Creekview was crowned as champions after defeating Jefferson 14-3 in a decisive third game of the championship series at Twin Creeks in Woodstock after two days full of action in the GHSA Slow Pitch Softball Championship.
“Saying we are state champions is an amazing feeling! These girls worked extremely hard, came together as a unit, and fought through adversity with and for each other,” said Creekview head coach Jen Maloney.
On the way to its second state championship in program history, Creekview went 4-1 in the double-elimination tournament, with a 14-3 victory over Elbert County in the first round, a 5-4 victory over River Ridge in the second round, and an 11-1 victory over Richmond Hill in the semifinal before the championship match up with Jefferson, a program trying for its second title and first since 2000.
“I was not a part of the 2019 state championship team, so I can only talk from what I know,” Maloney said. “The 2019 state championship team was an extremely talented group! They were upperclassmen-heavy, so they had a lot of experience under their belt.”
In the first of two matchups Thursday against Jefferson, Creekview was defeated 11-10 in extra innings as the Dragons forced a winner-take-all game against the Grizzlies. Creekview was able to defeat Jefferson in the final game of the season, winning by a commanding 11 runs to claim the championship.
Jefferson lost its first-round matchup to Richmond Hill 12-11, but was able to prevail in the loser’s bracket, winning five-straight games to give the Dragons a shot at a championship before their loss in the final game against the Grizzlies.
In last year’s tournament, Creekview was defeated 8-5 in the first round to Dodge County and lost again in the losers bracket 11-7 to Sequoyah. The Grizzlies were able to avenge their 0-2 record in last year’s tournament with a state title this season.
Pitcher Kaitlyn Bleisath had a 3.9 ERA through the state tournament. Emily Pettit had a .600 batting average with 2 doubles, 3 triples, one home run and 14 RBIs. Mel Brundage had a .588 average with 10 hits, 3 doubles and 7 RBIs while Sydney Neff had a .533 batting average.
“This group is young but very talented. Their team chemistry is unmatched,” said Maloney. “They stayed focused and brought it every game. Winning a championship helps to set the expectations for future teams, while allowing everyone on the team to gain experience and confidence that will take them into future seasons.”
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