Latta Brings Home Two State Titles

By Betsy Finklea

Midnight. Downtown Latta. Fans have lined Main Street with excitement and anticipation as they await the arrival of not one, but two, state championship teams. Supporters are bubbling with excitement as they talk about the victories of both teams earlier that night. Some are wrapped in blankets, others sport their green Latta Viking wear, as they brave the chilly air to make sure that the teams receive a proper welcome into town.

Then in the distance they can hear it. The sounds of sirens, horns, and cheering fans and players headed to Main Street as they greet those who are standing in their yards as they make their way downtown.

They are led in by Latta Police, Dillon County Sheriff’s Deputies, and the S.C. Highway Patrol and met on Main Street by a fire truck and ambulance with lights activated.

When they arrive at the stoplight, the buses stop and the state championship teams exit and walk down the sidewalk on Main Street as they are greeted by fans with cheers, sparklers, pom poms, flags, all excited about the victory…hard fought wins for both teams.

The girls were the first to bring home the state championship title with a 16-6 win over Dixie. It is the first state title ever for the Latta Softball team.

At first, it looked it might not happen. The girls fell behind 4-1. Latta then made a big comeback scoring five runs in the third inning to take the lead, but Dixie wouldn’t go down so easily. They responded with two runs in the fourth inning which tied the game at 6-6, but then Latta came on strong scoring a run in the fourth inning, five runs in the fifth inning, and four runs in the sixth inning which brought them their 16-6 victory.

Stephanie Johnson Ard is the winning head coach. Dori Webster was the winning pitcher. Madison Owens was two for five which included a homerun, whch was her third homerun of the three-game series. She also had a double, two rbi, and scored two runs. Kyra Grant was three for four including a double, rbi, and three runs. Macy Hyatt was three for five including a double and four runs. Kaleigh Caulder was four for five including 3 rbi and three runs. Seven of the Latta Vikings scored runs in the game and finished with at least one rbi.

“We’ve worked so hard for what we’ve got and winning a state championship is something I’ll never forget,” said Maddy Long, center fielder for the Latta softball team. “I wouldn’t have wanted to experience it with any other group of girls. We ‘hold the rope.’”

“There are no words to explain what last night meant to me. I know what it to those girls,” said Assistant Coach Jenny Foreman Melton on Saturday. “They did a fantastic job. Yes, our game started off a little rocky, but you can tell they never put their heads down. They never became defeated. They never gave up, and that’s something from a coach that you hope and pray your team never gets to that point and our girls, they never got there, not just last night, the whole season. No matter what the scoreboard said. No matter what calls were made that were not necessarily the right calls in our eyes as players or as coaches.”

“They stayed positive and they pushed through it and they truly became champions. They are not just champions on a softball field. They are champions in the classroom.They are champions in the community. They are going to go very far in life because their character as student athletes is beyond something you can explain. They are the most encouraging, most humble team I have ever had the chance to work with or be a part of. That character witll carry them in life,” said Melton.

“It’s just been an amazing year. I’m extremely proud of these girls and how they’ve pushed,” Melton said.

After the girls secured their victory, all eyes were on the boys. The boys also fell behind, but scored five runs in the sixth inning to pull ahead. Fans at the game and following it on social media were on pins and needles in the bottom of the seventh as Lewisville had two strikes, two balls, two on base, and two outs. Then the third out came, and the boys also won the state title, the first for the Latta Boys since 1966.

The girls, who were by now dining in a restaurant on their way home, let out cheers of victory in the restaurant as they learned the boys had also won the state title.

The last school to win a baseball and softball state title in the same season was Gaffney in 2009.

J.K. Love, who was in his final high school start, was the winning pitcher for Latta. He allowed six hits, walked three, struck out 10, and had four unearned runs.

Love and Jackson Williams led the team with two hits each.

“We have over come adversity all year. Everything you could think of you got through it. We learned how to win ball games and that was with intensity. We gained it back when we were down three runs in the 6th. That’s something I knew how to get. I’ve been here twice before and I knew what it took. We were ready for it and the good Lord helped us through all of it. I hope to make next year my fourth year playing for a state title,” said Jackson Williams.

“I don’t think anyone really gave us a shot when we started the season, but we put in so much work to make sure we made a mark on this baseball program,” said pitcher John Kever Love.

“It feels good to be a state champion! Playing as team and winning as a team is a great feeling,” said Jonathan Ray.

“I am very proud of our players, coaches, and fans throughout the season, playoffs, and state championship series. It was truly a team effort,’ said Head Coach Don Cribb. “Coach Bill Bullard did another amazing job with our pitchers and what Coach Austin Morrell did with our hitters was awesome. Every player on our roster contributed to this State Championship season.”

Team members for the Latta Boys are Kevin Hargrove, Brady Hatchell, Jonathan Ray, John Malcolm George, Noah Moody, Eric McGirt, Caleb Mishue, Jackson Williams, Aaren Hyatt, Deonte Stanley, McLeod Carmichael, Daniel Khalil, Dalton Lane, John Kever Love, Cledus Williams, and Austin Miller.

Team members for the Latta Girls are Camryn Sawyer, Dori Webster, Kaleigh Caulder, D’Anna Tanner, Kurstin Hopkins, Madison Owens, Casey Prescott, Brooke Carter, Kyra Grant, Maddy Long, Macy Hyatt, and Genesis Anderson.

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