COLUMBUS, Ga. — Cherokee Bluff dropped a tough 2-0 decision to Monroe Area in the Class 3A state softball tournament on Thursday at the Olympic Softball Complex.
The Lady Bears (26-7) got solid pitching from Jaycee Archer ( 4.2IP, 3H, 3BB, 1ER) and Payton Davis (2.1IP, 1H, 4BB, 5K, 1ER) but the offense managed just three hits against Monroe’s Kaylah Reynolds, who went the distance.
Reynolds walked three but fanned 10 in her seven innings of work.
The Lady Hurricanes scored a run in third to break a scoreless tie and added a huge insurance run in the top of the seventh. Bluff’s Claire Carlson singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh bringing the tying run to the plate.
But the Lady Bears could not scratch home a run. Mac Warren, and Archer had the other two hits for Cherokee Bluff.
Bluff had knocked off the Lady Hurricanes twice during the regular -- 5-0 and 3-1 in Region 8-3A play -- before Thursday's loss.
Bluff now will have to battle back through the consolation bracket. The Lady Bears will play Lafayette, a 5-4 winner over LaGrange, on Friday at 11 a.m. to stay alive in the tournament.
