Lily Huneycutt bounces back from rough start, pitches West Stanly to 3rd straight title
Lily Huneycutt recovered from a shaky start Saturday and pitched West Stanly to its third consecutive 2A girls’ softball championship in a two-game sweep of previously unbeaten Washington.
The Colts (29-4) rallied for a 3-2 victory Saturday at Anderson Softball Stadium in Chapel Hill, capturing the school’s fifth state title alltime.
It also gave Stanly County, which has only five softball-playing high schools, two state championships. South Stanly won the 1A crown earlier Saturday.
Washington, which brought a 27-0 record into the state finals, got off to a big start Saturday.
After the leadoff batter reached on a walk, Morgan Eisenzimmer slammed a two-run home run.
But the Colts didn’t wait long in launching their rally.
They scored in the bottom of the first on Elizabeth Ingle’s sacrifice fly.
Then Kristin Smith laced a two-run double in the bottom of the second, putting West Stanly on top 3-2.
From there, Huneycutt, a Wingate commit, took over.
She pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11 in Friday’s series-opening 4-1 victory.
On Saturday, she struck out 10. The Pam Pack got a runner on third base in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Huneycutt struck out Erin Everett to end the threat – and give the Colts another state title.
Huneycutt was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
In addition to winning state championships in 1997, 2013, 2019 and 2021, West Stanly also finished second in 1996 and ’98.
This story was originally published June 4, 2022 at 1:28 PM.
