout five batters as the Lady Bears (27-7) avoided elimination for the time being.

Against Lafayette, the Lady Bears played long ball. They took the lead in the third on a two-run homer by Audrey Graham. They added another run in the sixth on a solo shot by Olivia Free, creating a 3-1 lead.

Lafayette scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Davis worked around a single and an intentional walk in the seventh to secure the win.

They will compete in a new elimination match against the winner of West Laurens-Pickens at 3 p.m.

Bluff defeated Pickens 9-3 in the tournament opener on Wednesday.

PIKE COUNTY 4,
UNION COUNTY 0

The Lady Panthers were in Class 2A with their second loss in the double-elimination tournament.

Union County won the opener on Wednesday, but lost 11-1 to Morgan County on Thursday before falling to Pike County in the loser’s bracket.