Greyhounds, Raiders, and Cavaliers still alive in GHSA softball title hunt

Jones County wins two, Mount de Sales and West Laurens splits at GHSA softball

          All three Central Georgia teams are still alive in the GHSA softball tournament, now in Columbus for the Final Four.

          One is a game away from a state title.

          Jones County won both games in 5A, while West Laurens in 4A and defending champ Mount de Sales in A Private split.

          The Greyhounds blanked Starr’s Mill 2-0 and edged Whitewater 3-2.

          Destiny Howard got the shutout in the opener, boosted by Taylor Trefelner’s homer.

          Jones County plays at 4 p.m. Saturday against the Whitewater-Starr’s Mill winner. A Greyhound win means a state title, and a loss means one more game for a real winner-take-all. Tripp Burt is in his first season as head coach, promoted last winner to success longtime head coach Blake Lyons.

          Mount de Sales beat Strong Rock 2-1, and the fell to Mt. Paran Christian 7-3.

          Jordyn Partain fanned eight with a walk in a six-it win over Strong Rock. Sarah Hatcher opened the bottom of the fifth with a homer to center to break a tie and eventually give the Cavs the win.

          Mt. Paran overcame a 2-0 deficit with four in the third and took control with three in the seventh. Henderson Hurdle and Partain had two hits each, Partain pushed to 112 pitches – for the second time in two games - in six innings.

          Mount de Sales gets Strong Rock again in a losers’ bracket game at 1 p.m. Saturday, the winner facing Mt. Paran. If Mount de Sales wins, they play again at 5, winner take all.

          West Laurens couldn’t get going in the first game against Heritage-Catoosa, losing 16-5, but came back to outlast LaGrange 12-10 in the  losers’ bracket.

          Things looked good for the Raiders after they got three in the top of the fourth, and then bad when the Grangers got seven in the bottom half. And it was on.

          West Laurens won the fifth inning 4-2, and then outscored LaGrange 5-1 in the sixth, aided along the way by four LaGrange errors that led to seven unearned runs.

          The Raiders sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth, putting  up five on a double, walk, single, and two straight errors,

          Makayla Register had three hits and four RBI, Hudson Smith three hits and two runs. Stephanie Perry added two hits. A Jones went five innings for the win while Taylor Sapp got the save, retiring LaGrange in order on 16 pitches in the seventh.

          Next? Heritage-Catoosa at 1 p.m. Saturday. Heritage lost 2-1 to Central-Carrollton in eight innings.