Central Georgia champs: Westfield, Piedmont takes GISA state softball titles

          Westfield survived a seventh-inning rally to beat Pinewood Christian 6-5 Saturday to win the GISA Class AAA softball championship at Mercer’s Sikes Field.

          The Hornets were joined as champs by Piedmont, which beat Briarwood 3-2 and 10-8 for the Class AA state title.

          Westfield's bats went wild in the fourth inning and the Hornets got the run output for the game in rolling past Pinewood Christian 9-4 in the first game, but committed six errors in a 1-0 Game 2 loss, forcing the third game.

          Westfield amazingly did its damage in the fourth inning of the opener with two outs, Ellie Williams doubling between the first and second outs.

          The Hornets then got a homer from Riley Hickok, and six straight singles before a three-run homer from Williams, for her two hits in the game to go with three RBI.

          Hickok, Camille Ledford and Megan Easom also had two hits for Westfield, Hickok and Easom two RBI each.

          Emma Williams got the complete-game win, scattering 13 hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

          In the second game, Pinewood scored in the first inning and made it stand despite not taking advantage of Westfield’s defensive problems.

          The Hornets stranded seven runners, Pinewood 10.

          In the finale, Westfield took a 5-0 lead after four with three in the third and two in the fourth.

          Lindsey Easom had a two-run single in the third and Hickok a two-run homer in the fourth.

          The Hornets added a run that proved to be huge in the sixth on Sadie Hayes’ RBI double.

          Pinewood scored three in the top of the seventh, but Emma Williams got two straight strikeouts to strand the tying run at second.

          Williams whiffed six with two walks for the complete-game win.

          Pinewood beat Trinity Christian for the 2015 title.

          Both teams exploded for six runs in the second inning, but Piedmont's three-run fourth lifted the Cougars to a 10-8 win for the Class AA championship.

          Piedmont won the first game 3-2 on Ava Anglin's walkoff homer.

          Madison Johnson's three-run homer to center brought in Maddie Morton and Haley Ann Frank for Piedmont in that deciding fourth inning of the Class AA second game. The Cougars added one in the sixth, while Briarwood made it interesting with one in the bottom of the seventh.

          Morton and Ava Anglin each had three hits for Piedmont and Johnson had four RBI.

          Neely Bradford went the distance for Piedmont, while Briarwood used four pitchers, who struck out eight and walked three.

          In the first game, Briarwood got a run in the first and fourth innings while pitcher Chloe Wilson kept the Cougars in check.

          Then came the seventh.

          Frank singled to lead off, but two quick outs followed. Bradford then tied it with a two-run homer to right.

          Six pitches later, on a 3-2 count, Anglin homered to left for the game-winner.