State Group AAA softball finals

Gniadek struggled a little bit in Saturday's final as she saw her hitless streak end at 18 innings and her scoreless streak at 43 and she only struck out six batters.
But she got plenty of support from her teammates as Hickory scored a run in each of the first three innings. Hickory scored its first run in the first without the benefit of a hit as two walks and two batters hit by a pitch produced its first run.
Rachel West's RBI single in the second increased their advantage to 2-0. Emily Ambrous' RBI double in the third made it a 3-1 lead.
Gniadek helped her own cause with a solo home run in the fifth and while she was not overpowering on the mound, she and her teammates overpowered a formidable foe in Battlefield, winning its first state softball championship and first state title of any kind by a final score of 4-2.