COLUMBUS, Ga. - Gracey Kruse was experiencing the gamut of emotions after leading Gordon Lee to its seventh GHSA fastpitch softball championship Saturday.
The star junior was crying and smiling at the same time after a monster day that included four home runs and 11 RBIs as the Lady Trojans went 3-1. After losing to Georgia Military College in the Class A public winners'-bracket final Saturday morning, Gordon Lee (33-2) rallied for a 3-1 win over Wilcox before sweeping GMC in the title round, 6-5 and 7-2.
"We're kind of used to doing bad at the start and then picking it up," Kruse said, wiping away a big tear while wearing her championship T-shirt and medal. "We knew it wouldn't be a cake walk, and we're all really tired, but we're just a big family.
"I can't remember a better day for me - it tops it all. I've never cried for being so happy until now."
Kruse hit a homer in each game and did severe damage in what turned out to be the key win. After hitting a solo homer in the first inning in the first championship-round game against GMC, she doubled in two runs in the third and added what seemed like insurance with a two-run single in the seventh for a 6-3 lead.
However, The Lady Bulldogs rallied against tired pitcher Canaan Burnett, scoring once and loading the bases with one out. Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull brought in a rested Janie Durham, who immediately hit Whitley Ward to bring in a second run. Durham, though, regrouped to get a strikeout and pop-up to end the game.
"That's not an easy job," Mull said of Durham. "She sat on the bench the whole tournament, and she got the key out of the day in that second game. She came in and kept her composure and I can't say enough about her effort."
Durham started the final game and scattered eight hits in what turned out to be a rather drama-free title-clinching win. Again Kruse did the early damage with a first-inning sacrifice fly and third-inning RBI double. The Lady Trojans scored three more times in the third, which included Burnett's RBI triple and Paxton Grimes' run-scoring double.
Kruse later capped her huge day with a home run leading off the fifth.
"Gracey kind of struggled the first couple of games this weekend, but she never let it get her down and kept fighting," Mull said. "She just had a monster day. I kind of thought after a while they would start walking her, but that was just fine with me they didn't."
Calhoun's run to a fourth consecutive title came up short in the championship round with a 5-2 loss to East Jackson. The Lady Yellow Jackets (39-3) began their day with a 12-4 win over Cook and added a 7-2 win over Pike County to reach the title round.
Having lost its first game Thursday, Calhoun seemed to run out of gas in the near-90-degree heat.
"When you get in that losers bracket from the beginning, it's just rough, and out here in this kind of heat it's just exhausting," Calhoun coach Diane Smith said. "The girls were tired physically and mentally. The girls made a few errors in that last game, which hurt us, but it was a lot to ask. The girls did a great job coming back, and though second isn't what we wanted, it was a great accomplishment."
The title game was tied at 1 in the fourth inning when East Jackson scored three runs with no one on and two out on a hit batter, two walks and an error.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.