Three teams defended last year’s titles at the GHSA state fast pitch softball championships as the season closed at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus Saturday.
Defending-champions Buford (7A), Northside-Columbus (5A) and Wesleyan (3A) defended while Newnan (6A), Prince Avenue Chrisitan (A-Division I) and Lanier County (A-Division II) won the first state championships in program history.
In the Class 7A tournament, Buford defeated East Coweta 9-1 in the championship series to capture the program’s 12th championship. The Wolves finished the season perfect 32-0 but survived a 3-2 game against East Coweta in the finals of the winner’s bracket. East Coweta defeated Brookwood 9-1 to earn the rematch with Buford in the championship series.
First-time champion Newnan’s path to the Class 6A championship went through River Ridge 4-0 in the winner’s bracket finals and then Class 6A defending-champion Pope 1-0 in the championship series. In Class 5A, Northside-Columbus won the program’s third title (2017 and last season) after beating Harris County 3-2 in the finals of the winner’s bracket and Northgate 7-1 in the championship series.
Heritage-Catoosa’s 10-2 victory over Wayne County in the Class 4A championship series marked the program’s fourth title after winning three-straight from 2018 to 2020. The Generals beat North Oconee 4-2 in the finals of the winner’s bracket to earn the championship berth.
Wesleyan is a three-time defending-champion, but the Wolves took the long way to the title and after losing to Hebron Christian 2-0 in the winner’s bracket finals, Wesleyan defeated 11-time champion Gordon Lee 4-3 to earn a championship berth. In the first game of the series, Wesleyan outlasted Hebron 1-0 to force the decisive ‘if game’, which it won 8-5.
Appling County won its first championship in 2021 and upended defending-champion Jeff Davis 4-3 in the championship series to win the program’s second title. Appling began the day defeating Banks County 2-1 in the winner’s bracket finals, earning a championship berth.
Prince Avenue Christian lost to defending-champion Heard County 6-5 in the second round of the winner’s bracket and then won five-straight games, earning the program’s first title. The Wolverines beat Temple 11-0, Bacon County 5-1 and Heard County 3-1 to earn a berth in the championship series. In Game 1, Prince Avenue upended Mount Vernon 5-4 and then outlasted the Mustangs 6-5 in the ‘if game’ to secure the program’s first title.
Lanier County defeated Glascock County 6-2 to capture the program’s first-ever championship after moving undefeated through the winner’s bracket. The Bulldogs began the day beating Washington-Wilkes 7-0 in the winner’s bracket final to earn a berth in the championship series.
Follow the link to the brackets
State Champions
Class 7A
Buford (12 titles – 2007-2016, 2022, 2023)
Class 6A
Newnan (first championship)
Class 5A
Northside-Columbus (2 titles – 2017, 2023)
Class 4A
Heritage-Catoosa (4 titles – 2018-2020, 2023)
Class 3A
Wesleyan (5 titles – 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Class 2A
Appling County (2 titles – 2021, 2023)
Class A Division I
Prince Avenue Christian (first championship)
Class A Division II
Lanier County (first championship)
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