GHSA softball: Add 3 to the huge Central Georgia contingent heading to Columbus

   Columbus better get set for a Central Georgia invasion for the Elite Eight round of the GHSA softball tournament next week.

   Three more area teams joined the crowd on Thursday with game-3 wins, Central Georgia sending 13 teams to be big part of the tournament.

   Bleckley County beat Berrien 6-4 on the road in the finale, while Dodge County hammered visiting Vidalia 13-0. Mount de Sales got past Mt. Pisgah 4-2.

   Mount de Sales took a 3-2 lead with two in the third, on a passed ball scoring Heartly Nepveux – who led off with a single – and an RBI single from winning pitcher Jordyn Partian.

   Partain, who had a double and single and RBI, went the distance for the Cavs, fanning six and walking four. She retired the side in order in three innings.

   A two-run fourth gave Bleckley County all it needed against Berrien. Abbey Sims’ bases-loaded single to left brought in Aliyah Whitehead and Landa Dominy with all the runs the Royals needed.

   Torie Long had three hits, while Sims drove in two runs and Caroline Thrower had two hits. Bailey Odom was solid in the complete-game win, with a walk and strikeout.

   Bleckley County, Dodge County and Mount de Sales will join Houston County, Jones County, Perry, West Laurens, Rutland, Monticello, GMC, Tattnall, FPD and Stratford in the next round of the tournament, the Elite Eight in Columbus.

   Dodge County, GMC, Stratford, Tattnall and FPD are making return trips.

   Houston County, Jones County, West Laurens, GMC, FPD, Tattnall and Stratford made it this far two years ago.

   There are two first-round matchups pitting Central Georgia teams against other, and one with region and city rivals battling. Monticello and Bleckley County play in Class AA, while FPD and Tattnall go at it in Class A private. Mount de Sales is in the same half of the bracket, and will play a region rival no matter what in the second round.

   There’s a major second-round setup in Class 4A, where Perry and West Laurens, region rivals, would meet if they both have the same first-round result.

   A first-round Class A public meeting will have some intensity with GMC playing Gordon Lee, two teams familiar with each other in Columbus in recent years. Gordon Lee topped GMC twice last year to win the Class A public title. GMC won the Class A public title two years ago while Gordon Lee was winning the AA championship.

   Houston County get 6A runner-up Creekview in the opener, while Jones County opens with defending 5A runner-up Walnut Grove.

GHSA Tournament

Columbus

Oct. 26-28

Thursday

Class AAAAAA

11 a.m.: Houston County vs. Creekview (win, vs. Cambridge/Greenbrier winner, 7 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Cambridge/Greenbrier loser, 10 a.m., Friday)

Class AAAAA

3 p.m.: Jones County vs. Walnut Grove; (win, vs. Carrollton/Wayne County winner, 9 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Carrollton/Wayne County loser, noon, Friday)

Class AAAA

5 p.m.: Perry vs. Marist (win, vs. Madison County/West Laurens winner, 9 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Madison County/West Laurens loser, noon, Friday).

5 p.m.: West Laurens vs. Madison County (win, vs. Perry/Marist winner, 9 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Perry/Marist loser, noon, Thursday)

Class AAA

5 p.m.: Rutland vs. Calhoun (win, vs. Bremen/Cook County winner, 9 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Bremen/Cook County loser, noon, Friday)

Class AA

3 p.m.: Monticello vs. Bleckley County (win, vs. Harlem/ Banks County winner, 3 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Harlem/Banks County loser, noon, Friday)

3 p.m.: Dodge County vs. Rockmart (win, vs. Armuchee/Bacon County winner, 9 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Armuchee/Bacon County loser, noon, Friday)

Class A Public

9 a.m.: GMC vs. Gordon Lee (win, vs. Trion/Marion County winner, 7 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Trion/Marion County loser, 10 a.m., Friday)

Class A Private

11 a.m.: Stratford vs. Wesleyan (win, vs. Prince Avenue Christian/George Walton, 7 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. Prince Avenue Christian/George Walton loser, 10 a.m., Friday)

11 a.m.: FPD vs. Tattnall (win, vs. Mount de Sales/ELCA winner, 7 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. MdS/ELCA loser, 10 a.m., Friday)

11 a.m.: Mount de Sales vs. ELCA (win, vs. FPD/Tattnall winner, 7 p.m., Thursday; lose, vs. FPD/Tattnall loser, 10 a.m., Friday)