State Champions

I’m just proud of my girls, they’ve been working toward this since August.”

Gray Collegiate Academy softball coach Doug Frye

Gray Collegiate Academy’s softball team brought another state championship to the school Wednesday evening at their home field on Old Dunbar Road in Cayce.

The Lady War Eagles defeated Latta 2-1 in a pitcher's duel to win the Best-of-Three Series 2-0 and claim their first-ever Class 2A title.

It’s the third state championship won by the West Columbia school in the past six months to go with football and boys basketball. It now looks to add baseball Saturday at 7 p.m. when the War Eagles will play Andrew Jackson at Francis Marion University in the deciding game of the best-of-three series.

After a 7-0 shutout win in game one, Gray Collegiate battled for every run and every out in game two. In the bottom of the first, Brooklinn Thomas delivered a base hit, then stole second and advanced to third base on an infield out. 

Maddox Long dropped a double inside the right field fence to score Thomas and give the Lady War Eagles a lead of 1-0. 

The second inning saw Latta using well-placed bunts to load the bases with no outs. Pitcher Taylor Corley recovered quickly, throwing three consecutive strikeouts to escape the inning without giving up a run.

She finished with eight strikeouts and four hits allowed. The lone run by the Lady Vikings came in the top of the third on a solo home run by Jena Stutler. 

Latta pitcher Maddie Berry countered with nine strikeouts in six innings. 

In the bottom of the 6th inning Thomas delivered another base hit, then stole second to get in scoring position. 

Region 3-2A Player of the Year Brooke Tranum then gave Gray Collegiate the lead for good with a RBI single. Erika Roberts reached base with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Madison Griffey grounded out to end the Lady Vikings’ season. 

“I knew they were good, and it was going to be a fight,” said head coach Doug Frye after the game. “I told our team that Latta was not a team that was going to lay down on us.” 

“I’m just proud of my girls, they’ve been working toward this since August. They run, they work hard, they deserve it. This team’s strength was the chemistry, they like each other, they pull for each other, and they really went after it this season.” 

Gray Collegiate finished with a 25-4 record, a perfect 8-0 in the post-season. Latta finished with a 26-3 record.