BOGART — East Hall dropped a tough 3-1 decision to North Oconee on Thursday in a key Region 8-4A game on the road.
The Lady Vikings (7-4, 2-2 Region 8-4A) fell behind early as the Lady Titans (10-3, 4-2 Region 8-4A) scored three runs in the first on a stolen base by Shelby Blevins and a two-run double by Carsyn Bassett to grab the lead.
Maddie Johnson got the win for North Oconee as the pitching was strong on both sides. Johnson struck 10 while Calli Hardison took the loss for East Hall fanning 12 in six innings.
Hardison also knocked the Lady Vikings' only run in the third with a single scoring Amari Burce in the third. East Hall managed five hits but could not get the equalizer.
BUFORD 8,
DACULA 2
The Class 6A No. 2-ranked Lady Wolves got a measure of revenge on Thursday knocking off third-ranked Dacula in a key region rematch from two weeks ago
Senior Taylor Malvin led off the game with a line drive triple in the left field gap, later scoring on a sac fly by sophomore Madison Pickens. Dacula tied the game in the second.
But Buford (8-1-1, 2-1 Region 8-6A) clamed the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the second and then scored two runs each in the fourthm, fifth, and sixth innings to pull away.
Dacula (7-2, 4-1 Region 8-6A) still maintains a one-game lead over the Lady Wolves for first place in the region standings.
Junior Olivia Duncan was oustanding in the circle for the Lady Wolves, throwing her fourth complete game of the season, allowing just one earned run and striking out nine.
Pickens finished with two hits, two RBI and scored a run to lead the offense. Freshman Abby McKinnis also had two hits and two RBI, while senior Olivia Haag had two hits.
Buford will be back in action in Region 8-6A on Tuesday playing host to Winder-Barrow.
JEFFERSON 18,
CEDAR SHOALS 1
The Lady Dragons pounded out 17 hits and had 17 RBI in a four-inning rout over the Lady Jaguars in Region 8-4A play.
The win kept Jefferson (6-4, 2-2 Region 8-4A) in a fourth-place tie with East Hall.
Jefferson scored in every inning, including a 9-run explosion in the third. Eight different players had hits, eight different had RBI, and seven different players scored.
Taylor Spivey led the attack with four hits and four RBI. Greysin Busch had three hits and four RBI and Natalie Beck had three hits and two RBI for the Lady Dragons. Addison Self and Madison Hanchey each had two hits and Hanchey added a pair of RBI as well.
Skylar Brady, Audrey Burton, and MJ Thornton all had one hit. Thornton drove in two runs for the Lady Dragons.
Self got the win on the circle allowing one run on one hit and struck out eight.
