Northside softball team falls one step short of ultimate goal

The Northside softball team achived one of its big goals on Saturday afternoon. But the Lady Patriots couldn’t get get the ultimate goal.

They fell 3-1 to Central-Carrollton in the GHSA Class 4A state championship game at South Commons.

“I told them that is what we worked for all year,” Northside coach Brandon Jenkins said. “Our goal was to be playing on the last day in the last game.”

The Lady Patriots lost to Central-Carrollton 7-0 earlier in the day in the winners bracket final. They managed just one hit and struck out 21 times, looking overmatched.

But they bounced back and crushed Marist 9-1 in five innings to force a rematch with Central-Carrollton and pitcher Emily Williams.

Northside was getting the best of the matchup through five innings. Hannah George hit a home run in the first, and she kept the Lions scoreless through five innings on just two hits.

But the Lions broke through and scored three runs — only one earned — in the sixth as Northside made two costly errors.

“I was so proud of them after that loss,” Jenkins said. “We could have laid down, but we jumped on Marist for nine runs. We showed we still had had a lot of life.

“We played a lot better. We played with the best team in the state. We had them beat through five innings. but that is why you play the game. We made a couple of costly errors there at the end. but we fought tooth and nail for seven innings.”

Williams, who has committed to play at UCF, finished with 16 strikeouts. The only hit she allowed was George’s home run. In the Lions’ four wins in the state tournament, she allowed one run on two hits with 74 strikeouts of 84 outs.

“She is a great pitcher, and that is why they are the state champions,” Jenkins said. “She is a D-I pitcher.”

Northside finished the season at 32-7.

“I told the girls all week when you get to this level there is sometimes more luck involved than there is skill,” Jenkins said. “If you can get the breaks to go your way, you’ve got a chance. Again, we did everything we could, but they got a couple of breaks, and they took advantage.”

This was Northside’s second straight trip to the Elite 8. Last year, the Lady Patriots lost their first two games and were eliminated. This was the program’s second trip to the state title game. Northside fell to Columbus in the 2009 state championship game.

“I am very proud of them,” Jenkins said. “There is only one team in the state better than us.”

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Northside softball team falls one step short of ultimate goal."