SUWANEE — Buford continued to play in the Hawk/Bulldog tournament on Saturday. The venue for Saturday’s games was at North Gwinnett High School. The first game of the day for the Lady Wolves was Evans High School with a battle of each team’s defense. Buford beat Evans 1-0. In game two, Buford got redemption after losing to North Gwinnett last week by winning this match up 9-3.
In the first game against Evans (5-3), Buford would score the only run of the entire game for either team at their first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. Junior Abbi Perkins scored that only run for Buford with a home run that came on the ninth pitch to her. Senior pitcher Amelia Veal had a great performance on the mound for Buford as she pitched for the entire game. She had only three hits, no runs, two strikeouts, and two walks. Buford’s defense was on point as they repeatedly got to every ball hit to them to keep Evans scoreless as the Lady Wolves beat them 1-0.
Game two saw the Lady Wolves looking to find redemption after they had a tough loss to North Gwinnett (7-1, 1-0) last week. Buford got what they were looking for with a 9-3 win over the previously undefeated Lady Bulldogs. For the second time that day, Perkins hit a home run on the very first at-bat for Buford. Perkins would end the game going two for three with a solo home run, a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Senior Kara Taylor’s bat was also hot during this game as she hit a two-run home run, earning two RBIs, and scoring one run. Junior Emi Hall would hit two for three with a double and a run scored. Rounding out the offensive standouts for Buford was sophomore Taylor Malvin who also went two for three scored two runs as well.
Buford (7-2) had senior pitcher Kaitlyn Pickens on the mound for the first four innings where she gave up seven hits, two runs (one earned), had one strikeout, and a walk. Recording the save for Buford was freshman Olivia Duncan who pitched two innings, gave up three hits, had one run, two strikeouts, and a walk.
Up next for the Lady Wolves is another non-region game against Collins Hill on Monday, August 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Collins Hill High School.
— By Alicia Couch Payne
