Northside softball wrecks Woodward, advances to Elite Eight

Northside softball head coach Brandon Jenkins knew his Lady Patriots were ready to put on a show in Thursday’s second round matchup with Woodward Academy.

Jenkins said the team has been waiting for the offense to explode. The Northside hitters had not been sluggish through the region tournament and the first round victory, but the players knew they had not reached their potential.

After watching his team gear up for the Class 4A second round doubleheader, Jenkins felt like the timing was right.

“We had a great week of preparation,” Jenkins said. “I told them before the first game, ‘We’re fixing to do something special tonight.’”

Twenty-five runs later, the Lady Patriots are going to the Elite Eight.

Northside had little issue with Woodward Academy, defeating the War Eagles 12-0 and 13-1. As a result, the Lady Patriots advance to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season.

“It’s been a long 12 months,” Jenkins said. “It’s been something we’ve been waiting on. It’s been about just keeping the girls focused and letting the girls know we’ve got to play one game at a time. It’s just a huge relief.”

Northside’s victories were undoubtedly a team effort, as the Lady Patriots combined for 30 hits.

Junior right fielder Jada Chadwick led the way at the plate, as she was 6-for-6 with 5 RBIs in the two wins. Freshman left fielder Karlee Fuller and shortstop Gabi Apiag each hit a home run in the opening game of the day. Apiag hit a second home run in the final game of the day.

Chadwick, like her head coach, could tell an energy was building in the leadup to Thursday’s games. She said the players have their own texting group chat on their phones, and all anyone could talk about this week was coming out and making some noise.

“It’s phenomenal,” Chadwick said of reaching the Elite Eight. “I’m so proud of my team and everything they’ve done. I couldn’t have done it without them. They make me so happy.”

Reaching the Class 4A quarterfinals was a goal for this team, but for everyone involved, there’s still unfinished business.

Northside reached the state finals in 2016, ultimately falling to Central-Carrollton. Jenkins has been mindful to keep the Lady Patriots from looking too far ahead, but at this point, there’s nothing that needs to be said.

“We’re not done, but you have to get there first,” Jenkins said. “Once you get to the Elite Eight, everybody’s got a chance. Now we’re there, and we’ve got just as good a chance as anybody. We’re playing our best ball right now, and that’s what you want.”

The Lady Patriots rarely flinched as they made their way through the regular season, the region tournament and the early rounds. With a state championship coming into view, the players can square their focuses back on what’s been so close in the past few seasons.

“We talked about ring chasing, but we didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” Chadwick said. “We can talk about it now that we’re finally there. We’re going to go out with a bang.”

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Northside softball wrecks Woodward, advances to Elite Eight."