Lady Cougars Softball Advance to GISA AA Championship Series

The Piedmont Academy fast-pitch softball team is now two wins away from a state championship.

Coach Joe Johnson’s team swept Brentwood Saturday on the road in Sandersville and will now face Briarwood Academy (19-8) for the GISA Class AA championship. The Lady Buccaneers took game three Monday in their best-of-three series with Windsor Academy.

The championship series will be at Southern Pines in Dublin. Game one is Thursday at 5 p.m. with the second and third games set for Saturday.

The Lady Cougars took game one 5-4 before winning the series with another close victory in game two with a 3-2 final score.

“We are happy to send our four seniors out by getting them back to the state championship,” Johnson said. “We never thought back in June that we would be able to make it this far. These girls have worked hard to get where we are and I couldn’t ask for a better group of players who coaches to work with. It has been one heck of a ride.”

Piedmont jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game one. The Lady Cougars (14-3-1 overall) added another run in the top of the second and their final run in the sixth.

Leading 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, Piedmont held on after Brentwood pushed one run across.

Emily McEwen and Maddie Waddleton helped lead the offense with two hits in the series opener. McKayla Arnold and McEwen also drove in runs.

Averi Camp went the distance in the pitcher’s circle in game one.

In game two, the game was scoreless through three innings before the Lady Eagles scored a run in the top of the fourth. Brentwood then moved ahead 2-0 with another run in the top of the sixth inning before Piedmont rallied with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and one more in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the series.

Arnold had two hits while Haley Ann Frank drove in a run. McEwen earned the victory pitching all seven innings and recording two strikeouts.

Frank has been the team’s top offensive player in 2020 and will be looked upon to help seal the season with a championship.

“It means a great deal to go back to the state championship my senior year especially with a team who believes in each other no matter and constantly supports,” Frank said. “I couldn’t think of a better way finish off my senior year but in the state championship.”

Frank has compiled a .618 batting average with eight doubles, five triples and 11 RBI with a team-high 43 runs scored. She has also been a force on the base path with 35 steals.

Teammate Jayden Young is also eager to compete for a state championship trophy.

“I’m really proud of the team I’m on and how far we’ve come,” Young said. “We definitely couldn’t have made it this far without our amazing coaches and fans. Now it’s time to go take state.”

Young, a senior, is batting. 308 with two doubles and eight RBI.

Waddleton (.420), McEwen (.404), Marissa Holder (.378), Abby Arnold (.378) and McKayla Arnold (.295) have also led the offense.

Ava Anglin is batting .344 with three homers while Fleming Sealy (.419) has also a homerun this fall. Ava has driven in 17 runs while Sealy has a team-high 21 RBI.

In the pitcher’s circle, McEwen has a 1.65 earned run average with Camp posting a 2.70 ERA. Camp has recorded 24 strikeouts while McEwen had 16. Abby Arnold has added 13 strikeouts.

The Lady Cougars were the number six seed going into the GISA state playoffs. The eight teams in this year’s postseason were seeded one through eight.