Katie Rearley pitched back-to-back one-hitters and struck out 28 batters in 11 innings but she was only part of the story Tuesday as Richmond Hill swept Tucker, 8-0 and 11-0, in the opening round of the GHSA Class 6A state playoffs. 

While Rearley was doing her thing the No. 2 seed Wildcats were tearing it up at the plate as they pounded out 28 hits in advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight year and fifth time in the last seven. 

Coach Chris Jenkins’ team (14-8) will play at Dacula (19-5) next week at a day and time to be determined. 

It will be the second time in three years Richmond Hill has faced the Falcons in the field of 32. 

It was a good day for Region 2 teams as Effingham County, South Effingham and Glynn Academy all also swept their opening round opponents to move on. 

Rearley, a power pitcher with control, issued only one walk against the Tigers who were clearly overmatched by a team peaking at the right time of the season. 

“We had a feeling back in July we had a special group,” Jenkins, in his first year at Richmond Hill after coaching Jasper County for 18 seasons, said. “Everything we’ve been doing is working toward October.” 

Avery Fisher and Daisy Avery enjoyed perfect days at the plate. 

Fisher was 7-for-7 with seven RBI. 

Her hits were good for 14 total bases as she had a home run, a triple and two doubles and three singles as she hit for the cycle over the two games. 

Avery, who has developed into a slap-hit specialist, was 6-for-6 and scored five times as she hiked her batting average to .491. 

Fisher now has eight consecutive hits going back to the 2-0 loss to Effingham in the region championship game and Avery has a string of seven straight. 

Washington has hit safely in her last 11 games. 

Both games were decided early. 

In the opener Richmond Hill struck for seven runs in the first two innings and Washington jump started the second game outburst with a three-run homer in the first inning. 

Fisher’s two-run triple highlighted a three-run first inning of the first game. 

The Wildcats added four in the second as Lucy Tuttle had an RBI double, Washington singled home Tuttle and Fisher’s double scored Avery Washington then stole home. 

Camdyn Richbourg ended the game under the mercy rule when she tripled with two out in the fifth to drive in courtesy runner Ella Pursley. 

After Washington’s homer In the nightcap Richmond Hill made it 6-0 with three in the second inning and then Fisher hit a long home run with two on in the sixth to put the cherry on top of the cake. 

“I had no clue how long it was,” Fisher said. “I wasn’t watching it.”

Washington assured Fisher it was a long homer. 

Fisher’s roundtripper was a moon shot which left the park at about the same spot as Washington’s but it looked longer. 

Bottom line was it cleared the fence and that’s all that mattered. 

Rearley was in total control in both games. 

She gave up a one-out single in the third inning and a two-out single in the fifth in the second game. 

Only one Tucker batter reached second base.