HAMPTON - There's no mistaking it now: the North Hall girls softball team is for real.
Of course, coach Roger Fannon has known that all along.
"I knew we were going to be good when the season started. Some other people might not have been convinced, but we felt we had a special team this year," he said.
The Lady Trojans Saturday finished a perfect run through the Class AAA North Sectionals beating Elbert County 1-0 to advance to Thursday's State Tournament in Columbus.
It's just the second trip ever for North Hall into the state tournament - the first in fastpitch softball. The Lady Trojans went in 2000 in slowpitch.
The tight win is nothing new for North Hall (28-4) which set a a school record for wins with the victory. They have excelled this year in close games. In going 3-0 in the sectionals, they won by a combined four runs.
They nipped Spalding 5-4, then rallied from two runs down to beat Franklin County 4-2. In Saturday's win, the Lady Trojans used a little trickery to pull out the win, despite getting just one hit, a bunt that never left the infield.
They had a runner at second in the eighth inning and called for a steal. Caroline Bower beat the throw to third and with one out she scored on Robin Howell's bunt with two strikes to a vacated hole near shortstop that was never fielded.
"It was a great play by Robin because she looked terrible on the first two pitches. But she somehow got the bunt down on a high fastball and it found a hole. One of the best bunts I've seen all year," Fannon said.
And the celebration was on. Had they lost they would have faced an elimination game against Stephens County.
"I'm just glad we didn't have to play again. Those three games were enough to give me even more gray hair," Fannon said.
Grayson, the top ranked team in Class AAA and last year's state champion, will join the third-ranked Trojans as the other unbeaten team from the North. Elbert, who got by Stephens in that elimination game, and Franklin County, who knocked out upstart Flowery Branch, in the other elimination game, also advanced.
From the South, South Effingham, Perry, Savannah Christian and West Laurens all advanced to the Elite Eight.
The state tournament is also a double-elimination format. North Hall will play West Laurens; Grayson will play Savannah Christian; Franklin plays South Effingham and Elbert takes on Perry.
Fannon said he likes his chances right now.
"We're getting great pitching, the defense is playing very well and although we didn't get many hits, we got them when we needed them. That's what you want this time of year," he said.
Tuesday
July 1st, 2025
2:40PM
