Jay Day! Royals win 1A state softball championship
A line out by a Fort White batter ended the game and a celebration followed as Jay players gathered behind the pitcher’s circle and celebrated the thrill of school history.
Moments earlier, clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the seventh, the Royals had to survive one last rally attempt by Fort White, which loaded the bases and threatened to complete the comeback.
Jay had taken a 6-5 lead in the sixth off a throwing error to take the momentum back after seeing its 5-0 lead evaporate. The Indians (16-8), playing for the title for the first time, scored two in the fifth and three in the sixth to tie the game.
The Royals took a 2-0 lead in the fourth thanks to a bunt by Brett Watson. She drove in two runs on that play.
Mattie Cochran then came through with a base hit to extend the lead to 3-0. Alayna Lowery capped the big inning with a two-run home run, stretching the Royals’ advantage to 5-0.
Fort White rallied, but Jay, as it has throughout these last couple of months, found a way to win. The Royals were making their fifth trip to the final four in the last 10 years and finish the year as the No. 1 team in the state.
Things didn’t start off well for Jay this season. The Royals dropped four of their first five games, including an 18-2 loss to Daphne.
They would lose only more game before rattling off 18 consecutive wins to close out the year.
Along the way they defeated Northview to win the district title and then beat Northview again in the regional before knocking off Paxton 3-0 to clinch the regional crown.
Jay then defeated Liberty County 3-2 on Tuesday in the state semifinal round to set the stage for the title game. A year ago, the Royals lost the state final 5-4 to Trenton. But they would not be denied this time around.