The NC Lady Warrior softball team fought hard for their spot in the state finals after long battles with surrounding teams. Tuesday night, NC took on the East Coweta lady Indians in not one, but two state finals games. 

“We were nervous and intimidated, but we had confidence in ourselves and each other,” senior shortstop Kendall Minard said.

During the first game, NC faced a tough defense and fast pitching speeds. After a difficult first inning, the girls needed to rally and hold their heads high. The second inning went scoreless and both teams made it clear they would fight till the end. By the third inning, the girls made strong contact with the ball. With runners in scoring position, NC could not bring anyone home. East Coweta, known for their defense, did not hold back on the Warriors and caught nearly every ball that flew in their direction. 

“When you go on the field tomorrow I want you guys to have all the confidence in the world in each other. Play like you’re the best player on the field,” Coach Turchan said before the game.

The girls took their coach’s words to heart and played an electric fourth inning. Their defense kept the game alive and helped NC keep up with their opponent. East Coweta continued to struggle and did not score once during the game. After several standard plays,  shortstop Kendall Minard and left fielder Kristen Rainey collided during a play after the offense hit a bomb out to shallow left field. Luckily both players only received mild pain and will continue to play in future games. By the sixth inning, NC scored five runs and showed the ultimate confidence on the field. In the seventh and final inning, both teams remained scoreless and NC took the victory for game one. 

In game two, East Coweta put NC’s pitching to the test and adjusted to the speeds and styles of the pitchers. This caused slight pushback for the warriors and proved yet again that they can face adversity. Freshman pitcher Samantha Matthews, allowed a low number of walks to slip through, but still managed to keep up in the second game of the night. A switch in pitchers allowed the other team to take advantage and score a home run. After that, the hits from East Coweta seemed to pile up and exhaust the NC defense. 

“I knew that it might be the last game I ever play and I just wanted to give my all,” senior Dehlin Lee said.

Unfortunately, the Warriors did not end up on top in this matchup. East Coweta won with a blowout score of 21-0. Throughout the season, NC battled through games when no one else saw the potential in the team’s ability to play together. The girls hope to make it this far next year and hopefully reach their desired outcome. That wraps up the season for the NC varsity softball team, fans wait to see what comes next for the program.