Lady Cats softballers reel in 2011 State Championship

Smiles, cheers and hugs of joy abounded on the Laurence Manning Academy softball team as they celebrated their 2011 State Championship Wednesday.

They Lady Swampcats (19-12) went up against the Orangeburg Prep Lady Indians in a best-of-three series that culminated with a 2-0 victory giving them the championship.

With the Lady Cats leading 2-0, OP’s Cayce Ulmer was in scoring position at third base and following a fly ball to left field, she began her trot to home plate.

However, a 130-foot throw from Dixie Richburg to catcher Kathryn Windham for the tag eliminated the threat and sealed the win for LMA.

“You’re not going to have a good feeling until the ballgame’s over,” said LMA Head Coach Maria Rowland. “They had to fight until the last out and they absolutely did.”

Sophomore pitcher Grace Beatson got the call for the mound and threw a decisive game allowing just four hits, no walks and garnered five strikeouts.

The Lady Cats were the home team and like previous games, they began with solid pitching and defense and never let up.

Orangeburg Prep opened the top of the first determined to put runs on the board; however the batters were quickly retired.

LMA almost responded in the bottom of the inning.

Hannah Hodge was walked and was nearly in scoring position but was tagged out trotting for second.

Brittney Huggins reached second but the next two batters struck out that brought the first inning to a close with a scoreless tie.

Beatson retired the next three batters in the top of the second and LMA quickly came back to the plate.

Windham reached first base and following an overthrown ball, she made it to second.

Maggie Eppley hit a sacrifice bunt moving Windham’s courtesy runner, Ellis Mason, to third.

With two outs, Brittany Bays hit a shot straight toward the pitcher and Mason leaped over her and reached the plate giving the Lady Cats a 1-0 lead.

Relentless defense kept the Lady Indians off the board and LMA got one more run.

In the bottom of the fifth, Hodge led off with a base hit and made it to second following a passed ball.

Richburg came up and hit a solo shot up the middle, scoring Hodge for a 2-0 Lady Cat lead.

They were threatening to make it 3-0 but a strikeout ended the inning.

LMA’s fielding and pitching continued until the final inning up until Richburg and Windham’s heroic play.

The Lady Swampcats turned their season around following Spring Break according to Rowland.

She said the team battled back to have a good year rather than lie down and die.

After they gained chemistry, she said they knew how to rely on each other and was why they were able to go on the late surge.

“I’d never thought we be where we were, four weeks ago,” Rowland said. “They have that mental preparation in them to fight back and never ever give up. We did everything together and that’s where the comradery came in.”