Buford, East Coweta set for second-round showdown after day one at GHSA fast pitch softball championships

The opening day at the GHSA State Fast Pitch Softball Tournament Wednesday delivered expected results, a few surprises while setting up an exciting second day of competition in Columbus Thursday.

For the full brackets or the scoreboard, follow the links to keep up with the Thursdays action.

In the states highest Class 6A, top-ranked and defending-champion Buford defeated Brookwood 5-3 while East Coweta beat Hillgrove 7-0 to set up a rematch of last years one-game championship series which Buford won from the winners bracket. On the top of the 6A winners bracket Mill Creek moved past Archer and North Cobb defeated North Gwinnett.

Lassiter upended Houston County 11-0 and will play Effingham County after it defeated Seckinger 6-1. On top of the winners bracket, Creekview beat South Effingham 10-1 and River Ridge defeated East Paulding 10-0.

Two-time Class 5A defending champion Northside-Columbus moved down to Class 4A this season and after beating St. Pius X 10-2 in the opening round, the Patriots have a chance to earn its third consecutive title. It will face Kell, after the Longhorns beat Wayne County 8-5 in the first round. On the bottom of the bracket, Eastside moved past Central-Carroll and Harris County defeated Ola 3-2 to advance.

Heritage-Catoosa won the Class 4A title last season and moved past LaFayette 10-0 in the first round of the Class 3A tournament. The Generals will face West Laurens, the 2022 Class 4A champions, after it moved past LaGrange 5-2. Cherokee Bluff defeated Pickens 9-3 and will face Monroe Area after the Purple Hurricanes beat Southeast Bulloch 5-1.

Appling County, the Class 2A defending champion, beat Pike County 6-1 and will play Stephens County after it moved past Miller Grove 16-0. On the bottom of the bracket, Union County outlasted Sonoraville 2-1 and Morgan County beat Rockmart 2-1 and will play tomorrow for a chance to advance.

Gordon Lee defeated Social Circle 11-3 in the first round of the Class A Division I bracket and will play Bremen after it moved past East Laurens 7-3. On the top of the bracket, Toombs County defeated ACE Charter 14-0 and will play Banks County, after its 9-7 victory against Haralson County.

In Class A Division II, Schley County upended Clinch County 17-2 and will play Emanuel County Institute after it defeated Irwin County 7-6. Defending-champion Lanier County moved past Metter 6-3 and will play Screven County after it beat Georgia Military 1-0.

In the Private bracket, Savannah Christian sent three-time defending-champion Wesleyan (3A in 2022, 2023 and A Private in 2021) to the losers bracket after a 4-2 victory. Hebron Christian had little issues with Providence Christian in its 7-0 first-round victory. On the bottom side of the bracket, Class A Division I defending champion Prince Avenue Christian defeated Mount Vernon 8-3 and will play Trinity Christian after it beat Mount Paran 13-8.