By By KEVIN TRAVIS
Sports Editor
RALEIGH — Elizabeth Ange had been to the state championships before, so she knew what to expect. The lone senior on the Jamesville Bullets certainly showed her poise during Friday’s N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A state championships.
While Ange banged out three hits in two games, none of her teammates were able to do the same. Because of that lack of hitting, the Bullets (15-6) saw their season come to an end. Jamesville fell 3-0 to North Johnston in the East Regional championship game, then dropped a 5-0 decision to East Surry in the loser’s bracket at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex.
While Elizabeth Ange walked off the field in tears, she was happy that her Bullets accomplished so much this year.
“I’m very proud because at the beginning of the year, we were really nervous because we were so young,” said Elizabeth Ange, the lone player off the 2006 state tournament-qualifying team. “We bonded and we became a team. I’m really proud of us.”
While Richie Ange only has to replace Elizabeth Ange off this year’s team, he admitted that replacing his star shortstop and sometime-pitcher won’t be easy.
“She’s one of the best female athletes to ever come through here,” Richie Ange said. “She had been our leadoff batter for four years. Those will be some big shoes to fill.
“Somebody is going to have to step up (next year). Not one person can fill just her shoes. We’ll have to do that as a group.”
The team does return a load of talent, including freshman pitcher Caroline Tetterton. The East Surry Cardinals (28-3) were able to get the better of Tetterton on Friday, cranking out nine hits, including four for extra bases.
The game was played nearly an hour after its scheduled start time (and in some light drizzle at times) because of the length of East Surry’s previous game, where they fell 1-0 to Swain County in 14 innings.
The big inning was the third when the Cardinals batted around and collected five hits. Samantha Smith delivered the big blow with a two-run home run, while Morgan Chilton added an RBI double.
Paige Honeycutt’s sac fly scored another run in the sixth, while an error enabled to Cardinals to scratch across one more run in the seventh.
That was more than enough for East Surry senior Anna Mitchell, who fanned 13 during a two-hit gem. Mitchell’s devastating change-up threw the Jamesville batters off-kilter for much of the game. Both of Jamesville’s hits went to Elizabeth Ange — a leadoff single in the first and a one-out single in the sixth.
“We saw some pitching today that we haven’t been seeing,” Richie Ange said. “We were really fooled by some of the movements of the pitches.”
That was also the case in the first game, where North Johnston took a 3-0 win. Elizabeth Ange had the lone hit for the Bullets, who fanned 15 times as a team.
With players like Tetterton, catcher Corey Ange, leftfielder Paige Lilley (who made a spectacular grab in the loss to East Surry), first baseman Haley Bowen, centerfielder Ashley Mobley, third baseman Victoria Rogers, right fielder Joanna Askew, second baseman Peri Ange and designated hitter Emily Griffin returning, the future looks bright for the Bullets.
“Next year begins a new year,” Richie Ange said. “I look forward to next year.”
North Johnston (23-4) will battle Swain County (22-7) for the state championship today.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2009 STATE 1-A SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALNUT CREEK SOFTBALL COMPLEX, RALEIGH
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
STATE SEMIFINALS
North Johnston 3, Jamesville 0
Swain 1, East Surry 0 (14 innings)
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
North Johnston 1, Swain 0
ELIMINATION GAME
East Surry 5, Jamesville 0
LOSER’S BRACKET FINAL
East Surry (28-3) vs. Swain (22-7), Saturday at 11 am
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
North Johnston (23-4) vs. Swain-East Surry winner, Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
If team from loser’s bracket wins, decisive game will follow at 4 p.m.