COLUMBUS — Despite eight straight state titles behind some legendary players, Buford’s 6-4 win over Walnut Grove Saturday at the Olympic Softball Complex to capture the Class AAAA championship may be one of the program’s finest performances to date.
The 2015 Lady Wolves ran the table again in the toughest field they have faced in their 11 straight appearances in Columbus. Six region champions constituted the eight-team field and they had to beat the top two teams in Class AAAA on consecutive days to bring home their ninth straight title.
It even left stoic coach Tony Wolfe with some wonder in his eyes.
“This field was so tough. This one ranks up there real high just because of the quality of the teams,” Wolfe said. “We knew it would be tough and we know there were people saying we were not the favorite this year coming in. But I also knew not to discount what these girls can do.”
All four wins for Buford, which finished the season 30-6, were by two runs or less and the Lady Wolves had scored just eight total runs in their first three games in Columbus. The six runs was the Lady Wolves biggest offensive output since the first round.
Sophomore Kelsey Bennett, who provided what would become the game-winning hit with a two-run double in the fifth, said the offense played with a chip on its shoulder.
“We knew we could put some runs up so it felt great to be able to knock in some runs for us,” Bennett said. “To do it in the title game was awesome.”
Sophomore Logan Caymol, who recorded the final out with a strikeout of Georgia-commit Kayla Poynter to get the save, said it was nice to have some runs to play with for a change.
“We have confidence in the offense but it is more stressful when you know you can’t give up many runs,” Caymol said. “The offense was outstanding today.”
Wolfe said this team will be remembered for its poise with the swirls of doubt out there on whether “the streak” was coming to an end.
“You know every year it gets a little harder because of the streak. No group wants to be the one where it comes to an end. That’s a lot of pressure to play with,” Wolfe said. “This group had as much pride in itself as any group I’ve had and the poise they showed is what will stand out about this group.”
Wolfe said before the Elite 8 double-elimination format began on Thursday that he felt that capturing another state title would run through either Heritage, Catoosa or Walnut Grove or both. He was right.
The Lady Wolves needed an eighth-inning walk-off home run from Samantha Thomas on Friday to beat Heritage and stay out of the consolation bracket.
Walnut Grove advanced to the championship series with a dramatic 5-3 win over Heritage, Catoosa in the semifinal consolation. The Lady Warriors broke a 3-3 tie with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings but had to hold on in the final frame.
Heritage got the winning run to the plate with two outs but a sure RBI single hit the runner at first to end the game.
That set up a showdown with the top-ranked Lady Warriors for the title. And the showdown was everything fans felt it would be.
Buford broke out on top quickly in the top of the first inning. Senior Baylee Sexton reached on a bloop double just behind third, Biz Walters moved her to third with an infield hit, and Thomas drove in Sexton with a single to left for a 1-0 lead just three batters into the game.
But Lady Warriors’ hurler Riley Patton, a North Georgia-commit, got Kennedy Kotula on a sacrifice, struck out senior Drew Puckett, and then got Gabby Benson to pop out to first to end the inning and strand two runners in scoring position.
Walnut Grove rallied to tie the game 1-1 in the second when Poynter singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Buford reclaimed the lead in the next half inning on a towering two-run home run to center by Puckett for a 3-1 lead in the third inning.
Walnut Grove loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the fourth with two outs but Kotula was able to get out of the jam unscathed by striking out Lady Warriors’ second baseman Karlee Folds to end the inning.
The Buford offense took that momentum and appeared to blow the game open in the next frame. Benson and Bre Gutierrez reached on one-out singles and then Bennett knocked both in on a double to left over the outstretched glove of Folds for a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
Eight of the nine Buford batters had at least one hit through the first five innings.
“The lineup was real good today,” Wolfe said. “Our seniors really stepped up and led the way.”
But Walnut Grove did not go away. The Lady Warriors got a pair of runners on with one out and then first baseman Kylee Love drilled a Kotula fastball deep to right center for a three-run home run to cut the Buford lead to 5-4. Caymol relieved Kotula and fanned Brooke Parker to get out of the inning with the lead still intact.
The Lady Wolves answered right back again with Puckett knocking in Sexton, who singled, stole second, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Biz Walters, for a 6-4 lead.
Three of the six runs through the sixth inning for Buford came with two out.
Sexton finished 4-for-4 for Buford with a pair of stolen bases and scored twice.
Caymol put a wrap on the title fanning Poynter to end the game. Caymol struck out four of the eight batters she faced.
Kotula, a senior Tennessee-commit, got the win for Buford going 4 2/3 innings allowing six hits and four runs. She fanned two.
Patton took the loss for Walnut Grove lasting just 2 1/3 innings surrendering three runs on five hits while striking out three.
