(3) Western Alamance sweeps (4) South Johnston to claim 3A eastern regional
Add the 2023 Warriors of Western Alamance High School to Alamance County's storied list of softball greats.
Behind a 14-strikeout effort from Taylor Apple, the Warriors shutout South Johnston 2-0 to complete a sweep of the 3A eastern regional finals.
Two batters into the game, Western Alamance had all of the offense that it needed.
Ryan Justice tripled to start the game and Payton Rainey plated her on a ground out the third base.
That score would hold until top of the sixth inning.
Six defensive outs away from victory, Apple helped her own cause with a solo home run to center field to extend the lead to 2-0. In postseason play, the senior is 8-for-20 at the dish with two home runs and eight runs driven in.
In the circle, Apple pitched the Warriors to their tenth consecutive shutout victory. The East Carolina signee has not allowed a run since two scored in the top of the first inning on April 21st at home against Cedar Ridge.
In that span, Apple has thrown 77.1 consecutive scoreless innings. That streak includes three perfect games and a no-hitter, all which have come in Western Alamance’s six playoff games.
Ever since a 2-1 loss to Northwest Guilford on April 3rd, Apple has posted a 0.16 ERA with 183 strikeouts. In total, she now has 333 K’s this season.
The shutout victories have not only been a testament to Apple’s dominance, but the defense that has surrounded her.
In the top of the third inning, Jillian Brunton kept a perfect game in tact with an over-the-shoulder diving catch at shortstop on a ball that was flared over her right shoulder.
Leading by two with a runner on and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Makena Harper ended the inning with a headlong dive in center field to secure the catch while colliding with teammate Lela Kate Baker.
South Johnston pitcher Allison Stewart allowed two runs on five hits and struck out one. Hollyn Champagne recorded the Trojans lone hit of the series while Kaylee Cox reached base with a walk. Awarded regional runner-up, South Johnston finished the season with a 24-3 overall record.
The momentum that Western Alamance has built in the latter half of the season has the Warriors their first state championship appearance in softball. The program entered the week 0-for-2 in its previous appearances in the regional final.
2023 marks the fourth consecutive season in which a team from Alamance County will appear in the 3A state finals. Eastern Alamance won it all in 2019 and 2022 while Southern Alamance took home the title in 2021.
The opponent and location now awaits as Rockingham County and East Lincoln battle for the chance to be the western representative in the championship series.
