Two local teams advance to Elite Eight GHSA state softball tournament in Columbus

After two rounds of the Georgia High School Association 2018 softball playoffs, two local team remain in contention for a title and qualified for one of the eight Elite Eight tournaments, which will be played Oct. 25-27 at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus.

In Class AAAA, the defending state champion Northside Patriots swept Mary Persons 5-2 and 9-4 Thursday at home in the best-of-three series.

In the Class A public school bracket, the host Marion County Eagles split Wednesday’s games against Echols County, then won 9-4 in Thursday’s decisive Game 3.

The Harris County Tigers and the Brookstone Cougars were swept on the road Wednesday. In Class AAAAA, Harris County lost 5-2 and 9-3 at South Effingham. In the Class A private school bracket, Brookstone lost 5-0 and 13-2 at George Walton.

Last week, the Columbus Blue Devils and the Hardaway Hawks were swept in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs.

Northside 5-9, Mary Persons 2-4

Northside senior Jada Chadwick slugged a walk-off three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning, breaking a 2-2 tie, to win Game 1.

“It feels amazing,” Chadwick said. “It was one of the most hyped home runs I’ve ever hit.”

Although she was “really nervous” as waited for her at-bat, Chadwick said, “I have faith in myself. I was praying in the dugout, and people were saying, ‘Jada, you got this.’”

When she hit it, she wasn’t sure it was a homer.

“It was kind of high, so I thought it was just a flyout,” she said. “But then, I was like, ‘Oh, my God! I can’t believe I just did this!’”

Chadwick credits Northside coach Brandon Jenkins for giving her a pep talk.

“The past three years, I’ve been in a slump in the playoffs,” she said. “He just told me to be myself and everything will come in time. This is my senior year, and I really want this for my teammates and my coaches.”

Contributing two hits each in Game 1 for Northside were Chadwick, junior Raelee Weaver and senior Gabi Apiag. Junior pitcher Ireland Cavanaugh earned the complete-game victory. Northside totaled 11 hits and no errors, Mary Persons four hits and three errors.

In Game 2, the Patriots trailed 4-3 after three innings, but their three-run fourth put them ahead to stay. The trio of Chadwick, Weaver and Apiag again led the Northside offense with two hits apiece. Apiag contributed three RBI, Chadwick two and senior Sammie Cotton two. Weaver pitched the first three innings to earn the win, and Cavanaugh finished the last four. Northside totaled eight hits and one error, Mary Persons six hits and three errors.

Last year’s path toward their state title included the Patriots sweeping Mary Persons and Woodward Academy in the first two rounds. This year, they have started the same way, except sweeping those opponents in reverse order.

The Patriots will play 5 p.m. Thursday on Field 8 at South Commons against Heritage-Catoosa. It will be their fourth straight appearance in the Elite Eight.

“I told the girls after the game that people don’t realize how hard it is to do this four years in a row,” Jenkins said. “You’re not sneaking up on anybody anymore. They know they’ve got to bring it, and it puts pressure on us, but that’s where the experience shows up.”

Northside improved to 24-9. Mary Persons finished 19-13.

Marion County 9, Echols County 4

The Eagles reached the Class A public school Elite Eight in Columbus last season but lost their first two games of the tournament. This season, however, they returned eight starters and were committed to getting another chance.

“This is huge,” said Marion coach John Dimitri, formerly Jordan’s head coach, who became an assistant for Eagles this year and is filling in for head coach David Wells, who is battling cancer. “It shows the team pulled back together and jelled.”

The Eagles will play 9 a.m. Thursday on Field 6 at South Commons against the winner of Seminole County vs. Washington-Wilkes.

Marion senior Ansley Whitley led the Eagles on the mound and at the plate. After earning the pitching win in Game 2 Wednesday, she came back and toss a complete-game victory in Game 3.

“She pitched a big game,” Dimitri said. “She was just working ahead and letting her defense work for her.”

Whitley went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Even her lone at-bat without a hit was productive. Tied 3-3 in the fourth inning, her groundout scored junior Taylor Greene for the eventual winning run.

Whitley’s twin sister, Ashley, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Other hitting standouts were junior Madison Murray (2-for-4, triple, two RBI), junior Britney Foster (2-for-2, two RBI) and junior Amelia Rodriguez 2-for-4.

Marion outhit Echols 12-7 as the Eagles improved to 20-8 and the Wildcats finished their season 16-7.

Making the victory extra special was having Wells in attendance to watch it.

“This just shows what this program has done through the last year, what he’s instilled in our players, to never give up and always fight,” Dimitri said.

Wells praised Dimitri for doing “a really good job. He’s dedicated. He’s a team person. There has been no doubt in my mind since the day he took over.”

Seeing the Eagles rally after losing Game 1, Wells said, “It’s big. Last year, after making it to Columbus, our goal was to advance further in the state and have a shot to win it all. We have a strong chance to do well in Columbus. The girls have responded extremely well. We’ve got great kids.”

George Walton 5-13, Brookstone 0-2

George Walton pitcher Taylor Tinsley struck out 18 in seven innings for the shutout in Game 1. Gracie Vasquez notched Brookstone’s lone hit.

In Game 2, Vasquez and Virginia Pearson produced two hits each as the Cougars collected eight total, but the Bulldogs totaled 15 of their own.

“We played solid defense the first game; we just couldn’t hit their pitcher,” said Brookstone coach Stasha Joyce. “In the second game, we came out hitting, but I think our pitchers just ran out of gas.”

The Cougars finished 15-9, losing in the Class A private school Sweet 16 for the third straight year. George Walton improved to 22-9.

“I think we had a pretty good season,” Joyce said. “We lost some games we shouldn’t have lost, but, as far as the kids coming out and their work ethic, it was great. I couldn’t have asked them to do anything me.”

South Effingham 5-9, Harris County 2-3

The Tigers scored twice in the final inning of Game 1 but didn’t overcome the five-run deficit.

They jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2, but the Mustangs immediately tied it in the next inning and broke open the game with a five-run fourth.

“In the first game, we rallied a little bit too late and ran out of time,” said Harris County coach Brook Zuerner. “In the second game, we started off ahead, but we gave them one big inning and it was enough for them to win.”

South Effingham outhit Harris County in both games, 11-3 and 15-6.

“They were better than us (Wednesday),” Zuerner said. “That’s what it really boils downs to. The bracket definitely didn’t work out in our favor. They were a tough team and deserve to be in the state tournament, but I felt we were a tough team and deserve to be there too. Sometimes it comes down to the draw and who you get.”

Harris County finished 17-8, losing in the Class AAAA Sweet 16 for the second straight year. South Effingham improved to 26-5.

“I think we had a great group of girls,” Zuerner said. “They were a lot of fun, and they really love the game. It’s just disappointing, knowing my team and knowing what they can do.”

Mark Rice, 706-576-6272, @MarkRiceLE.

This story was originally published October 18, 2018 at 9:50 PM.