SUMMIT – Sumrall coach Dodie Robertson will tell you her team got the taste of winning after last year’s second-round playoff run and never forgot about that feeling of success. That certainly seemed to be the case on Saturday night as the Lady Bobcats defeated North Pike 3-2 as the program punched its ticket to its first-ever state championship.
“We knew they had the ability to do it,” Robertson said. “The program has just never done it. Last year, I think when we reached the second round, a little spark went off. We saw it, and they saw it and finally believed in themselves. That felt like that was the beginning of it. They believed from the get-go. They had high goals. Their goals were to win the district and to go deep into the playoffs. We knew they could do it.”
The Lady Bobcats had to overcome one of their toughest tests by facing the Lady Jaguars’ starting pitcher Ann Elise Duncan, who in two games this season had combined to hold Sumrall to one run.
This time, Sumrall had an answer as the Lady Bobcats jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Anna Grace Shows led the game off with a single. Shows advanced to second on a passed ball, which set up Ella Robertson driving her in with a single.
“In the very first inning, we set the tone for the ball game, and we scored a run,” Robertson said. “That was huge. We got on the board right away and never looked back. We played awesome defense. But we knew one run wouldn’t be enough.”
In the fourth inning, North Pike responded after the Lady Jaguars hit a pair of RBI doubles to take a 2-1 lead.
However, Sumrall answered right back as Londyn Robertson reached base on an infielder with one out. Shows then hit a groundball to center, but an error by North Pike's centerfielder helped Robertson score from first and tie the game. On the next at-bat, Shaylee Ingram drove in Shows with an RBI sac fly to give Sumrall its 3-2 lead.
North Pike was forced to take Duncan out of the game in the seventh inning. In the right-handers’ outing, Duncan allowed three runs off three hits, struck out five and walked one. For Sumrall, Ashlyn Burkhalter and Avery Smith combined to allow two runs off five hits and strike out five batters without surrendering a walk. Smith, who came in relief and scattered three hits in 3.2 innings.
“(Smith) pitched an awesome game. Her changeup was working,” Robertson said. “They basically didn’t get any hits. The first three (innings) North Pike didn’t have a hit.”
Sumrall will not have to travel far for the 4A state championship series as the Lady Bobcats will play at the Southern Miss softball complex against defending state champions Kosciusko at 4 p.m. on Wednesday
“I like the girls’ attitude,” Robertson said. “They went into today with really good spirits. I think we will get the same thing out of them at state. I don’t think the moment will get too big for them. I think they are ready for it. I think they will compete and give it the best they have got.”
