#TWINNING

recent Elite Eight trip, the stars finally aligned for the Generals.

After winning its first two games of the tournament against Northside-columbus (6-5) and Madison County (10-4), Heritage took down Hampton, 3-0, early Saturday morning before a dramatic, 5-4, come-frombehind victory over Northside later in the afternoon to send a GHSA fastpitch state championship trophy back to Boynton.

“This feels amazing,” head coach Tanner Moore said via phone on the trip home. “We’ve been on Cloud Nine since it happened and this might be one of the most enjoyable bus rides I’ve ever taken.”

After using some aggressiveness on the basepaths in the win over Hampton and South Carolina commit Skylar Trahan, the Generals would have to wait it out to see who they would face for the state championship later in the day.

The team that emerged was a familiar one as Northside got into the final after back-to-back victories over Madison County (10-2) and Hampton (2-0).

The defending Class AAAA state champions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but a two-run double by Bailey Christol in the bottom of the third gave Heritage the lead.

But the lead would not last long as the Lady Patriots tied the game in the top of the fourth and they regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning when starting pitcher Raelee Weaver belted a tworun home run.