FAYETTEVILLE — A Lake Hamilton team, which at one point early in the season appeared to be below average at best, hoisted the Class 6A softball championship trophy Saturday.
The Lady Wolves started the season with five consecutive losses but ended it with a 1-0 victory against Russellville at Bogle Park.
Lake Hamilton (17-12) got a star performance from junior Madie Blancaflor, who was named MVP after pitching a one-hit shutout and driving in the game’s only run with a fourth-inning double.
No one, including the Lake Hamilton players, expected to be in the title game this season. Lake Hamilton, after three state titles between 2000-2009, was in rebuilding mode and played like it early in the season.
“I heard coaches say it was the worst group Lake Hamilton has had in a long time,” Lady Wolves Coach Amy Teague said. “These kids worked hard. They have been determined. There’s not a better group that deserves to win a state championship.”
Lake Hamilton had its hands full against Russellville (26-7) and freshman starter Andrea Kindrick. Kindrick struck out eight of the first nine batters she faced before running into trouble in the fourth.
Kayla Bullard reached first on a bunt single and, after another strikeout, Blancaflor lined a double to the left center field wall and Bullard scored.
“It was as completely out of nowhere as it possibly could be,” Blancaflor said of her hit. “The pitch was right there and the bat got there. It couldn’t have been better timing.
“I was saying, ‘Kayla please go, please go, please go.’ ”
Kindrick allowed 3 hits, struck out 12 and allowed 3 base runners.
“They capitalized on opportunities and we didn’t,” Russellville Coach Harley Sisson said. “They beat us today. They were the better team today.”
The run was all Blancaflor needed, along with some strong defensive play, including her own game-saver. She gave up a hit to Zoey Adkins in the fifth but stranded runners on first and third to keep the shutout.
In the sixth, Dianna Hall led off with a walk, moved to second on a bunt and to third on a passed ball. Russellvile attempted a suicide squeeze play with Sydney Rupe, but Blancaflor scooped up the bunt and threw to catcher Jessica Lingleback, who tagged out Hall on a close play.
Sisson argued the call and remained convinced after the game Hall was safe.
“We didn’t get the call,” Sisson said. “I thought the ump blew it. Any time you tag a runner up around the head, that’s a safe call.”
Blancaflor got another strong defensive play in the seventh when Bullard at shortstop fielded a grounder that had deflected off third baseman Madison Williams’ glove. Bullard threw to first to retire Kayla Sisco for the first out, and Blancaflor then got the next two outs on a fly ball and strikeout.
The hard-to-fathom nature of their championship made the victory more special, Blancaflor said. Blancaflor said the team didn’t think of itself as a contender until it had actually made the semifinals of the state tournament.
“That makes it amazing,” Blancaflor said. “It’s the sweetest feeling in the world.”
Sports, Pages 32 on 05/20/2012