Buford third in final AA softball poll

aaron Morrison

Buford Lady Jackets celebrate during a home game in the Class AA Upper State softball playoffs this spring. The BHS finished as the No. 3 team in the final Class AA softball poll.

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Class AA Upper State runner-up Buford finished third in the final Class AA state high school softball poll released following the state championship tournament.

Buford High, led by coach “C” Davis, was ranked third in the final Class AA state ratings behind state champion Central High of Pageland and Barnwell, the Class AA Lower State champion.

Central, a member of Region IV-AA with Buford, captured the Lady Eagles’ first state softball title with a sweep of Barnwell in the best-of-three state championship series, 3-1, 4-1.

Barnwell defeated Swansea 7-4 in the decisive game for the Class AA Lower State title after Swansea won 7-6 to force a second game.

Central won the Class AA Upper State crown, taking two games from Buford on May 13. The Lady Eagles, who finished 32-3, battled back through the losers’ bracket to face the Lady Jackets at the BHS field.

Central prevailed 12-2 and 8-2 to earn the right to play for the state title. In the decisive game, Buford held a 1-0 lead to the fifth inning when the Lady Eagles ignited for eight runs, seven with two out.

Buford rallied for a run in the seventh, but Central prevailed behind ace hurler Katie Carnes, who posted two wins in the Lady Eagles’ sweep.

“Our girls came a long way this season,” said BHS’s Davis, who led the Lady Jackets to the 2009 Class A state championship.  “It’s been a team effort all season. We have a great group of girls and fans. There’s no place like Buford.

“We lose four seniors, but at the same time we have a good group coming back,” Davis said. “We gained a lot of experience and we’re looking forward to next season.”

Andrew Jackson, the region runner-up to Central, was ranked sixth in a tie with Silver Buff in the final Class AA state poll.

The Lady Vols, who finished fourth in the Class AA Upper State tournament, were 17-15 on the season.

AJ qualified for the double-elimination Class AA Upper State field, winning the District 1 title with a sweep of Class AA softball power Crescent. Buford won the District II crown with a sweep of Broome.

The Class AA Upper State title field included three teams from Conference IV-AA – Central, AJ and Buford – along with Gilbert, which Central eliminated to earn the right to play Buford for the Upstate crown. Gilbert won the District III title, while Central captured the District IV crown.

In the Class AA Upper State tournament, Buford edged AJ, 4-3 and Gilbert down Central, 5-1. Central then eliminated AJ, 5-0 and Buford blanked Gilbert, 6-0. Central ousted Gilbert, 5-0 to earn the right to play Buford.

Central served notice it would be a force to reckon with this spring, winning the Lancaster County Classic preseason softball tournament at Springdale Park on March 5 with a 5-0 run, which included a 9-5 win over Class AAA foe Fort Mill.

Lancaster and Indian Land each qualified for the state playoffs before falling in district play. The LHS Lady Bruins, of Region III-AAAA coach of the year Kim Perry, finished as the regular-season runner-up, was the District I runner-up to Boiling Springs, which finished third in the final Class AAAA poll.

Indian Land dropped two games in the Class AA District III playoffs. The Lady Warriors fell to No. 4 Gilbert and Liberty.

Final state rankings:

Class AA – 1. Central, 2. Barnwell, 3. Buford, 4. Gilbert, 5. Swansea, 6. Andrew Jackson, 6. Silver Bluff (tie), 8. Crescent, 9. Dillon and Hanahan (tie)

Class AAAA – J.L. Mann, 2. North Augusta, 3. Boiling Springs, 4. Hillcrest, 5. Mauldin, 6. Dutch Fork, 7. Summerville, 8. Carolina Forest, 9. South Florence, 10. Spring Valley

Class A – 1. Abbeville, 2. Lake View, 3. Chesterfield, 4. Latta, 5. Landrum, 6. East Clarendon, 7. Ninety Six, 8. McBee, 9. Hannah-Pamplico, 10. Blacksburg

Class AAA – 1. Nation Ford, 2. D.W. Daniel, 3. Marlboro County, 4. Union County, 5. St. James, 6. Georgetown, 7. Hartsville, 8. Chapin, 9. Chapman, 10. Darlington.