Columbus Bound: Lady Bulldogs make return trip to Elite Eight

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  • Lake Oconee Academy’s Mary Claire McCommons (16) tries to beat out a throw at first base. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff
    Lake Oconee Academy’s Mary Claire McCommons (16) tries to beat out a throw at first base. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff
  • A Lady Dogs’ batter stares down LOA pitcher Jacy Singleton. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff
    A Lady Dogs’ batter stares down LOA pitcher Jacy Singleton. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff
  • Leah Jannakos (14) gets set to deliver a pitch from the circle against LOA. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff
    Leah Jannakos (14) gets set to deliver a pitch from the circle against LOA. LANCE MCCURLEY/Staff

    The Georgia Military Prep softball team is headed back to Columbus and the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019 after winning the Greensboro Regional last week.

    The Lady Bulldogs (18-4, 6-2 Region 5A Divison II) are riding an eight-game winning streak heading into the GHSA Class A Divison II Softball World Series this week.

    They entered the state playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Greensboro Regional, which was hosted at Lake Oconee Academy. The Lady Titans were the No.

    1-seed and Taylor County was the No. 2-seed, with there being no No. 3-seed in the regional.

    GMC Prep faced the No. 2 seed Lady Vikings on Thursday, defeating them 3-0 in the opening round. The Lady Bulldogs then defeated LOA on Friday (6-0) for the third time this season. They got a great performance in the circle out of senior Leah Jannakos.

    The top-seeded Lady Titans then defeated Taylor County, eliminating the Lady Vikings, which set up another meeting between the two games on Saturday afternoon.

    GMC handled business again as Jannakos had a three-RBI game at the plate The Lady Bulldogs defeated Lake Oconee Academy, 5-1, and that win punched their ticket to Columbus. They are now one of eight teams that made it to the Elite Eight.

    In the first round, GMC will face Wilcox County (26-0, 10-0) on Wednesday at 1 pm. The winner of that matchup will face either Schley County or Lanier County on Thursday at 1 p.m. The loser between the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Patriots will play at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

    Glascock County, which was the No. 1-seed out of GMC’s region, is on the other side of the bracket. The Lady Panthers defeated the Lady Bulldogs (4-0; 4-1) already twice this season. They haven’t played anybody else in the rest of the field this season.

    GMC will rely heavily on Jannakos in the circle, however, the Lady Dogs’ bats will need to come alive as well. Players such as Josie Deason, Hannah Garner and Nickole Rudolph, among others, need to have a great weekend if GMC wants to bring home a title.