Carolina Academy beats Dorchester Academy for SCISA AA softball state title

  St. George – Scottie Phillips had coached five state championship softball teams in his first 25 years as the head coach at Carolina Academy. However, the last one had come in 2010 and he wanted another one before he stepped out of the dugout for good. After all, he wasn’t getting any younger.

The Bobcats made that wish come true. They went on the road to beat Dorchester Academy 5-2 on May 14 to complete a sweep the best-of-3 AA state championship series.

“For me to win state again was extra special,” said Phillips, who led Carolina to an 18-8 record. “I really wanted to win it again before I retire, and I will go one, maybe two more years the good Lord willing, so I was running out of time.

           “And I wanted it really bad for the girls because they love this game. And this was a special group of kids. Our slogan this year was “a divided kingdom will not stand.” I picked this because in my 26 years of coaching at CA all my great teams have one thing in common and that was being a family, having each other’s back and getting along and supporting each other.”

           The Bobcats rode the pitching of junior Raeley Frye to victory in Game 2. She scattered five hits and allowed two unearned runs while striking out four and not walking a batter. She didn’t allow the runs until the bottom of the seventh inning.

           “Having Frye on the mound definitely put my mind at ease,” Phillips said. “ She has turned herself into a dominant pitcher. When she is on, we are almost unbeatable.”

           After a scoreless first inning, Carolina scored single runs in both the second and third innings to open a 2-run advantage. Savannah McCutcheon had a run-scoring groundout in the second, and Frye had an RBI double in the third.

The score remained the same until the sixth when the Bobcats put up there runs. McCutcheon and Natalie Braveboy drove in runs.

Carolina picked up seven hits and were led by Braveboy with two hits. She also scored a run and drove in a run. McCutcheon had a hit and two RBI, while Frye had the double, a run and an RBI.

Carlie Anne Smith and Ella Ham both picked up a hit and scored a run, while Paisley Coker had the other hit. Paisley McCutcheon scored the other run.

The Raiders, who finished the yeaer with a 19-6 record, finished with five hits. Lily Canady, Emery McClure, Rylee Matthews, Lucy Varnadoe and Molly Blanchard each had a hit with Matthews’ being a double. Matthews and Lyla Owens each scored a run.

Ava Higbe had a strong showing in the circle for Dorchester. She pitched the first five innings, allowing three hits and two runs, one earned. She struck out three and walked three.

McClure was charged with the runs in the sixth though none of them were earned.

Dorchester head coach Justin McClure had nothing but praise for his squad.

“We had a very young team this season, and I am really proud of their growth, especially the second half of the year,” the first-year head coach said. “The players improved tremendously.”

Phillips said Carolina had a God-centered softball team.

“We put God and family first, and that was both families, our team family and our biological family,” he said. “I think that’s what made it so special and important for the girls, because they worked together and did it for each other. They were not selfish. If I needed them to sacrifice bunt or whatever, they did it gladly if it was for the best of the team.”

The Bobcats didn’t have a senior on the roster so winning back-to-back titles is certainly a possibility.

“We are a very young team, and if we can continue to improve and work, with a little luck maybe we can do it again,” Phillips said.

The only juniors on the team were Frye, Smith and Savannah McCutcheon. Fortunately, there won’t be the pressure of having to win a title for the trio next year.

“The girls really wanted it for Carlie, Savannah and Raeley because they were juniors and also running out of time,” Phillips joked.