The Hewitt-Trussville softball program has been in similar situations.

In 2019, the Huskies lost the first game of the state tournament and won four straight elimination games to make their way into the championship and grab consecutive wins for the first Blue Map in program history.

The second-ranked Huskies needed to only fight off elimination once before advancing and sweeping third-ranked Fairhope, 7-4 and 12-2, in Saturday’s Class 7A championship at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park.

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“I’ll be honest, most of these kids were fifth-graders when we won it in 2019,” Hewitt-Trussville coach Taylor Burt said. “We were literally talking about the story during the rain delay. I cannot even begin to explain how incredibly proud of them to come back after last night’s loss and showing up today.”

Hewitt-Trussville (46-8) captured its third Blue Map in the past five seasons – excluding the 2020 season when the postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Huskies lost to Thompson in last year’s Class 7A championship.

“Spite is a great motivator,” Burt said. “Red trophies are also great motivators.”

Fairhope jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the deciding game, scoring on a two-run single from Mia Gates, and allowed a single baserunner on the Huskies’ side of the frame.

Before the second inning could begin, a lightning delay was called and lasted approximately 45 minutes as showers quickly passed over the Oxford area.

Hewitt-Trussville came out of the delay with renewed purpose, cutting the Fairhope advantage in half on an RBI double from Lexie Kelly. The Huskies took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third on RBI singles from Kelly and Oliva Faggard.

Leading by a single run after shutting down the Fairhope side in the fourth, the Huskies erupted for eight runs and took an 11-2 lead into the final inning. Hewitt-Trussville batted through the order and scored on a wild pitch, a two-run double by Faggard, an RBI single from Gracie Reeves, a two-run single from pitcher Sara Phillips and a two-run triple by lead-off batter Hannah Dorsett.

Fairhope mustered a baserunner in the top half of the fifth but could not make a dent in the scoreboard.

Following a walk from Chaney Peters, pinch runner Peyton Hull advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored the game-winning run on a walk-off single from Reeves with one out in the bottom of the fifth.

“She was throwing some meat so I might as well put my bat on it,” Reeves said. “It was my last at-bat, and I what I could.”

In the first game, both teams went into the fourth inning scoreless before Hewitt-Trussville awakened to score four runs and break up a two-hit shutout from Fairhope’s Ryley Harrison. The Huskies brought home runs on a solo homer from Peters, an RBI sac fly by Kelly and a two-run triple from Phillips.

Fairhope (46-7) scored a lone run in the fifth, Harrison sacrificing to score Abby Kate Long, but Hewitt-Trussville added another three runs in its final two frames. The Pirates managed to cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the seventh on three RBI singles but a lineout ended the frame and forced a winner-take-all scenario.

“I told them to take it one pitch at a time, one game at a time,” Burt said. “Slow the game down and I think last night we were moving too fast and felt out of control.”

Phillips won the pitching duel between herself and Harrison, grabbing both wins and allowing three earned runs off 14 hits and walking one and striking out eight in 10 innings of work. She earned the tournament MVP for her performance. She was also 4-for-7 at the plate with five RBIs.

“The most important thing was, when we got behind, we didn’t let it overwhelm us,” Phillips said. “We stayed in the game the whole time. My hitters behind the plate were awesome.”

Harrison entered the championship having allowed two earned runs off nine hits and striking out 34 with only a single walk in three games. She was chased in the first game after five innings and an injury forced the pitcher to first base in the second game after only two innings. Harrison allowed seven runs – six earned – off 10 hits and struck out four against Hewitt-Trussville.

Joining Phillips on the all-tournament team were teammates Faggard and Kelly, and Fairhope’s Emma Stewart and Mallory Earp, along with Harrison.