Northside, Brookstone begin quest for state softball championship

Losing the opener in the GHSA state softball tournaments is not the end of a team's hopes. After all, the tournaments are played with a double-elimination format.

But losing that first game makes it near impossible to win a state title.

Only once in the past six seasons -- 36 state titles decided -- has a team lost its opener then won the six straight games needed to win a championship. That was Ola in 2013.

"It is not do or die, but it is very important," Northside coach Brandon Jenkins said. "It is easier to work back through (the losers bracket) if you have two pitchers. If you only have one, then you are probably in trouble."

Brookstone coach Nate McConnell agreed.

"It's huge, we have to win Game 1," he said.

"Talking with assistant coaches this week, we talked about the need to win Game 1.

"We will have momentum."

Lady Cougars looking for second state title

Game 1 for Brookstone comes at 10:30 Thursday morning as the Class A-private school gets underway at South Commons. The Lady Cougars face Calvary Day on Field 1.

The Brookstone program had a strong history, winning a Class A state title in 2003. Then the school, citing a lack of players, cut the program in 2006. The program was revived in 2008 with varsity play starting again in 2010.

McConnell, who won a state championship as a player on the 2001 Shaw baseball team, was an assistant to Debbie Ball for two years before assuming the head coaching role prior to the 2013 season.

He said the team may have surprised some people to making it to the Elite 8.

"It is awesome. I think this team surprised a lot of people. I think they sur

prised themselves," McConnell said. "We lost a lot of key people. And we had to change the way we play. Last year, we could sit back and wait for the big hit. This year, we have adjusted to playing small ball. We bunt for hits, slash, whatever we need to do."

That formula has worked well as the Lady Cougars have compiled a 19-4 record. They were the No. 1 seed when the state playoffs started.

McConnell said early on he knew this team would be all right.

"I knew we could be pretty good after the first weekend at the Jordan Invitational," he said. "In the Jordan Invitational, we lost only to Baconton Charter (the No. 1 seed for the Class A-public tournament)."

The Lady Cougars, which won the Region 4 title, have been led by pitcher Helen Snavely, who has an 18-1 record with a 1.86 ERA. She has struck out 189 in 117 innings.

She also leads the team in batting with a .523 average and RBIs with 24. Nae McClain leads the team in homers with three.

"This team is a family," McConnell said. "We are not dependant on one person. Everyone contributes. You might have a different person do something each game."

This is Brookstone's third straight trip to the final eight. In 2013, it won the opener then lost two straight. Last season, it lost the first game, won two, then lost in the fourth game.

Lady Patriots looking for their first

Northside will face Houston County in its opener at 4:15 p.m. on Field 5.

Jenkins, who won a pair of state baseball championships as a player at Columbus High, is in third year as the head softball coach at Northside,

"I am really excited for the girls," said Jenkins. "They have worked hard the past two years. They have put in all that hard work and it paid off."

The Lady Patriots have relied on a number of freshmen to compile a 26-10 record and the Region 1-AAAAA championship. Six of the 16 players on the roster and in the ninth grade, including four -- Jada Chadwick, Kennedi Bedell, Sammie Cotton and Kamdyn Fuller -- who led Pioneer Little League to the softball world series two years ago.

"We are scrappy," Jenkins said. "We are not going to give up. This team has a great mixture of hitters, 2-3 who can hit gap-to-gap. but we have been successful playing small ball in the playoffs."

Allison Sievers will start Game 1 for Northside. She is 13-4 with an 0.71 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 108 innings.

Center fielder Hannah George is just a sophomore, but she is already getting looks from Division I schools. She is batting .485 with six homers and 40 RBIs.

Northside has not been in the final eight since 2009 when it lost to Columbus in the state championship game.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Northside, Brookstone begin quest for state softball championship ."