Since the tournament site rotates among the five county schools, the math works out to either 60 months or four straight Sand Rock championships, take your pick.
The current CCHS squad finally halted the above steak on April 21, posting a 3-1 victory over the Lady Wildcats in Cedar Bluff.
The Centre squad opened the tournament on Friday with a 6-5 squeaker over Sand Rock, followed by a 14-2 semifinal win over Spring Garden on Saturday.
The Lady ‘Cats started with a victory over the host Lady Tigers before falling to CCHS. Sand Rock defeated Cedar Bluff and the Lady Panthers in loser bracket games to earn a berth in Saturday’s championship contest.
The Lady Warriors came away with the title with defense and pitching, as CCHS committed just one error and allowed only one Sand Rock baserunner over the final four innings.
The Lady ‘Cats jumped out to an 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but CCHS answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs, two as a result of errors.
The above offense was more than enough support for winning pitcher Lauren Millsaps, who in seven innings allowed one run and no walks while scattering six hits and striking out nine.
The eighth grader retired 14 of the final Sand Rock batters, including the last eight in a row. She fanned the side in the sixth and induced two fly-outs and a groundout in the seventh.
“It’s pretty hard to beat a good a team like Sand Rock four times in a season, but these girls did it,” said CCHS head coach Travis Barnes. “I told them before the tournament and before this game that if we played as a team we would win, and that’s why we’re the county champions. In all three games we hit the ball, played good defense and pitched well.
"I’m especially proud for Anissa [Anglin], whose is our only senior. She’s a good kid and a good leader, and we really wanted to get this for her before she graduated.”
At the plate for the Lady Warriors, Anglin went 2-for-3 with a double, while Cayla Machleit went 1-for-2.
Kaitlyn Griffith had a hit and an RBI.
It was a tough loss for Sand Rock starter Chelsi Oliver, who in six innings allowed one earned run, four hits and three walks while striking out five.
“After four county championships in a row, someone else was going to win,” said Sand Rock head coach Brad Burt. “I’ve always said that players win ballgames and coaches lose them, and that was the case tonight. We hit decent and pitched well over the past two days, but tonight we couldn’t put the ball in play when we needed to.”
At the plate for the Lady Wildcats, Amy Crane went 2-for-3, while Lacee Daniel, Kelsey Hanson, Taryn Teat and Kristin Brown each went 1-for-3.
Sand Rock had runner on first and second with two outs in the topo of the first, but shortstop Griffith made a spectacular behind-the-back catch in shallow leftfield to end the inning.
Hanson led off the top of the second with a base hit and later scored on Daniel’s single for a 1-0 Sand Rock lead.
CCHS quickly erased that advantage in the bottom of the inning.
Rachel Hale drew a walk and advanced to second on Laura Rochester's sacrifice bunt.
Three straight Lady Wildcat errors led to runs from Hale, Ashley Justice and Diedra Davis, and Millsaps and the CCHS defense took it from there.
“If we play good infield and outfield defense like we just did, Lauren doesn’t have to be dominating,” said Barnes. “Tonight she hit her spots and didn’t walk anyone, and when she does that and we play good defense, we’ll win.”
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