LOGANVILLE — Buford beat Region 8AAAAA championship contender Walnut Grove in the championship title game on Thursday evening at Walnut Grove High School. Buford did so in dominant fashion with an 8-1 victory over Walnut Grove.
Senior Ansleigh Hollifield (9-2) had a stellar night both on the mound for the Wolves and at bat. She pitched the entire game only giving up three hits, one earned run, and four walks while striking out nine. Offensively Hollifield went 3-for-4 with three doubles earning seven RBIs against Walnut Grove.
Additional offensive standouts for Buford in the championship game against Walnut Grove were sophomore Shamya Young who went 3-for-4, two runs, and one stolen base and junior Abbi Perkins hit 2-for-4 and had two runs scored.
A little more information on Hollifield’s performance during the three-game region tournament at Walnut Grove is in order. She is credited with earning the three wins on the mound for Buford with two as a starter and one in relief. Hollifield pitched 14.33 innings striking out 22 batters. Opponents batting average against her was only .152. She allowed just 3 runs the entire tournament. Offensively she killed it as well as she went 7-for-10, had four double, one home run, and earned nine RBIs.
This Region championship title is Buford’s 11th Region title in the program’s 18-year history. This improves their overall season record to 18-9.
Buford will hope to capitalize on their momentum when they host the first round of state playoffs at the Buford Softball Complex next Wednesday. Their opponent and game times are still being determined. The format is best 2-of-3 with the “if” game on Thursday.
— Staff Reports
