COLUMBUS – Tiftarea Academy staved off elimination Thursday and will meet a region rival when play resumes Friday.

Tiftarea is slated to face Terrell Academy at 10 a.m. Friday in a consolation battle. The Lady Panthers won the District 3 championship for the fifth year in a row this season.

The winner will play either Westfield, Pinewood Christian or Brookwood in the next game. The loser’s season will be over.

Tiftarea battled back from a noon loss Thursday to win over Athens Christian, 4-3, in an elimination game.

Summer Gray scored on a first inning error against Athens Christian. Tiftarea added two more in the third. Gray drove in McKenna Grace Graham on a groundout and Raelyn Owens doubled in Carley Reese.

Athens Christian scored once in the fourth, but the Lady Panthers countered, Calla Joyner coming home on an error off Graham’s bat.

The Lady Eagles scored single runs in the sixth and seventh, but couldn’t get the better of Gray, who pitched a complete game. No runs were earned against Gray, who struck out seven.

Earlier, Tiftarea fell 14-0 to Westfield.

Gray had two hits, including a double.

Terrell won its first round game 7-6 over John Milledge, but dropped a 16-1 score to No. 1 Piedmont Academy.