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Lady Hornets win third consecutive Class C state softball championship

                                    
SULPHUR- A range of emotions was felt by the Plainview Lady Hornets after achieving dynasty status following their third consecutive Class C softball state championship.
“It’s a little bittersweet because that was my last game playing with these girls,” said starting pitcher and state tournament most valuable player Madison Pippen. “We played six years together. We’ve all grown really close, and we’re like family. It’s a great feeling.”
Echoing Pippen’s sentiments was senior Allie Willis. “The first emotion I felt after we won was excitement,” she said, “but we were all sad because we’ll never get to play together again. We were all upset about that because it’s just so fun playing with your best friends all the time. We don’t want it to end, but there’s no better way to go out than the way we did.”
Orchestrating this dynasty at Plainview was head softball coach Elliott West. “When we got beat four years ago in the finals,” he explained, “I was very upset and disappointed because I didn’t know if we’d ever get back. But to be back three years after that and to win it three years in a row is something the Lord has blessed us with so much.”
He added, “To lose a state championship and come back the next three years and win it shows what kind of kids these girls are.”
Plainview’s run this time around in the state tournament began with Pippen throwing a perfect game as her team blanked Evans 4-0 in the semi-finals last Friday. Pippen, in the game, also recorded 12 strikeouts while striking out the side in the second and sixth innings.
The game remained scoreless until Alex Harrison singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. After a sacrifice bunt advanced her to second base, Harrison scored on a Willis double for the 1-0 lead.
The lead then grew to 2-0 on a home run off the bat of Harrison with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Plainview then got back-to-back doubles from Jordan Thompson and Willis. Both runners came around to score to make it a 4-0 game in favor of the Lady Hornets.
Evans sent the top of its lineup to the plate in the top of the seventh was sent away in order with two fly ball outs and one groundball out.
Then in the championship game on Saturday, Plainview built up a commanding 9-0 lead against Calvin after the game’s first three innings. Seven of those runs came in the second inning, and the eighth run was a Thompson home run.
“I talked to my assistant coaches last night and told them we need one big inning to separate us,” said West. “I felt like if we had that one big inning then Calvin was not going to have enough to catch us. And we had that one big inning in the second.”
Calvin then started chipping away at the lead and scored three runs in the top of the fourth and another two runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 9-5 game.
“During the middle of the game, we got flat and made some mistakes defensively,” West commented. “I told my assistant coaches we needed one good inning on defense to switch the momentum back to our side, and in the sixth we retired them in order. That was pretty much the end. Hats off to Calvin. They fought hard.”
Calvin was also retired in order in the seventh, and the Plainview celebration began.
Willis concluded about the experience, “This is just the best feeling ever. We have to cherish the moment and give it all to God.”

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