Piedmont will be in the state championship Saturday at Devon Park on OG&E Field at 4 p.m. (Photo by JN Photography)
By Jason Nieuwenhuis
Contributing writer
The Lady Wildcats bid for a fourth straight softball state championship ended is the state finals on Saturday at Devon Park, falling to Pryor 7-4.
Having beaten Tahlequah and Coweta to advance to the finals, they met a familiar foe in the Pryor Tigers.
The tigers a perennial tournament team won the toss and were the home team even though the ‘cats were the higher seed.
The pitching was strong as expected. Senior Addison Underwood was great in the circle, as only 2 of the 7 runs were earned. 70% of her pitches were strikes and she had 5 strikeouts and no walks.
The offense fought hard and put up four runs, but Pryor pitcher Coda Taylor kept the ‘Cats off balance most of the afternoon.
This senior class ended their high school careers having played in every state final game and winning 3 of 4.
See the Piedmont Surrey Gazette for a full recap of the state tournament.
Friday’s game
There wasn’t as much offense for the Lady Wildcats Friday, but not much is needed when your ace pitcher only allows four hits in the state tournament semifinals.
Senior Addison Underwood was on fire as she and the Wildcats blanked the Coweta Tigers 6-0. Underwood struck out 8 enroute to a complete game shutout at Devon Park where the Class 5A fall fastpitch softball tournament is underway.
Ashlynn Emmert got things started in the second inning Friday with a solo blast over the fence and both Catie Meyer and Nadia Jeffries had multiple hits for the ‘Cats.
Piedmont softball will play for their fourth consecutive state championship Saturday at Devon Park on OG&E Field 4 at 4 p.m.
On Thursday the first game of the tournament was a big one for the bats.
Taybor Moss set the tone in the first inning with a blast over the left field wall. The Wildcats never looked back from there.
“I loved the way it felt off the bat.” Moss said. “Especially because I swung at a terrible pitch right before that one.”
There weren’t many misses from Moss as the team leader in batting average went 2 for 3 on the day including an unintentional intentional walk where they pitched around Moss to load the bases for cleanup hitter Addison Cassady. They say great players make big plays when they need to – and this was no exception.
Having struggled at the plate Thursdsay, the senior drilled a ball to right field and drove in 3 runs that broke the game open. Junior Maddie Kimball also had a solid day at the plate going 3 for 4, scoring 1 and driving one in.
The pitching as expected was solid. Senior Addison Underwood had 8 strikeouts on the day with a 65% strike percentage. The Tigers did put 8 balls in play but were only able to generate three runs.
Regional win
The final tune-up game for the Wildcats took place at F&M Bank Stadium as the 6A- State tournament bound Lady Bulldogs from Edmond Memorial traveled west to face the ‘Cats. As expected with two top tier teams, the contest was a close one, decided in extra innings as the Wildcats prevailed 4-3.
The road to the state tournament is never easy, but Head Coach Coleman knows how to prepare his team and is ready for the challenge.
“We are extremely excited for the opportunity to play in the state tournament,” Coleman said. “We know it will be very difficult, as every team in the field can play at a high level. ”
The Cats started out with Tahlequah, winning 10-3 at Devon Park and the ASA Hall of Fame complex. The first two games of the tournament were scheduled to be on field three with the state championship played on OG&E Field 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Wildcats bring a talented group to the state tournament led by senior ace Addison Underwood. Underwood has carried the load this season, throwing 124 innings with a 1.74 ERA. She has averaged almost 1 strikeout per inning and has been efficient throwing just 14 pitches per inning. The rest of the defense has experience with all but three of the starters being seniors.
The offense has excelled all season as the one-two punch of Addison Cassady and Taybor Moss have combined for 14 home runs and 67 runs batted in.
Moss, as catcher, leads the defense behind the plate and leads the team with a .542 average at the plate. Moss and the rest of these seniors have won three straight 5A State Championships and are excited for the opportunity to compete for another.
“It means everything to me to get the opportunity to play for a 4th straight championship.” she said. ” Most kids dream of winning one state championship and to have the opportunity to win 4, nothing compares. Being on this quest with my amazing teammates only makes it more special.”
Addison Cassady screams at her dugout after her 3 RBI triple to break the game open at Devon Park on Thursday. (Photo Credit JN Photography)
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