BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Facing elimination from the postseason, Opelika High School and Smiths Station High School met in a must-win game after losing 8-2 to Central High School and 3-2 to Auburn High School 3-2, respectively, earlier in the day.
By the time the matchup ended, the fourth-seeded Lady Panthers (17-17) had eliminated the third-seeded Lady Bulldogs (21-17) in a high-flying 9-6 game in the second round of the 7A Area 4 tournament on May 2 at Auburn High School.
SSHS’s massive seven-run top of the fifth — kick-started by Serenity Corley’s three-run home run — was ultimately the deciding factor as OHS’s 2026 campaign came to an end.
After a season that saw her very young squad consistently improve and take some of the state’s top programs to the brink, it was a bitter pill for Lady Bulldogs head coach Jessica Thornton to swallow.
“It’s really just a testament to their heart and how much they wanted to win, and realistically, the slow start was because they were pressing so hard and wanted it so bad,” Thornton said. “As a coach, it’s hard because you want them to battle and try hard, but when they’re trying so hard that it’s detrimental, it’s hard to shake that for them. But I’m incredibly proud of them and the legacy that the seniors are leaving.”
SSHS kicked the scoring off in the top of the first after Corley’s ground ball single, which was aided by a fielding error near second base, allowing Brooke Norred to score from third base.
Holding onto a slim lead, the Lady Panthers finally broke the game open with a seven-run rally in the fifth. With two outs, Corley launched a massive three-run home run over the center-field wall, scoring Libby Parkman and Sydney Morris ahead of her. Courtney Allen followed with an RBI single to right that plated Lynzie Mounce, and Korbyn Missildine added another run with a single to left, scoring McKenzie Lester. Chloe Johnson capped the inning with a two-run single to center.
While OHS was down, it was not out and answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. McCall Clayton led the rally after doubling to left to score Braelynn Brooks from first, and JZ Agee followed with an RBI double to center, plating Clayton. Later, Cailyn Morgan reached on an error that allowed Agee to score, and Emily Birmingham reached on another fielding error to bring in KG Soltau.
However, SSHS tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Allen grounded out to third, scoring Lester from third base.
Staring down elimination, the Lady Bulldogs fought back with two more runs in the seventh when Agee singled to center and advanced to third on an error, scoring Brooks and Clayton, before the rally stalled.
Corley led the Lady Panthers’ offense with four RBIs, going 1-for-4 with the home run from the cleanup spot. Allen, batting seventh, paced SSHS overall with three hits in four at-bats, and Morris added two hits in a game that saw the Lady Panthers total 10 hits as a team.
For OHS, Clayton and Agee each collected two hits while batting back-to-back in the order. Agee went 2-for-4 with a team-high two RBIs.
Seventh-grader Avery Culberson earned the win for SSHS, allowing two hits and four runs — two earned — over six innings while striking out 13 and walking four.
Morgan Foley took the loss for the Lady Bulldogs, going 4 ⅔ innings and giving up eight runs — three earned — on nine hits with three walks.
