STATE CHAMPS: KELLY WINS 2A SOFTBALL CROWN WITH 2-0 VICTORY

COLUMBIA -- Ashley Beggs said she closed her eyes when she swung, but what she felt gave her a hint of what she had done.

"It felt really good," Beggs said.

Beggs' account of her game-winning, two-run home run could have come from any of Kelly High's Lady Hawks and been an apt description of a number of aspects of their best season ever.

With often spectacular defense and Beggs' blast over the left-center-field fence in the first inning, Kelly hung on for its first Class 2A state softball championship, a 2-0 win Saturday over Westran of Huntsville (22-3) at Rainbow Softball Center in Columbia Cosmopolitan Recreation Area.

Kelly (18-4) gained a state title after winning 12 consecutive district titles and making its fourth state tournament appearance. The win avenged Kelly's 5-4 loss to Westran in eight innings in last year's championship game.

Although Beggs didn't see her bat make contact, her other senses provided the details.

"I closed my eyes; I actually didn't see the ball hit, but I heard everybody screaming, and I just figured it was going out," Beggs, a junior all-state second baseman, said.

Kelly's Audrey Burford, who batted ninth in the Lady Hawks' 3-2 semifinal win against Putnam County, led off on Saturday and began the game with a single up the middle.

After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Beggs hit a two ball, two strike fastball well beyond the outfield wall for the first homer in 2A championship history (last year was the first year in which either Classes 1A and 2A or Classes 2A and 3A were not combined).

While Beggs' shot provided much of Kelly's offensive fireworks -- the Lady Hawks didn't threaten again until a runner was thrown out at the plate in the seventh inning -- Beggs was quick to mention what she thought won the game.

"We played really good defense, and I think that's what won us the game, not just my hit," she said.

"We had another excellent defensive game," said Kelly coach Rhonda Evans. "(Westran) had a lot of hard hits. I think our defense was a lot stronger than it was last year when we came (to Columbia)".

Kim Riley (13-3) earned the shutout and once again displayed excellent control. She allowed five hits, struck out two and walked none.

"I've never been more nervous in my life," said Riley. "I pitched pretty good, and I feel good now that it's over with."

Lindsey Jacoby (17-3), who went the distance, allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked none.

For Kelly, Burford went 2-for-4 and Marissa Essner was 2-for-3.

Westran threatened several times.

In the second, Westran led off with a double in vain. In the fourth, the Lady Hornets again led off with a double, but with a runner on third and one out Riley got two fly outs.

After Westran stranded a runner on second in the fifth, the Lady Hornets' Jacoby tripled with one out in the sixth. But once again, Riley coaxed two straight fly outs.

"We just didn't get enough done with the bats to win the ball game," said Westran coach Kelly Odneal, whose team was shut out the only time this season. "We certainly didn't get the ball on the ground when we needed to get it on the ground. There were way too many fly balls today."

Things got a bit hairy for Kelly in the seventh.

After Kelly had made a number of great plays in the field earlier in the game, Westran's first hitter in the seventh, Myers, hit an easy fly to center, but the ball bounced out of center fielder Natalie Robert's glove.

After shortstop Jennifer McNiell made a diving catch for the first out, Roxanne Remole singled to put runners on first and second with one out.

"I was afraid that if they got another hit they could end up scoring and we would lose," said Robert. "I thought I had it, and I just took my eye off the ball."

"When Natalie made the error, I thought, `Oh God they're probably going to tie it up in this inning,'" said Evans.

Riley struck out Natalie Kilgore, and then got Rachael Land to fly to center -- which Robert handled cleanly this time to end the game.

Then came the celebration.

"We compete with our cross country boys so much -- they were first in the state (last year), and now we are. It's wonderful," said McNiell.

Said Evans: "The girls told me they were coming back and they were going to take it this year -- and they did. They worked hard all year."