MACON — Going into the Mississippi Association of Indepent Schools Slow-pitch State Championship Saturday, the Central Academy Lady Vikings had one thing on their mind: winning the championship.
In order to do that, however, the Lady Vikings needed to defeat their archrival Kemper Academy just one more time.
Fortunately, Central Academy would do just that, defeating the Lady Rams 10-2 to earn their second consecutive state title and secure an undefeated season at 15-0.
“It was the perfect finish to a perfect season,” said head coach Sammy Lindsey. “It’s really hard to run the table, because there are so many factors involved. We were injury-free as well, so that was a big plus to be able to do that.”
Despite getting runners on base early in the first and second innings, Central was unable to score any runs, thanks in part to some crucial plays made from the Kemper defense. However, the bats would come alive in the bottom of the third, as freshman Kelsey Robbins belted an RBI triple to right field, giving the Lady Vikings a 1-0 lead and the first of many runs yet to come.
“I just prayed for the Lord to give me a hit,” said Robbins. “Thankfully, the hit came at just the right time and helped to get us going.”
The RBI from Robbins would set off a series of scoring plays for the Lady Vikings, as senior Blake Rigdon drove in Robbins on an RBI single. Not long after, Savannah Stapleton and Sarah Norris would tack on three more runs, before senior Neely Abrams closed out the inning with an RBI single, giving Central a commanding 6-0 lead.
Although the Lady Rams would get a run of their own in the top of the fourth, Rigdon would come up big for Central once again, as she nailed a hit to center field, scoring two and putting the Lady Vikings up 8-1. Robbins would keep the scoring coming in the bottom of the fifth, blasting a two-run RBI triple, giving Central a 10-1 lead after five. That would prove to be all the Lady Vikings needed, as Central Academy shut down the Kemper batters in the top of the seventh, rolling to a 10-2 victory and their second slow-pitch state title in three years.
Senior Claire Campbell picked up the win for the Lady Vikings, keeping the Kemper Academy bats quiet for most of the contest.
Winning the state title was extremely special to the team’s four seniors, who got to hoist the trophy on their own field and in front of their own crowd.
“It was an awesome feeling,” said Rigdon. “Our bats had gotten kind of rusty early on, but when we were not hitting good, our defense was there to step up and make plays. We’ve been working all year for this moment and it feels amazing to go out with a win.”
It’s a special group of seniors that Coach Lindsey will miss.
“They kind of feel like my own,” Lindsey said. “I’ve had them playing for me for so long. They’re all very close and they always will be. Central Academy softball has been strong for such a long time, and they know what to expect out of me and they know what I expect out of them. These four girls have shown great leadership that I hope will carry over onto your younger players.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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