JEFFERSON — The Jefferson softball team needed only three innings to advance to the second round of the Region 8-AA playoffs, as it defeated Rabun County 11-1 on Monday afternoon in Jefferson.

The No. 2 seed Lady Dragons (22-7-1) scored four runs in the first, five in the second and added three in the third for the one-sided decision.

Jefferson coach Brad Puckett was pleased with the performance of his team and was happy his girls did not take the No. 5 seed Rabun County (1-10) lightly.

“Every year in this thing, someone has a shocker in the first round and I told our girls before the game that I didn’t want us to be a victim of something like that,” Puckett said.

Senior Kara Perry got the win on the mound for the Lady Dragons. After allowing the Wildcats’ only run of the game early in the first, Perry shut down the Rabun County offense for the rest of the game.

“Whether we play a good team or a bad team, we just have to stay focused and keep pouring it on them,” Perry said.

After the Wildcats jumped up 1-0, the Lady Dragons offense responded in the bottom of the first when a throwing error brought home Jordyn Whitfield from third. Later in the inning, senior Kasey McDonald hit a three-run home run.

Jefferson put five additional runs on the board in the second when senior Summer Bartek, junior Paige Pate and McDonald all recorded RBIs. Three more runs in the third sealed the deal.

“The way the girls handled this game goes back to how mature these girls are,” Puckett said. “We got down a run early and didn’t even flinch.”

The Lady Dragons will face Dawson County at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Jefferson.