Unbeaten, undeniable: Terrell Academy claims state softball title

Photos by Darrell Roadan, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

COLUMBUS — This time, Terrell Academy finished the climb.

One year after falling in the state championship game, the Lady Eagles captured the GIAA Class AAA softball title Saturday, overpowering John Milledge Academy 13-5 at the South Commons Softball Complex.

Terrell Academy turned a one-run deficit into a commanding lead with 11 runs across the third and fourth innings, completing an unbeaten march through the tournament and finishing its championship season 16-7.

For head coach Ashley Walker, the breakthrough came in his second season. His first ended with a runner-up finish against Westfield. His second ended with the Lady Eagles holding the title.

Getting there required Terrell Academy to beat the dynasty, then stop the team that finished dismantling it.

The Lady Eagles knocked off nine-time defending champion Westfield 8-7 Friday to advance to the final. John Milledge subsequently eliminated the Lady Hornets, completing a four-game winning streak through the elimination bracket that also included victories over Central Fellowship, Vidalia Heritage and Deerfield-Windsor.

Saturday, Terrell Academy brought that surge to a halt.

John Milledge briefly held the upper hand when Emmerson Thomas doubled home the game’s first run in the top of the third inning.

In the bottom half, the Lady Eagles made the Lady Trojans defend — and made every mistake count.

Two hits, two walks and four errors produced five Terrell Academy runs. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly helped move runners and manufacture offense, while one error allowed two runs to score.

By the end of the inning, the Lady Eagles had turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead.

Then their bats took over.

Terrell Academy struck for six runs on five hits in the fourth, stringing together the kind of inning that puts a championship within reach.

Blakely Aultman drew a bases-loaded walk to force home a run. Hadley Webb followed with an RBI single, and Michaela Zingarelli delivered the biggest hit of the inning, a single that brought three runners home. Jaelynn Oliver added another run-scoring single.

The Lady Eagles finished with 10 hits and five walks, generating offense throughout the lineup. Zingarelli went 2-for-2 from the No. 7 spot, while Aultman finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs. Aultman and Kacy Sheffield each drew two walks.

Caroline Presley supplied the pitching performance to carry that support through five innings. The right-hander allowed five runs, four earned, on 11 hits, striking out two and walking one. Her defense also turned a double play.

John Milledge starter Payton Pounds allowed eight runs, only three earned, over three innings. Brooklyn Baxley led the Lady Trojans at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance, and Izzy Santarone added two hits.

But John Milledge’s long road through the bracket ended against a Terrell Academy team that never needed a second chance.

The Lady Eagles stayed out of the elimination bracket, beat the defending champions and won the final by eight runs.

A year after coming one victory short, Terrell Academy left Columbus with nothing left to chase.