Alexander Central will face Southern Alamance in the State 3A Softball Championship Finals beginning this afternoon. The Lady Cougars enter the contest with a record of 15-3 that includes a 4-0 loss to Southern Alamance on April 27th in Taylorsville. Southern pitcher Isley Duggins shut down the Cougar bats allowing only one hit. Neither team has lost since.
AC has seen their junior pitcher Faith Carrigan take her game to another level. She’s pitched three-straight shutouts in the playoffs including a 3-0 Regional Final win over North Buncombe. Carrigan’s bat has been pretty outstanding as well.
Southern Alamance is also 15-3 on the season and coached by Alexander Central grad Jon Russell. He knows about the Lady Cougar program that’s looking for the schools 11th softball title. Russell was an assistant coach at AC.
The Pariots have captured state titles in 1981, 1984, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999, and 2004. The first five championship trophies for the Patriots were slow pitch, while the last two came in fast pitch.
Cougar coach Kylie Hamby said Friday about the loss to South Alamance “ I think we’re two pretty similar teams, we were just flat coming off the South Caldwell game, we had no energy when we played them.”
Game 1 will begin at 5pm at North Davidson High in Lexington. B86 Radio will carry the entire final series with Friday’s broadcast beginning at 4:45pm.
Coaching legend Monte Sherrill of Pfeiffer University will be joining your’s truly on the coverage.