A big swing from the left-handed bat of Maggie Vickery.

CHULA — Chance Benson wants to miss out on seeing the biggest college football game of the year. Georgia plays No. 1 Texas Saturday and Benson is scheduled to be there. But his Tiftarea Academy Lady Panther softball team can mess that up, and Benson said he is all for that happening.

Tiftarea opens state tournament play at noon Thursday in Columbus, No. 6 in an eight-team field. Their first round opponent is Westfield, the No. 3 squad. Semifinals are Friday and finals are Saturday.

Westfield has quite a history, with multiple state titles. “I’m ready to go against them,” he said. If there is a year Westfield is vulnerable, this is it. The Lady Hornets are 13-9 and Benson said their No. 1 pitcher is unavailable. Westfield lost four of its last six to close out the regular season.

“The girls are excited,” Benson said, and they are building confidence. This group is Tiftarea’s youngest in quite some time, with no seniors on the roster. “We know we have to do all the little things right to win.”

Should they advance, they would play the winner of Pinewood Christian and Athens Christian. Even if they fall, Tiftarea will play again. The tournament is double elimination.

Tiftarea won three games last week to not only clinch the title, but even their season record at 9-9.

It was an especially fruitful week in the batter’s box. The Lady Panthers pounded out 39 runs over their last three contests.

In that stretch, Raelyn Owens had six hits, scored six runs and drove in four. Owens is also turning into a terror on the basepaths, Benson crediting her with great instincts.

Summer Gray also had six hits and scored seven runs. Coley Beth Croft drove in four, as did Carmen Corkern and Gray. In the 22-15 marathon over Valwood, spots 1-9 in the order each came to the plate six times in six innings.

Owens and Gray combined to no-hit Deerfield-Windsor. Gray won the region clincher over Brookwood with eight strikeouts. The two combined to strikeout Valwood nine times.

Though the Lady Panthers won District 3-A for the fifth straight season, they rank below Terrell Academy, who came in second. Terrell is fourth. Only one other District 3 team qualified, that being Brookwood in eighth place. Brookwood plays No. 1-ranked Piedmont Academy in the first round. Terrell has No. 5 John Milledge.