ATHENS — Cherokee Bluff moved back into fourth place in Region 8-4A with a key 7-2 road win over Cedar Shoals on Thursday.
The Lady Bears (7-7, 5-5 Region 8-4A) got things moving in the first inning when Emma Sundermeyer doubled in a run. They added three in the second on a Amelia Spencer RBI single,a wild pitch, and a Cedar Shoals error to push the lead to 4-0.
After Cherokee Bluff scored another run in the third, the Lady Jaguars plated two in the fifth to pull within 5-2. Cherokee Bluff put the game away with two runs in the seventh.
Audrey Graham got the win for the Lady Bears going five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out six.
Cherokee Bluff pounded out 11 hits in the game with Graham, Sundermeyer, and Spencer each rapping out two hits.
BUFORD 10,
MILL CREEK 0 (5 inn)
In a crucial Region 8-7A game, the Class 7A No. 1-ranked Lady Wolves (15-0, 7-0 Region 8-7A) extended thgeir lead over Mill Creek and Dacula to 2 1/2-games on the road Thursday.
Freshman Caroline Stanton and senior Olivia Duncan combined on a four-hit shutoutin five innings.
After pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the 1st inning, Stanton settled in and did not allow a Mill Creek batter to get past second base through the next three innings. Duncan closed out the game pitching a perfect fifth.
Buford led just 2-0 before exploding for eight runs in the fourth, all with two outs. The Lady Wolves took advantage of five walks in the inning, along with a Mill Creek error. Stanton had a two-run double in the inning and Duncan tripled.
LOGANVILLE 7,
JEFFERSON 1
The Lady Dragons dropped into a tie for fifth with tough loss at home in Region 8-5A play.
Region-leader Loganville (14-3, 9-1 Region 8-5A) jumped on Jefferson (10-7, 4-5 Region 8-5A) early with three runs in the first and two in the second for a quick 5-0 lead. The Lady Red Devils added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Jefferson got its only run in the seventh.
Loganville's Grace Kendrik and Maddie Mason combined on a one-hitter while striking out Jefferson batters.
Skylar Brady had the Lady Dragons' only hit of the game.
MADISON COUNTY 8,
EAST HALL 6
The Lady Vikings led early, fell behind 8-2 after the fourth innning, and nearly completed a seventh-inning comeback before falling in Region 8-4A action on the road.
Callie Dale doubled in two runs in a three-run fifth for East Hall and pulled the Lady Vikings within 8-6 in the seventh on another RBI-double. They had the tying run at the plate but Ansley Ivey flew out to center to end the game.
Defense was the issue for the Lady Vikings (7-7, 4-6 Region 8-4A) who had a chance to move into a tie for fourth place. Six of Madison County's (8-9, 4-5 Region 8-4A) eight runs were unearned. Instead, the loss dropped them into a tie for sixth, one game back of fourth place.
Amari Burce took the loss for East Hall scattering six hits and stricking out four.
Dale finished with four RBI to lead East Hall.
