WALNUT GROVE — Buford outlasted Loganville in a thrilling extra-inning game and then blasted No. 1 seed, Walnut Grove, Tuesday to advance to the Region 8-5A championship series on Thursday.
The Lady Wolves nipped the Lady Red Devils 2-1 in the first game and then played long-ball against the Lady Warriors in an 8-2 bludgeoning in the semifinal game.
The wins assure the Lady Wolves (17-9) of home-field advantage in the first round of the upcoming Class 5A playoffs. Buford will await to see who comes out of the loser's bracket for a 5 p.m. showdown in Walnut Grove in the championship series.
In the loser's bracket, Loganville and Clarke Central will play an elimination game at 5 p.m. on Wednesday with Walnut Grove getting the winner of that game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Against Loganville, both teams plated a run in the third inning and it stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth when Anabel Adams doubled to lead off the inning and then scored on Taylor Malvin's one-out single for the game-winner. Riley Reese pitched an inspiring game scattering just three hits and one walk while fanning four in 7 2/3 innings. The only Loganville run was unearned. Ansleigh Hollifield struck out the only batter she faced in relief.
Against Walnut Grove, the Lady Wolves jumped on the regular-season champion Lady Warriors with three runs in the top of the first inning highlighted by a Hollifield two-run home run. Buford scored three more in the fourth on a three-run homer from Kara Taylor for a 6-0 lead.
Walnut Grove got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth but Buford put the game out of reach with two more in the seventh on RBI singles by Taylor and Olivia Duncan.
Hollifield went the distance surrendering two runs on four hits while striking out 12.
