Parrott Academy’s softball team wasn’t expected to make the state playoffs, especially as a 3A school.
The Patriots not only made it, they’re moving on to the next round.
Caroline Casey drove in three runs, two on an inside-the-park home run and Michelle Ballard pitched well when she had to as Parrott defeated Cary Academy 9-2 in the opening round of the NCISAA state 3A playoffs on Monday.
“A lot of people didn’t expect us to be at this point,” said Patriots coach Matt Beaman, whose team lost several key players to graduation last season and endured some injuries this year.
“I think we can make a run at a state championship, I really do.”
Parrott (15-5) will board a bus at 9 a.m. today for a 4:30 p.m. second-round game at Charlotte Hickory Grove Christian School (16-3).
The Patriots, winners of the last two state 2A softball titles, lost their fair share to graduation and midseason had to deal with injuries to several key players. They got into the playoffs with an at-large bid, and after being seeded seventh were able to host the No. 10 Chargers (7-4).
It didn’t take long for Parrott to prove it belongs.
Casey’s liner down the first-base line found the corner of the fencing in foul territory, and she was able to circle the bases behind Brianna Casey for the early 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Caroline Casey singled again to get things going in the third, and was the first to cross on Darci Basden’s two-run single to left to go up 4-0.
Parrott broke it open with five runs in the fourth on four consecutive singles by Savannah Hill, Brooke Uken, Basden and Summer Taylor, an RBI fielder’s choice by Amanda Cannon and two more base hits from Ballard and Sarah Riley.
The Patriots even had a chance to enforce the 10-run rule with a 9-0 lead and the bases loaded with one out, but couldn’t get the 10th run across.
It didn’t matter, because Parrott’s pitching wasn’t letting any of Cary Academy’s runners cross, either.
Ballard worked her way out of a two-on, no-outs situation to start the game, then had the help of Hill behind the plate, who threw out a pair of would-be base stealers after Ballard gave up a hit to Kelly Bright and walked Renee Reynolds with one out in the third.
Ballard (9-4) walked the first two to start the fifth, which ended her day and allowed Brianna Casey to pitch. Casey gave up a single in the sixth before Basden retired the side in the seventh for the win.
“They came out focused. … It was interesting to see if they were going to step their game up in the state playoffs and they did,” Beaman said. “Coming into this year we had no idea who was going to be our pitcher, we had no idea who was going to step up. Michelle has been the one to step up. ”
Basden went 3-for-4, and the top of the lineup — Brianna Casey, Caroline Casey and Hill — combined to go 6-for-11 with six runs scored and a walk.
A long drive to Charlotte today isn’t the last Parrott wants to make. If the Patriots win, they will advance to the two-day state tournament this weekend in Gastonia.
While it may not have seemed possible just last month, Parrott is making noise in the state 3A playoffs. But it’s going to have to get past a team that won a 3A state title in 2010 and hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a single game this year.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Beaman said, “but I like our bats and I like our chances.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.
Cary Academy 000 020 0—2 5 1
Parrott Academy 202 500 x—9 13 2
Conrad, Bright (4) and Khadilkar; Ballard, B. Casey (5), Basden (7) and Hill. W—Ballard. L—Conrad. HRs—CA: None. APA: C. Casey.