Northside softball dominates region for second straight year

Last season, the Northside Lady Patriots were nearly untouchable in Region 1-4A. This time around, the story wasn’t much different.

The Lady Patriots finished region play Tuesday in an 8-0 victory against Shaw, leaving Northside’s region record at 11-0. Not only did Northside go undefeated in region play for the second straight year, but it did not surrender a run in any of those games in 2017.

“This year’s team, they’re just really close with each other,” Northside head coach Brandon Jenkins said. “They believe in each other, they’re there for each other and they’ve got each other’s backs. They had a goal in mind at the beginning of the season that they were going to do whatever it took to have a successful season, and they’ve done that.”

One of the keys to Northside’s success is the talent spread throughout the lineup. Though Jenkins pointed out seniors Hannah George and Ciara Jesus as being major catalysts, the Lady Patriots up and down the lineup have come through at one point or another. It has proven helpful in cases where George is pitched around, because players such as freshman Karlee Fuller have subsequently made opponent pay.

The strength of the roster shows in Northside’s statistics. Four different pitchers have helped the team post a 0.70 ERA, and the Lady Patriots have already surpassed last season’s stolen base mark and now have 95.

“A lot of our wins have been team efforts. We’re not just pitching it well, hitting it well or playing defense — we’re doing all of the above,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to put pressure on you multiple ways. You’re going to have to do a lot in order to have a chance to beat us.”

The players on this year’s team know a thing or two about winning, as six starters returned from last season’s Class 4A runner-up squad. Still, Jenkins has been cautious about keeping his team focused, telling them none of what they accomplished in their 22-2 regular season matters now.

When the region tournament begins Tuesday at Northside, the Lady Patriots will enter as the top seed and the team to beat. Though the strong regular season helped Northside reach this point, Jenkins is stressing that every team is starting over.

“We’re 0-0. This is a brand-new season for us,” Jenkins said. “I’m just telling them to be fired up and know that if we play together and do what we’re supposed to, we’ve got a chance to be playing for a long time in the postseason.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 12:59 PM with the headline "Northside softball dominates region for second straight year."