After four games in a day, Benton Academy’s Lady Raiders were somehow still standing at around 1:30 a.m. for the presentation of the Class A Softball State Title Thursday. Pictured from left are (front) Ellie Ryan Upshaw, Lexie Guion, Nora Grace Davis, Brittany McCausley, Jordan Langford, coach Chelsea Raines, (center) Sierra Robles, Caitlyn Guion, Tristen Beith, Kristian Crimm, Emily Moore,Cassidy Scott, coach Steve Carr, (back) head coach Vince Davis and Jenny Reynolds.Benton battles into the early morning hours to win Class A State title

Lady Raiders beat six-time defending champ Bayou and Tri-County to advance to title game showdown

By ALEX LAKE
Sports Editor

Benton Academy won the  Fast-Pitch Softball State A championship early Thursday morning defeating Heidelberg Academy in the championship game 3-2.
The Lady Raiders defeated Bayou Academy in the game that was postponed from Saturday due to weather Wednesday morning 7-5 after a 2-run home-run from Nora Grace Davis.
Head coach Vince Davis said the four day break where they were tied in the sixth inning helped his team realize how good they couldd be.
"It helped us tremendously, it proved to us we know we were just as good as they were," Davis said.
The Lady Raiders then defeated their rival Tri-County 2-1 to move into the championships series.
After losing to Heidelberg in the first game of the championship series 3-0, junior pitcher Jenny Reynolds came back strong giving up only five hits and one walk while striking out six and holding the Lady Rebels to only two runs.
Davis gives all the credit to his girls for never quitting and always believing they could win the tournament even when certain plays didn't go their way.  
"Going in to a ballgame, you always have to believe you can win that ballgame," Davis said. "Those girls believed they could win that tournament, and it started with believing they could and would beat Bayou."