GISA state tournament scoreboard (11 p.m. update): Piedmont falls to Briarwood; Westfield splits

          Westfield sure knows how to stay up late and have fun.

          The Hornets took control with five runs in the first two innings and then exploded for seven in the fourth to blow out Bulloch 12-1 Saturday night/Sunday morning and win the GISA Class AAA softball state title at Mercer.

          And all of the runs in the fourth came with two outs as Westfield defended its title. Last year, the Hornets beat Pinewood Chrisitian, which won the championship the year before, Westfield getting knocked out in the third round.

          Sadie Hayes hit a one-out double, and an out followed before Emma Williams31 tripled in a run. Then Marena Knowles belted a two-run homer to right for two more.

          Riley Hickok walked, Avery Adams and Brooke Corlee singled for a run, and then Sydney Langdon smacked a three-run homer to left.

          And just like that, the Hornets were in control.

          Bulloch managed a two-out single in the top of the fifth, and that was it, courtesy of the mercy rule.

          Hayes, Emma Williams, and Knowles had two hits each, Knowles with five RBI, Langdon with three and Emma Williams with two.

          Langdon also had a homer.

          Emma Williams whiffed three with no walks in the three-hitter as the Hornets finished 27-4.

Finals

Saturday

At Mercer

Class AAA

Game 1: Bulloch 5, Westfield 4

          The Gators had a 5-0 lead, and withstood Westfield’s late-game rally of one in the sixth and three in the seventh of the first game of their series. Ellie Williams followed a walk and single in the bottom of the seventh with a homer to left, but the Hornets were then stymied and retired in order to end it. Sadie Hayes, Emma Williams and Marena Knowles had two hits each for the Hornets.

Game 2: Westfield 7, Bulloch 2

          Bulloch led 2-1 from the first to the fifth, when Westfield tied it. Then the Hornet bats got rolling with a four-run sixth. Brooke Corlee had a one-out RBI single to score A Adams, who doubled. An out later, S Hayes singled and Ellie Williams walked, and then Emma Williams drilled a first-pitch double to left to clear the bases. The Gators were unable to mount any late-game rally against Riley Kickok, who struck out one and walked three. Sadie Hayes went 3-for-4 with three runs from the leadoff spot, and Emma Williams had three hits and four RBI, Corlee adding two RBI.

 Class AA

Briarwood 2, Piedmont 1; Briarwood 7, Piedmont 1

          Briarwood got all it needed with two runs in the first en route to winning the state championship in the nightcap. The Buccaneers added three in the fifth and two in the sixth, holding Piedmont scoreless until the seventh. The Cougars’ four errors led to two unearned runs. Madison Johnson belted a homer for Piedmont’s run. Briarwood scored the game-winner in the sixth in the first game of the series, holding Piedmont to only three hits. The Cougars also had two errors, leading to an unearned run. Cassidy Cook accounted for Piedmont’s run with a homer.

Also at Mercer

Saturday

9:30 a.m.: Class A game 1, Thomas Jefferson vs. Flint River

12:30 p.m.: Class A game 2

2 p.m.: Class AA game 2

5 p.m.: Class A or AA “if” game needed or Class AAA game 2

6:30 p.m.: Class AA “if” game or Class AAA game 2

8 p.m.: Class AAA game 2 or “if” game