Lady Cougars Advance to Final Four

The Piedmont Academy softball team is now in the Final Four.

The Lady Cougars rallied after falling to Briarwood Saturday in game one of a best-of-three series to defeat the Lady Buccaneers in back-to-back contests.

Piedmont will play in the semifinals on Tuesday against at home against Windsor Academy. The best-of-three series will begin at 1 p.m.

In the quarterfinals, Briarwood won the opening game Saturday 6-3 before Piedmont took a 9-1 victory in game two to prevent elimination.

With the series tied at one game each, the Lady Cougars then recorded an 11-5 win in the third and deciding contest.

“The girls had a great attitude going into the day,” coach Daniel Funt said. “ We just looked like we hadn’t played in a week and half in the first game. We were a little flat. Briarwood is a very good and when they get the lead, they really play well. I give them a lot of credit.”

In game three, Piedmont fell behind 4-0 after the top of the first inning but had pulled to within 4-2 after the third inning. Briarwood added one more run in the top of the fourth before the Lady Cougars scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and four more in the bottom of the sixth.

It took another balanced offensive performance to seal the series and advance. Haley Ann Frank was 3-for-4 with three runs while Ava Anglin was 3-for-3 with three runs and walk. Frank and Anglin are typically the first two batters in the lineup for the Lady Cougars and their effectiveness at getting on base has been key to the team’s success.

Madison Johnson, whom Funt called the team’s most consistent batter all season, was 2-for-4 with a homer, five RBI and a run. Cassidy Cook was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.

Neely Bradford also delivered a 2-for-4 performance with a run and two RBI while Ashley Johnston was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Alexis Dodson was 1-for-2 with a run and Maddie Morton was 1-for-2 with a run.

It was also a combined effort in the pitcher’s circle in game three for Piedmont as Morton worked the first inning before Kenzie Rodgers pitched the next 2.1 innings with three strikeouts. Dodson was then brought in before Bradford closed out the final 3.2 innings with six strikeouts.

Briarwood opened the Elite Eight series with a 6-3 victory scoring four runs in the top of the first and two more in the top of the second inning. Piedmont scored one in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the seventh.

Bradford took the loss despite 12 strikeouts. Only two of her runs were earned.

“We had a couple of miscues early in the first game,” Funt said. “Neely settled down and I wanted to let her keep going. She got on a roll and kept the game close.”

Frank was 2-for-4 at the plate while Anglin was 1-for-4. Johnson was 1-for-3 while Bradford had a 2-for-3 game with a run and RBI.

Madison Burnham drove in a run while Morton was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Johnston was 1-for-2.

Having to have a win to continue their season, the Lady Cougars responded with a 9-1 win in the second game Saturday. Morton was the winning pitcher and had three strikeouts.

Piedmont led 6-1 after the second inning and added an insurance run in the fourth and two more in the sixth.

Frank was 3-for-3 with three runs while Cook was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Morton was 3-for-3 with two runs and Dodson scored two runs.

Johnson finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and Bradford was 1-for-4 with an RBI.