Halifax Academy invaded Oakwood school in Greenville this weekend with one goal and for many reasons, Win the 2014 1A NCISAA State softball Championship. The Halifax team witch is made up 11 players, 8 who are seniors were playing their last high school games ever and who had lost a senior classmate Brittany K. Smith earlier this week and all had heavy HEARTS.
The double elimination tournament started Friday with #2 seed Halifax playing #6 seed Ridgecroft. Halifax won 6-4 with Hannah Clary on the mound earning 6 strike-outs.
At the plate for Halifax: Jamie Harris, Hayley Wood, Emily Conner and Ryanne Hilliard each had 2 singles and Lindsey Pulley, Candice Smith, Hannah Clary and Mer Stephenson each had a single.
Mer Stephenson had 2 home-runs and Candice Smith had 1 home-run in State play-offs.
On Saturday morning it wasn't looking good for the Vikings against #5 Freedom Christian Academy down 0-2 in bottom of the 7th inning with two outs and a runner on when eighth grader Candice Smith hit a two run over the fence home-run to tie the game. Then with a run on Mer Stephenson's bunt scored the winning run, with Halifax winning 3-2. Clary had 3 strike-outs on the mound,
At the plate for Halifax: Lindsey Pulley had a single and a double, Candice Smith had a single and a home-run, Jamie Harris had a double, Hayley Wood had 2 singles while Mer Stephenson, Drew Rose and Hannah Clary each had a single.
Next cam the championship game against #1 seed Cape Fear Christian Academy, who had lost Friday morning and battled back to the championship game. Cape Fear would outscore Halifax and win 5-2 even with Mer Stephenson's over the fence home-run,
At the plate for Halifax: Candice Smith had 2 singles, Jamie Harris and Hannah Clary each had a single and Stephenson had her home-run.
With that being Halifax's first loss of the play-offs, there was a second play-off game. This is when Halifax Academy got it's second wind and played with HEART. Clary who pitched every inning in every game earned 3 strike-outs in the NCISAA 1A State Championship 10-2 win. Mer Stephenson stepped up and earned her second over the fence home-run of the day as well.
At the plate for Halifax: Lindsey Pulley had 2 singles and a triple, Hayley Wood had a single and a double, Drew Rose had 2 doubles, Candice Smith had 3 singles, Jamie Harris had a single and Stephenson had a home-run.
Halifax Academy finished the 2014 season as NCISAA 1A State Softball Champion with a 15-4 record.
The team left the field and headed to Littleton for the visitation of Brittany K. Smith.
