Broome softball loses Game 2 of SCHSL state championship — best-of-three series tied 1-1

Broome fell in Game 2 of the SCHSL AAA softball state championship series, 2-1 at home against Aynor on Wednesday night. The series is now tied at 1-1 and the third and final game will be played Friday at Gilbert High School.

"It never feels good to lose, but they had a big first inning ... We had plenty of opportunities, we just didn't get the hits we needed this time," said Broome coach Rebecca Cooper.

After the Centurions took Game 1 at Aynor by a score of 7-0 and were headed back home for Game 2 in front of a raucous crowd, all the momentum felt like it was going their way. But after the last game, Cooper warned that Aynor had the bats to make this series interesting.

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Game 2 started off rough for Broome, as it gave up three hits and two runs. After that, senior pitcher Karley Green locked in and did not give up a hit in the following six innings. Green finished with yet another double-digit strikeout performance.

"Karley pitched a great game, can't really ask for much more from her at this point, at this place, in a state championship game," Cooper said. "They got those hits right at the beginning and strung them together whenever they needed them and it was unfortunate but it happened, and they were great hits."

Broome was able to fight back to make it a one-run game on an RBI single from freshman Shamya Wilkins in the third and had runners in scoring position to tie the game in the fourth and fifth innings.

"There's a lot of positives," said Cooper. "The fact that Karley only allowed a few hits, that's great. The fact that we had lots of runners in scoring position. We had opportunities, we just didn't capitalize, but I can definitely take that into Game 3."

Going into Game 3, Broome is still confident.

"I still feel good about how we're gonna perform in game three. We just have to bring it," Cooper said.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Broome softball loses to Aynor, SCHSL state championship series tied