Spring playoff scores from Thursday

Even with some uncooperative weather occurring throughout the state, several baseball and lacrosse games were able to be played out.

On the baseball diamond, the Ola Mustangs and the Buford Wolves finished their quarterfinals series after splitting the series yesterday. After two scoreless innings, the Wolves were first on the board following an RBI single from Riley Stanford in the bottom of the third to go up 1-0. Ola was kept scoreless until Patrick Holloman cranked a solo homerun in the top of the fifth to tie the ballgame. Buford would not take long to regain the lead with another RBI single from Patrick Walker in the bottom of the fifth, but Baylen Sanders gave the Mustangs the spark they needed with an RBI double to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth.

A costly wild pitch allowed Buford the plate its third run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, putting the Wolves three outs away from advancing into the class AAAAA semifinals. Ola refused to hinder, putting Cade Chamblee on base following a drop third strike that allowed him to reach first. A sneaky bunt down the first base line on the next at bat put runners on first and second for the Mustangs with Jack Witmer at the plate. Witmer dropped another bunt, reaching first to load the bases with no outs. A wild pitch gave Ola the chance to plate the tying run with runners now on second and third. After loading the bases again, Sanders took a hit by the pitch to bring home to go-ahead run with just one out. Holloman continued the comeback for the Mustangs with a second hit-by-pitch to bring in another run to increase Ola’s lead to 5-3.

Cason Barnett layed down a bunt, forcing the Buford third baseman to overthrow first base and allow three runners to reach home for the Mustangs. The scoring spree ended with Ola up 8-3, and the Mustangs held Buford scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to grab the win and move one step closer towards the program’s first baseball state title in school history. Ola will now advance into the semifinals where the Mustangs will take on Decatur following its win over Harris County.

Thursday Spring Scores

Baseball

Blessed Trinity 2, Woodward Academy 1

Bowdon 4, Clinch County 0

Denmark 7, West Laurens 2

Hebron Christian 9, Calvary Day 2

Ola 8, Buford 3

Pike County 2, Fannin County 0

Pope 9, Lee County 1

Savannah Christian 4, Savannah Country Day 1

Schley County 6, Commerce 4

Tattnall Square 7, Strong Rock Christian 6