COLUMBUS — Three area teams will try and capture girls softball titles beginning on Thursday.
The tournament in all eight classifications will be a double-elimination, round-robin format beginning on Thursday at the Columbus Softball Complex. The finals are slated to begin on Saturday.
Banks County, Buford, and Jefferson all will open play on Thursday. Banks County in Class 2A and Buford in Class 5A each finished third in their respecitve classifications in 2017 and hope they can get that extra win this time around.
Banks County, one of three Region 8-2A teams to advance to Columbus, is back after knocking off defending state champion Rockmart in the second round. Now the Lady Leopards open against 2016 state titlist Harlem.
Buford is one of three Region 8-5A teams to advance. The Lady Wolves open against defending Class 5A champion Locust Grove, which beat Buford in the opening game in last year's tournament.
Jefferson is one of two Region 8-3A teams advance and will open against Cook County.
2018 STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT ELITE 8 ROUND, Oct. 25-27
(Double-elimination, round-robin format.)
(Area teams in bold)
Thursday, Oct. 25
CLASS 5A
Buford vs. Locust Grove, 3 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Jefferson vs. Cook County, 5 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Banks County vs. Harlem, 3 p.m.
