BUFORD -- Buford advanced to the second round in Class AAAA after a dominating 10-0, 8-1 sweep of Heritage, Catoosa Friday at Gerald McQuaig Field in the first round.
The Wolves next will play host to winner of the Perry-Cook County winner next week in the second round.
Jake Higginbotham (8-1) earned the win in Game 1, which was called after five innings because of the 10-run Mercy Rule. The senior southpaw went the distance scattering one hit and one walk while striking out 10.
The Wolves (26-2) started quickly plating five runs in the first inning on three hits, three walks, and three wild pitches. They added four more in the second on three more hits and walks apiece to go with two more wild pitches and a passed ball. The got the game-winner in the fifth.
In Game 2, senior right-hander Connor Bennett got the win striking out 14 in a complete-game effort. He yielded one hit and walked one.
Buford led just 1-0 going into the fifth when the offense exploded for four runs on three hits and two walks. Heritage cut the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth but the Wolves blew the game open with three more runs in the seventh on four hits.
Brandon Marsh paced the Buford attack with four hits, two RBI, and two stolen bases. Austin Wilhite had two hits and scored three runs, Nick Wilhite added two hits and one RBI and scored four times, and Ian Jenkins had three hits and five RBI for the Wolves.
Caleb Moore had two hits and four RBI, Justin Glover had two hits, and Joey Bart added a home run and two RBI. Griffin Jolliff had two hits and two RBI for Buford.
