Lady Colonels have earned the ‘dynasty’ moniker

BY JOE B. COATES

Copiah Academy’s fastpitch team can now count 4 state titles as their own: 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2013.  They won their third in row this past Monday, playing through the losers bracket after their main competitor, Parklane, squeaked by them 7-6 in extra innings in their first game on Monday.  
All the Lady Colonels had to do  was defeat Magnolia Heights – which they did 4-2 when junior Kelly Byrd homered with a runner on in the bottom of the seventh.  Then, they had their second shot at Parklane on Monday afternoon.

Copiah took advantage of the opportunity they earned and flushed the Lady Pioneers 4-1 in that game to force a winner-take-all game two.

As head coach Terry Bauer said after the game, “I told them to strive for the best – to do your best. Our girls play with so much heart. They win in all kinds of situations,” Copiah faced a major uphill climb, trailing 5-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.

No worries, right?  All the Lady Colonels did was score 5 runs, including the game-winner on a bases-loaded wild-pitch from Parklane’s Hannah Moak with Lindsey Walker at bat which scored Kamryn Vanlandingham from third.

Last year about this time I wrote that Copiah Academy could well be called “Title Town” because of the 6, now 7, state championships the school has won since 2006–three of those coming in fastpitch. Without a doubt, Bauer and his players have earned the right to be called–as many dominant sports teams have been over the years–a dynasty.