The high school softball season came to a close for both teams in the Jacksonville News coverage area in the first round of the sub-state playoffs.Pleasant Valley lost to Class 2A’s No. 1 West Morgan 4-0, 4-0, while Jacksonville Christian fell to Lynn 7-2, 2-1.
And while those two teams won’t be playing on at the state tournament in Montgomery, both can still fondly look upon their accomplishments.
“We were an eyelash away from playing on,” JCA coach Tommy Miller said.
In the second game of the series, the Thunder had runners on second and third with one out when the game ended one run away from tying the contest.
Jacksonville Christian loses four seniors: Joy Robinson, Stacey Hurst, Angela Mundy and Rebecca Graham. Coming back next season will be what Miller called a “fairly young team” with the lone senior being No. 1 pitcher Chelsea Smith.
“I thought we had a real good season,” Miller said. “We won the area tournament again, got to the second round of the Calhoun County Tournament and lost there to the No. 3 seed 2-0.
“There was good harmony in this team, great attitude, great spirit.”
The loss ended an school year that saw success in all of the Jacksonville Christian girls’ athletic teams.
After a good volleyball season, the girls’ basketball team advanced to the Regional tournament and the softball team to the sub-state round of play.
“Most of the girls play all three sports,” Miller said.
“We got just two or three that play just a couple of sports, but most play all three.
“It feeds off one another, and the girls all had such good attitudes, which is so important and has so much to do with it.”
While Pleasant Valley won’t be playing on, in the end, there’s a good chance the Lady Raiders will be able to say they were beaten by the best.
Top-ranked West Morgan is one of the clear-cut favorites to win the 2A tournament. West Morgan enters this weekend’s tournament with 51 wins and a host of those victories have come against much larger competition.
Pleasant Valley played West Morgan tough. In the first game West Morgan was scoreless of the first five innings. It was just one inning where the Lady Raiders faltered, giving up all of West Morgan’s runs in one inning.
