Why another state title would mean so much for Lexington softball seniors

The memory of the 2019 state championship is still fresh in the minds of Riley Ford, Sarah Gordon, Peri Rouillard and Jessica Senn. Fast forward three years later, and the seniors are hoping that history repeats itself.

Lexington High School’s softball team is 21-2 and one of the favorites in the Class 5A playoffs that began Wednesday. Those four will be a big part of things if the Wildcats can claim their second title in four seasons.

“They’re the heart and soul of this team,” Lexington coach Laurie Epps said. “They have been the leaders since those kids graduated, the seniors that won the state championship (in 2019). Those four were freshmen then but stepped up as sophomores and they have led this team. They work hard every single day. I have not found a group of seniors that work any harder than these kids do.”

The four seniors were freshmen on the Lexington softball team that captured the program’s first state championship since 2001. They also played key roles in the decisive third game in 2019 that ended in a 6-5 Wildcats victory.

They trailed Byrnes 5-2 after two innings. That’s when the freshmen took centerstage. Senn got the momentum back in Lexington’s favor with a towering home run to right field in the third inning. One frame later, Gordon tied it with a two-run double.

Senior Saige Stanley hit the game-winning home run in the fifth inning, but there were still anxious moments ahead. Rouillard had not had one ball hit to her in center field in the first 20 innings of the three-game series. That changed when the freshman made a diving catch for the final out and set off a wild celebration on the neutral-site field at Northwestern High School.

Now, they want to do it again. Lexington defeated Sumter 6-0 in the first round of the postseason.

“It would close up a very good chapter in our book and it would mean everything to all of us to leave this team with that legacy,” Ford said.

One piece of that four-person assembly will have to do things differently this season if the Wildcats are to claim another title.

Rouillard suffered a right arm injury in a loss to North Augusta on April 2. She is out for the season but has not missed an opportunity to be there for her teammates.

“Right when it happened, I kind of had a feeling it was going to be the end of my season,” Rouillard said. “I told them every game, every practice, I am going to be there as much as I can. I’m going to be the No. 1 cheerleader from the dugout now.”

Gordon and Senn are two of the top hitters on the team that averages over nine runs a game. Ford has teamed with Mackenzie Mathis to provide a formidable duo on the mound.

All four have signed to play softball in college. They all agree that college can wait.

“If we go all the way this year, it would be a statement for this team,” Gordon said. “No one thought we were going to have the same team that we had when we won state.”

Senn took it one step further. Epps was in her first season coaching Lexington in 2019, so it would mean a little something extra to go out giving the Wildcats another championship banner to hang.

“It would mean everything,” Senn said. “We came in our first year here and we won one. We came out this year and made a good statement that we are Lexington, and we came to play. It would be a complete full-circle moment to go out with one.”

Lower State softball playoffs, District 5

Wednesday results

Lexington 6, Sumter 0

Cane Bay 11, Fort Dorchester 10

This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 2:42 PM.