‘I will take this team any day’: Lexington softball falls short in title quest
Sarah Gordon and Peri Rouillard walked into center field moments after the final out was recorded Friday night in the Class 5A softball championship series.
The two Lexington High School softball players were soon joined by the team’s other seniors., Jessica Senn and Riley Ford. They all shared a moment reflecting on their run this season and throughout their careers with the Wildcats.
The ending didn’t go as they hoped as Fort Mill defeated Lexington 4-2 on Friday in the deciding game in the best-of-three series in front of a large crowd at Blythewood High School’s softball field.
“We just had to come together and have one last moment on the field,” Gordon said. “We are all going to play college softball, so it is going to be awesome seeing fellow seniors where they are going.”
Lexington coach Laurie Epps was emotional when talking about her seniors and this year’s team. She talked about them setting the standard for Lexington softball program for years to come. Some of those seniors were part of the 2019 state championship team.
This year’s Wildcats squad finished 27-4 and were ranked No. 20 in the most recent USA Today’s Super 25 poll. They were looking for their sixth state championship in school history.
“I’m so proud of them,” Epps said. “They worked hard every single day. They didn’t quit. I will take this team any day.”
Lexington won the opening game of the series in dominating fashion Tuesday as Gordon hit two homers in an 8-0 victory.
But Fort Mill pitcher Maddie Drerup helped shut down the potent Wildcats offense the next two games, limiting them to just four hits and striking out 18. Fort Mill also stopped pitching to Gordon, intentionally walking the Louisville signee each time except for her first at-bat in Friday’s game.
“They came to our house and tore our little tails up,” Fort Mill coach Chuck Stegall said. “They came into our house, pushed us around and pushed us against the wall. They made us mad. But we came back and said it is time to do what we do and that is play Fort Mill softball.”
The Yellow Jackets were able to get the big hits when they needed over the last two games.
“Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” Epps said. “They put the ball in play in key situations, and we didn’t do that. At the end of the day, that is the way it goes.”
Fort Mill jumped on top in the first inning with a pair of runs. Drerup had a sacrifice fly and Trista Reid had an RBI single, and Lexington committed three errors in the inning.
Reid made it 3-0 with an RBI double in the third to score Drerup, who led off the inning with a single.
Lexington fought back with two runs in the bottom of third. With two outs, Fort Mill intentionally walked Gordon and Sam Craig was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Senn followed with an opposite-field double to left-center field to score Gordon and Craig and cut the lead to 3-2.
Drerup made it 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI single. She finished with a homer and six RBI in the final two games of the series.
Lexington had an opportunity in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Mackenzie Mathis walked and Madison Rogers singled to right field.
But Drerup struck out pinch hitter Peyton Baker to end the threat.
In the seventh, Gordon was intentionally walked with two outs. But Drerup got Craig, the next batter, to end the game with a groundout.
Fort Mill players stormed the field and celebrated the school’s first state championship. They also sent Stegall out a winner in his final game as the Yellow Jackets coach. The longtime coach submitted his retirement to the district before the playoffs started.
Stegall said he tried not to make this final season about him and admitted that he got emotional at times during the postseason. He talked to his team after winning the upper state finals against Dorman and wanting a chance to win the state championship.
“I enjoyed the ride,” Stegall said. “I wasn’t concerned about going out on top. But the closer it got, the more concerned I got about it. … For 30 years, I said it was all about the girls, all about the girls. But I said, ‘Let’s do this one time for the old man.’ ”
WP: Maddie Drerup LP: Riley Ford Hitters: FM: Maddie Drerup 2-3 2 RBI; Trista Reid 3-3 2 RBI; Olivia Poteat 2-3. L: Jessica Senn 1-3 2 RBI
SCHSL Softball Championship Scores
Class 5A
Fort Mill 4, Lexington 2, FM wins series, 2-1
Class 4A
North Augusta 8, Catawba Ridge 0, NA wins series 2-0
Class 3A
Broome 6, Aynor 0, Broome wins series 2-1
Class 2A
Gray Collegiate 2, Latta 1, Gray wins series 2-0
Class A
Bamberg-Ehrhardt 16, Lewisville 0, B-E wins series 2-0
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 10:13 PM.
