AHSAA CLASS 2A STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT: Pisgah finishes as Class 2A state runner-up
Eagles win three elimination games to reach state finals, fall to Zion Chapel in state finals
Story By Jason Bowen
The Pisgah softball team did not get the ultimate prize it was chasing during the 2025 AHSAA Class 2A State Softball Tournament, but head coach Chloe Womack said the Eagles would have difficult time hanging their heads over the outcome.
“Obviously we wanted a state championship, but we defied a lot of odds to get here,” Womack said. “I’m incredibly proud of them.”
Pisgah (30-15-1) posted a 4-2 mark in the state tournament, including posting three elimination game victories in order to reach the state finals before finishing as the Class 2A runner-up following a 5-2 loss to Zion Chapel Tuesday afternoon at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.
Both of the Eagles’ state-tournament losses were to Zion Chapel, which edged Pisgah 4-3 in a winners bracket semifinal game on Monday.
It was the 17th state finals appearance for Pisgah, which has an AHSAA leading 10 softball state championships as well as seven state runner-up finishes since switching its program from slow-pitch to fast-pitch softball in 1999.
The state finals appearance was the first for the Eagles since the 2021 campaign. Pisgah’s roster returned nearly intact from a third-place finish at state a year ago. Pitching question marks however cast some concerns entering the season, concerns that were alleviated by the duo of senior Madeline Flammia and seventh-grader Lori Jones.
“Their goal was to make it back here,” Womack said. “People didn’t think we were going to have the pitching, but Madeline and Lori stepped up and I’m really proud of them. Madeline hadn’t pitched in a long time but did great. Lori, this is a great beginning for her. For her to get out there and battle it out for us, she’s got a great career in front of her.”
Jones finished 3-1 with one save in five appearances in the circle, recording 15 strikeouts over 30 state-tournament innings pitched.
Womack said Flammia, a UAB signee and a six-year varsity player who was also the Class 2A Girls Basketball State Tournament MVP while helping the Eagles win the 2025 state title, is “100%” one of Pisgah’s all-time greats.
“She’ll go down in the history books,” Womack said.
Flammia said she cherishes her prep career.
“It’s sad that I won’t make memories like these again, but I’m just proud of what we’ve done. There’s no other place I’d rather be,” she said. “I’m really proud of what this team has done. We defied a lot of people that didn’t believe in us. (Getting to the finals) shows the grit we had in us. I think the outcome is different if we don’t get in the loser’s bracket.”
Zion Chapel (23-15), located in Coffee County, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning before Jones pitched out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts. In the fourth, Flammia doubled and scored two batters later on Brinley Chisenall’s RBI single, but the Rebels countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to increase their lead to 5-1. Flammia homered to left-center field in the top of the sixth to cut the Pisgah deficit to 5-2, but Zion Chapel senior pitcher Riley Bannin, the Class 2A state tournament MVP, pitched around a Campbell Barron single in the seventh to end the game and secure Zion Chapel’s first state championship.
Flammia and Chisenall both finished 2-for-3 with an RBI while Barron and Julianne Davis had one hit each. Jones recorded six strikeouts while pitching a complete game.
Pisgah loses five seniors — Chisenall, Julianne Davis, Flammia, Makayla Petrey and Emma Sisk — to graduation.
“I have five seniors and they have all shown leadership,” Womack said. “I’m really proud of them. Just proud of our team. Battling back to get (to the state finals) through the loser’s bracket, it shows the heart they have.”
ELIMINATION
BRACKET FINAL
Pisgah 9, Pike Liberal Arts 1 — Pisgah used a late-inning surge to lock up a spot in the Class 2A championship finals.
Trailing 1-0 after one inning, Pisgah took a 2-1 when Sisk singled and Jalen Reed, running for the catcher Davis, both scored when Petrey reached on an error. The Eagles then scored four runs in the sixth on RBI singles from Davis, Patalas and Lawson and Sisk scoring on a Pike Liberal Arts error before adding four more in the seventh on Sisk’s RBI double and RBI singles from Petrey and Patalas.
Davis finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, Sisk was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored and Patalas was 2-for-4 and an RBI for the Eagles while Lawson, Flammia, Chisenall, Barron and Petrey had one hit each.
Jones got the win in the circle, working out of bases-loaded jams in the first two innings and then holding the Patriots to just three hits over the final five innings. She finished with one run allowed on six hits and no walks while recording three strikeouts.
ELIMINATION BRACKET
SEMIFINAL
Pisgah 12, Belgreen 5 — The Eagles notched their second win of the tournament against No. 7 Belgreen, advancing to the Class 2A elimination bracket final with Tuesday morning’s win.
The Eagles built a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to Chisenall’s RBI groundout, Barron’s RBI single and Sisk’s RBI double. Pisgah upped its lead to 6-0 in the third when Flammia tripled and scored on a Belgreen error, Chisenall hit an RBI single and Sisk had an RBI groundout. Pisgah went in front 9-0 in the fourth when Lawson scored on an error, Barron hit an RBI double and Sisk hit an RBI single. Belgreen scored five runs in the top of the fifth, but Pisgah responded with a three runs in the bottom of the inning to move in front 12-5.
Barron finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs while Sisk was 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Eagles, who also got two hits each from Flammia and Patalas, one hit and two RBIs from Chisenall, one hit and one RBI from Briley Caperton and one hit each from Davis and Jones.
Flammia got the win in the pitching circle after recording one strikeout over four innings while Jones picked up the three-inning save.
ELIMINATION BRACKET
QUARTERFINAL
Pisgah 8, Sumiton Christian 7 — Davis delivered the walk-off RBI hit in a driving rain in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Eagles the win over No. 4 Sumiton Christian Monday night.
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first, Pisgah scored a run in the bottom of the inning when Caperton tripled and scored when Chisenall reached on an error. After Lawson’s RBI single pulled Pisgah to within 3-2 in the second and Sisk’s RBI triple tied the game in the third, the Eagles took a 5-3 lead in the fourth when Lawson hit a two-run double after Petrey had walked and Patalas had singled to start the inning. Sumiton Christian tied the game in the top of the fifth, but Sisk’s RBI double and Petrey’s RBI sacrifice fly put the Eagles back in front 7-5 in the bottom of the inning. After Sumiton Christian scored two runs in the sixth to tie it again, Barron walked to start the bottom of the seventh and went to third base on Sisk’s sacrifice bunt before scoring the winning run on Davis’ walk-off hit.
Davis went 3-for-4 with one RBI while Lawson was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Sisk was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Caperton was 2-for-4. Pisgah also got one hit and one walk each from Barron and Petrey and one hit from Patalas. Jones recorded two strikeouts while pitching a complete game.
WINNERS BRACKET
SEMIFINAL
Zion Chapel 4, Pisgah 3 — Pisgah’s late-inning rally attempt fell short against the eventual state champion Rebels Monday afternoon.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Lawson tripled and scored on Flammia’s RBI single, but Zion Chapel tied the game in the top of the second before scoring three runs in the third to take a 4-1 advantage. Pisgah pulled within 4-3 in the sixth when Flammia and Caperton walked and scored on Chisenall’s RBI double, but Chisenall was stranded to end the inning and Davis was stranded after leading off the Pisgah seventh with a single.
Flammia had two hits, a walk, an RBI and a run scored while Chisenall had one hit and two RBIs for the Eagles, who also got one hit each from Lawson and Davis. Flammia recorded three strikeouts while pitching a complete game for Pisgah.
WINNERS BRACKET
QUARTERFINAL
Pisgah 7, Belgreen 1 — The Eagles opened up a 4-0 lead after two innings en route to opening the state tournament on a winning note Monday morning.
Pisgah took a 1-0 lead in the bottom the first inning on Chisenall’s RBI single before getting an RBI double from Patalas and an RBI triple from Lawson in the second. Belgreen’s lone run came in the top of the third inning, but Pisgah countered with Flammia’s RBI sacrifice fly and Petrey’s two-run double to extend its lead.
Petrey finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored while Chisenall and Caperton had two hits each for the Eagles, who got one hit and one RBI each from Lawson, Flammia and Patalas and one hit from Barron. Jones pitched a complete game, allowing one run on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
