Houston County, Veterans survive as area teams open strong
Emily Simmons' single brought in Megan Whitaker with the lead run in the sixth inning and Houston County made it stand in nipping Northside-Columbus 3-2 Thursday in the a GHSA softball Elite Eight Class AAAAA game.
Houston County will play Allatoona at 7:45 p.m. Thursday.
Sarah Smith surrendered only two hits in the complete-game win, striking out two.
Smith reached on an infield single to open the sixth, and Whitaker came on as the courtesy runner, advancing on Shaeilin Browne's grounder to second and scoring on Simmons' hit to right.
VETERANS 1, NORTH OCONEE 0
Veterans got a little less offense than North Oconee but more pitching as Avery Lamb struck out five in the Warhawks' Class AAAA win.
North Oconee had twice as many hits as Veterans, six, but couldn't piece them together against Lamb.
Lamb stroked a two-out single in the sixth, and Alexis Cortez took over as the courtesy runner. Lindsey Cauley and Sarah Wilkerson followed with singles, Cortez scoring on Wilkerson's hit.
North Oconee threatened in the seventh, but the game ended on a double-play line drive to Cauley at first.
Veterans will play Buford at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday.Jones County lost to Allatoona in a Class AAAAA game in the Elite Eight.
Jones County will play Northside-Columbus at 11 a.m. Friday.
WEST LAURENS 3, WORTH COUNTY 0
West Laurens topped Worth County to advance to a 7:45 p.m. game Thursday against Heritage-Catoosa.
VIDALIA 3, HEARD COUNTY 2
A two-run third inning and steady pitching performance from Rebecca Lawrence propelled Vidalia to a win in Class AA.
Lawrence fanned three with no walks in the complete-game win.
The game was tied at 1 after an inning.
Jolie Bush's two-run homer in the third was the difference, the blast coming after Lawrence opened the inning with a single and reached second on an error on the play.
Vidalia will play Social Circle, a 2-0 winner over Harlem, at 7:45 p.m. Thursday.
FPD 7, TATTNALL SQUARE 1
Carli Sutton's triple sparked a three-run third inning as FPD rolled past Tattnall Square in a GHSA Class A private game.
The Vikings advanced to a 6 p.m. game against Brookstone, while the Trojans will try to stay alive at 9 a.m. Saturday against Calvary Day.
Sutton's triple scored Katie Culver, who opened the top of the inning with a double. Sutton scored on Peyton Worsham's sacrifice fly. Allie Parkerson then walked, and courtesy runner Sadie Frame eventually scored on Karsen Ochs' single to right.
That was all starting pitcher Sutton needed, Sutton throwing a four-hitter with four strikeouts and one walk.
WILCOX COUNTY 2, TELFAIR COUNTY 1
Oakleigh Reeves stroked a two-out double to right to score Montana Ellis with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh in the Class A school public meeting of Region 2-A rivals.
Wilcox County will play GMC at 6 p.m., while Telfair County gets Echols County at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Martiesha Griffin earned a two-out walk and scored third on Ellis' double to left. Haley Howell walked, and Reeves sent the 0-1 pitch to right to easily score Ellis from second.
Telfair County took a 1-0 lead in the fifth on Emilee Schlenz' single, a sacrifice, stolen base and infield single by India Wells.
The Trojans had a chance to add to the lead after loading the bases with no outs in the sixth, but relief pitcher Laura Lee Keene got a popup and two strikeouts -- she had five in two innings -- to end the inning. She struck out the side in the seventh.
PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN 2, STRATFORD 1
Prince Avenue got enough in the third inning and held on to edge Stratford despite being outhit by one in the Class A private battle.
Stratford will play the Christian Heritage, a 5-3 loser to Eagle's Landing Christian, at 9 a.m. on Friday.
The Eagles cut into the lead in the sixth.
Autumn Land walked, Mary Wilson Avant singled, and then Alyssa Orona stroked an RBI single.
Stratford managed a two-out single in the top of the seventh.
GMC 2, ECHOLS COUNTY 1
Defending Class A public champion GMC squeezed out a win over Echols County.
GMC plays Wilcox County at 6 p.m. while Echols County faces Telfair County at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Check back to macon.com/sports all day and evening for more updates.
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Houston County, Veterans survive as area teams open strong ."