MONROE, Ga. — Cherokee Bluff ran its win streak to four straight and took over first place In Region 8-3A after rallying for a 5-4 win over Monroe Area in eight innings on Thursday.
The Lady Bears (5-1, 3-0 Region 8-3A) trailed 4-3 after the fifth inning but got a RBI single from Lillie Diehl in the seventh to send it to extra innings. In the eighth, Haley Stephenson belted a solo home run to left field for the lead.
Jaycee Archer then finished off a complete-game win working around a one-out double. Archer surrendered 12 hits and struck out one.
Bluff struck first in the first on Audrey Graham sacrifice fly and pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third when Diehl was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. But Monroe Area (8-3, 3-1 Region 8-3A) tied it in the bottom of the third and took a 4-3 lead in the fifth.
Cherokee Bluff is off until traveling to East Forsyth on Wednesday.
BUFORD 12,
CENTRAL GWINNETT 0 (4 inn)
Junior Kennedy Townsend made an impressive varsity debut in the circle on Thursday, leading the Lady Wolves to a Region 8-6A win at the Buford Softball Complex.
Townsend allowed just one hit, struck out nine, and did not walk a batter in four innings.
Meanwhile, the offense went to work quickly. Junior Olivia Nagel and sophomore Taylor Jackson each had two-run singles in the first for a 4-0 lead.
Buford blew it open with eight runs in the second. Nagel struck again, smashing a 3-run home run to left and freshman Mackenzie Fritisch later followed with a double, scoring two runs as they extended the lead to 12-0.
Buford will be back in action on Tuesday playing shot to Mountain View in another Region 8-6A contest.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/8/1299774/softball-bluff-rallies-past-monroe-area-to-take-over-1st-place-in-8-3a