BAYMEADOWS – Unlike most teams, the road to the 2019 county softball title didn’t start the first day of practice, it began two years ago.
A torrential down poor cancelled the 2017 softball title game between Landon and Fletcher.
Landon head coach Michelle Bourgholtzer said the disappointment of not being able to play that game fueled this years run to the championship as several of the girls on that team who were in sixth grade were eighth graders now.
Perhaps that disappointment was on their minds when the Lions found themselves trailing 4-0 going to the bottom of the fifth as they rallied back to stun James Weldon Johnson.
The Trojans, winner of the Western Division, jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth thanks to a lead off walk from Emily Lillybridge and four singles from Wisoom Colbert, Addison Brown, Jordan Lasater and Catherine Brewer.
Up until the fifth inning, neither team was able to get on the scoreboard thanks to solid pitching from Jordan Lasater and Emma Reynolds, as well as super defense by both teams.
That changed in the sixth, as the Lions broke free to not only get on the scoreboard finally but to bring it to a one run game.
A one out walk by Ava Farham followed by a RBI triple from Kennedy Waymer started the rally. Reynolds ground out to short scored Waymer, while back-to-back singles from Elena Rankin and Samantha Ulrich cut the lead to 4-3 still with two outs.
However, Lasater got Haylee Hinds to ground out to second to end the inning with the Trojans clinging to a 4-3 lead now.
Reynolds retired the side in the sixth getting two fly outs along with Rankin gunning out Colbert at second on a steal attempt.
A fired up defense and a hot offense came up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with tons of confidence.
Tatiana Everett led off with a single, Hayley Campbell was hit by a pitch; Macie Bourgholtzer doubled in two runs and Farnham singled to score Bourgholtzer to give the Lions a 6-4 lead.
James Weldon Johnson still had a chance in the top of the seventh, yet Reynolds closed the door quickly with a strikeout and a ground out for two outs.
Lasater reached on a single to give the Trojans a chance but a bunt attempt by Brewer was caught by Reynolds to end the game.
After a dogpile on the mound, Landon coach Michelle Bourgholtzer shared her thoughts about the come from behind win and more.
Landon (13-1) avenged an earlier loss to Mandarin in the Southern Divisional title game, the third meeting between the two, just to get into the playoffs. The No. 1 seeded Lions then knocked off Fletcher in the semifinals on Monday to advance to the title game on Wednesday.
Fletcher handled Oceanway 10-0 in four innings to capture the third place trophy for retiring coach King.
