Lady Cougars Begin Softball Playoffs

Piedmont Academy’s fast-pitch softball team will be aiming for another state title as the GIAA Class AAA state playoffs begin Thursday in Columbus.

The Lady Cougars (15-4) are the No. 1 seed for Class AAA and will face No. 8 seed Brookwood Thursday at noon at South Commons Complex in Columbus. The winner will face the winner of the matchup between No. 4 seed Terrell Academy and No. 5 seed John Milledge Academy at 4 p.m. Thursday.

The state playoffs will continue Friday and Saturday.

“We are excited about the state tournament and ready to go,” Coach Joe Johnson said. “We have played good competition all year to get ready for state. The key to our success is to limit errors on defense and stay disciplined in the batter’s box. The girls are pumped up and ready to go.”

Also qualifying are No. 2 seed Pinewood, No. 3 seed Westfield, No. 6 seed Tiftarea Academy and No. 7 seed Athens Christian School.

Piedmont closed out the regular season on Oct. 10 with a 5-4 loss to George Walton Academy in eight innings.

The game was tied 3-3 after seven innings when the Lady Cougars pushed one run across in the top of the eighth. The GWA Lady Bulldogs answered with two wins in the bottom half of the inning for the win,

Teagan Hinson had two hits for Piedmont with a double and RBI. Lilly Stowe was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Marissa Holder scored a run and had an RBI.

MacKenzie Plunkett, Memphis Sweat, Sarah Ellen Stroud and Shaniyah Lane also contributed offensively. Lane was 2-for-4 with a homer while scoring two runs.

Hinson, Lane and Sweat each had a stolen base.

Plunkett worked 7.2 innings and recorded eight strikeouts.