Liberty wins 1A State Semifinal Monday, moves into title game Tuesday

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -The Liberty High School softball team is in to the 1A State Championship game, playing the way to that in a 6-2 win over Dixie in the semifinal round Monday. Coach Sewell and her 19-8 Bulldogs facing 21-5 Dixie County in Monday’s 1A state semifinal, a 1:30 eastern time game played through some rain showers. Each team scored one run in the first so it was tied going into the top of the third, Cha’miya Williams making her way to second in that frame, when Gabriella Williams popped up in foul ground. The Dixie first baseman caught that popup, but then fired to second behind Williams who had tagged, Cha’miya scores on the wild throw and it was 2-1 Liberty. Dixie ties it with a run in the bottom half, so it was 2-2 going into the top of the fourth,. Flowers came up with runners at second and third, and singled to shallow right, plating Revell and Childs to give Liberty a 4-2 lead. Same score into the top of the 7th, Williams up with a runner on, lined one over the fence in left, a two run shot that made it 6-2. Lauren Grantham tosses six innings, of five hit, two run ball. Kallan Mercer gets the last three outs, 6-2 the final and Liberty advances to Tuesday’s state title game against Branford Tuesday at four eastern. I spoke, via Zoom with Liberty head coach Jennifer Sewell shortly after the team celebrated the win with a team meal.

“I can’t say enough about them, just the fight and how hard they fight for one another and how they love one another.” Sewell told me. “Today it was hot down here and warming up, hitting in the batting cages it was very hot, no wind flow. And them just getting their minds right. You know like I talked about yesterday about the checklist, this was another game on that checklist. We’ve got one more on that checklist to get what our main goal was for the season. "

And the chance for coach Sewell, who also coaches Liberty volleyball, and some players who won a volleyball state title in November, they all now have the chance to make it two titles in one school year!

“We’ve got four girls from that volleyball team that won State. It would mean a lot to win too. And there’s a lot of other girls on this team that just play softball, that had it on the checklist. They were hungry last year and came down here and left heartbroken And had it set on their mind what they wanted to do this season coming up. And are working towards that. And I just think that you know it’s a fun team to watch. And like how much they love one another, and compete for one another, and push one another. We had great some community support today in that stadium. And then there’s a bunch of other people heading down here tomorrow, heading out either tonight or heading out first thing in the morning coming down. So big community support and that’s awesome having them packing the girls and getting the girls up.”

Again the 1A title game Tuesday set for four eastern, we’ll have highlights and post game reaction in our 5, 6 and 10 o’clock news Tuesday night.

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