COLUMBUS — Allatoona rallied from a 3-0 deficit with four runs over the final three innings to take a 4-3 victory over Locust Grove on Thursday in the first round of the Class AAA state finals at the South Commons Softball Complex.

The Lady Buccaneers, however, then fell to Region 7AAA rival Ringgold 7-0 in the second round and will face either Veterans or West Laurens to keep their season alive in a losers’ bracket game today at 1 p.m.

Elisabeth Federici plated Erika Dunbar with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh as Allatoona trailed Locust Grove 3-2 in the first round. Tressa Watson, who batted 2-for-4, doubled to lead off the inning, and Dunbar reached first on an error that moved courtesy runner Morgan Nesbit to third.

Dunbar stole second, and Bre Richey’s sacrifice fly pushed each runner up a base, scoring Nesbit with the tying run. Federici swung at the first pitch she saw and hit a line drive to right to plate Dunbar, giving Allatoona the victory.

Locust Grove took a 3-0 lead after a two-run first-inning home run from Amanda Winters and an RBI groundout from Tina Drexler in the fourth.

The Lady Buccaneers then started their comeback in the fifth. Kara Chambers led off the with a single, stole second, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.

Richey singled to lead off the sixth. Pinch-runner Nicole Williams reached second on Federici’s sacrifice bunt and moved to third on Brandi Blair’s groundout. Morgan Kazerooni’s two-out single scored Williams, leaving Allatoona trailing 3-2 entering the seventh.

Allatoona (26-10) couldn’t put together much offense as it got shut out against Ringgold.

Leading 1-0 after scoring a run in the first, Hayley Robinson added to the Lady Tigers’ lead with a grand slam home run in the third for a 5-0 margin. Ringgold then tacked a run in the sixth and seventh innings for the 7-0 final.

The Lady Buccaneers committed five errors in the game, but the four-run third inning is what really cost them.

“(Ringgold) hit the ball really well and we didn’t,” Allatoona coach Troy Pirkle said. “They had that one big inning with four runs and we couldn’t get anything going.

“Our backs are against the wall. It’s win or go home. We have kids that have been through this before, and they’re the kind of kids that can make a run. We’ll just have to play well.”

Brookwood 3, Kennesaw Mountain 2: The Lady Mustangs held a 2-0 lead into the fifth, but saw it slip away as the Lady Broncos rallied for the win in the first round of the Class AAAAA finals.

Malea Bell led off the game with a solo home run. Ally Box singled in the second inning, stole second and advanced to third on an error. Amanda Hallman reached on an error by the center fielder, which allowed Box to score and give Kennesaw Mountain a 2-0 lead.

Brookwood rallied to tie it with two runs in the fifth. Taiylor Rinehart doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ambree Muller’s single. Muller stole second, reached third on Emily Brantley’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Danielle Ulloa’s groundout for the 2-all tie.

The Lady Broncos took the lead in the sixth behind an RBI single from Brandi Jones and held on for the victory.

Morgan Howard also had a hit for Kennesaw Mountain. Bekah Farris gave up three runs — two earned — on five hits and struck out six to earn the loss.

The Lady Mustangs will play East Coweta in a losers’ bracket game today at 11 a.m.