Elmore County’s softball team is no stranger to pressure situations this season.
After losing the second game of their double-elimination area tournament, the Panthers rallied to take three straight victories and win the area crown.
kAmp7E6C t=>@C6 r@F?EJ =@DE :ED 7:CDE 82>6 2E E96 %FD42=@@D2 C68:@?2=[ :E C2EE=65 @77 7@FC DEC2:89E G:4E@C:6D[ 6249 :? 6=:>:?2E:@? 82>6D[ E@ 25G2?46 E@ E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm$F49 6IA6C:6?46 4@F=5 D6CG6 E96 !2?E96CD H6== %F6D52J 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J (65?6D52J[ H96? E96 E62> H:== 32EE=6 7@C E96 pw$pp r=2DD dp DE2E6 D@7E32== 492>A:@?D9:A 2=@?8D:56 D6G6? @E96C D49@@=D :? 2 5@F3=6\6=:>:?2E:@? E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm“p== J62C H6’G6 A=2J65 2 G6CJ 4@>A6E:E:G6 D4965F=6] (6’G6 366? :? 2 =@E @7 4=@D6 82>6D[” t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 9625 4@249 |2C< $68C6DE D2:5] “(6’G6 H@? >@C6 E92? @FC 72:C D92C6 @7 4=@D6 82>6D] ':CEF2==J 6G6CJ 82>6 :? E9:D E@FC?2>6?E :D 8@??2 36 C62==J 4=@D6]”k^Am
kAmp?J 2C8F>6?E 282:?DE pF3C6J p==6? 2D E96 E62>’D 246 :? E96 4:C4=6 H@F=5 36 2 =@D:?8 @?6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 2 56G2DE2E:?8 >:I @7 DA:? 2?5 4@?EC@= @? 96C A:E496D[ E96 ;F?:@C 92D E@DD65 >@C6 E92? 92=7 @7 E96 E62>’D :??:?8D E9:D D62D@? 2?5 3@2DED 2 `]e` t#p H:E9 ac` DEC:<6@FED 282:?DE ;FDE bf H2=<D]k^Am
kAm%92E’D e]d` 72?D 7@C 6G6CJ 7C66 A2DD D96 :DDF6D]k^Am
kAm$96 A:4<65 FA H:?D :? 6249 @7 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ’D E9C66 6=:>:?2E:@? 82>6D %9FCD52J[ :?4=F5:?8 2 4@>A=6E6 82>6 D9FE@FE H:E9 `c DEC:<6@FED 2?5 ?@ H2=<D 282:?DE s6>@A@=:D :? E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 =@D6CD 3C24<6E A=2J]k^Am
kAm(96? ?@E C6=J:?8 @? p==6? E96 !2?E96CD H:== EFC? E@ |24: rFC=66[ H9@’D A@DE65 2 a]cf t#p E9:D J62C] x? E96 C68:@?2= D6>:7:?2=D 282:?DE y@9? r2CC@== r2E9@=:4[ rFC=66 E@DD65 d]` :??:?8D @7 @?6\CF? 32== 367@C6 8:G:?8 H2J E@ p==6?]k^Am
kAmw2:=6J ~’qC:6? 42? 2=D@ A6C7@C> DA@E 5FEJ 7@C E96 !2?E96CD[ H:E9 de]a :??:?8D 2?5 2 a]cg t#p E@ 96C 4C65:E E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“|J >6DD286 E@ E96> :D[ 5@?’E 86E D:56EC24<65 H:E9 2== E96 6>@E:@?D :? E96 DE2?5D[ 7C@> @FC D:56 @C E96 @AA@D:?8 D:56[” $68C6DE D2:5] “yFDE 5@ H92E J@F’C6 FD65 E@ 5@:?8]”k^Am
kAm$68C6DE D2:5 9:D A=2? :D E@ DE2CE H:E9 p==6?[ E96? EFC? E@ rFC=66 :7 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 25G2?46D :? E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E[ 2?5 25565 2== E9C66 2C>D D9@F=5 D66 24E:@?]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 5@ @C 5:6[” $68C6DE D2:5] “p== E9C66 A:E496CD 2C6 C625J 2?5 H6’== 8@ H:E9 E96 9@E 92?5]”k^Am
kAm~?6 2C62 H96C6 E96 !2?E96CD DECF88=65 2E E:>6D :? %FD42=@@D2[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $68C6DE[ H2D :? D:EF2E:@?2= 9:EE:?8 2?5 E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ =2J 5@H? 3F?ED]k^Am
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ D4@C65 @?6 CF? :? 6:89E :??:?8D 282:?DE y@9? r2CC@== 367@C6 AF==:?8 2H2J H:E9 2 EH@\CF? ?:?E9 E@ 42AEFC6 2? 6IEC2\:??:?8 G:4E@CJ] x? :ED =@?6 C68:@?2= =@DD E@ qC6H32<6C %649[ E96 !2?E96CD =67E 7:G6 CF??6CD DEC2?565 :? D4@C:?8 A@D:E:@? :? 2 e\a 56762E]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE E@=5 E96 8:C=D E@ 7=FD9 E92E E@FC?2>6?E[” $68C6DE D2:5] “%9:D :D 2 ?6H E@FC?2>6?E[ 2?5 H6’G6 9:E E96 32== 6IEC6>6=J H6== 2== J62C 2?5 92G6 3F?E65 H6==[ 5@?6 2== E96 =:EE=6 E9:?8D H6==] $@ J@F 5@?’E H2?E E@ @G6CD6== E96 724E E92E H6 <:?5 @7 925 2? @77 E@FC?2>6?E] x E@=5 E96 8:C=D E@ 36 4@?7:56?E :? H92E E96J’C6 5@:?8[ E96J <?@H E96 7F?52>6?E2=D]”k^Am
kAm|256=J? q64<6C 2?5 |25:D@? qC:EE AC@G:56 E96 !2?E96CD H:E9 A@H6C :? E96:C =:?6FA[ H:E9 `_ 2?5 D6G6? 9@>6 CF?D[ C6DA64E:G6=J] z6==6J vC66? 92D AC@G65 E96 E62>’D >@DE C6=:23=6 4@?E24E 9:EE6C H:E9 2 ]beb 32EE:?8 2G6C286[ E@AD 2>@?8DE E96 DBF25’D DE2CE6CD]k^Am
kAmvC66?’D 25565 2 E62>\9:89 ac DE@=6? 32D6D]k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD @A6? E@FC?2>6?E A=2J 282:?DE w2J56?[ E96 E@A BF2=:7:6C 7C@> E96 u=@C6?46 C68:@?2=[ %F6D52J 2E h 2]>]k^Am
kAm“%96J 92G6 2 A96?@>6?2= 9:EE:?8 E62>[” $68C6DE D2:5 23@FE w2J56?] “%96J 92G6 D6G6C2= A=2J6CD E92E 2C6 4@>>:EE65 2E E96 s\` =6G6=] x E9:?< E96J’G6 9:E @G6C e_ 9@>6 CF?D E9:D D62D@? 2=C625J] %96J 2C6 32EE=6 E6DE65[ x <?@H E96J’G6 H@? 2E =62DE 2 4@FA=6 @7 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:AD] %96J’G6 366? 96C6 367@C6[ 2?5 ?@E9:?8’D 8@:?8 E@ DFCAC:D6 E96>[ D@ :E’D 2? :?4C65:3=6 7:CDE E6DE]”k^Am
