A late Friday night attitude adjustment helped the Brookland-Cayce Lady Bearcats come back from a loss to win the Class AAA state title over Seneca Saturday in Florence.

On Friday one bad inning by the Bearcats led to a 4-0 win by Seneca.

After the game a players-only meeting was held and seniors helped calm tempers and get the team re-focused.

That focus was apparent Saturday as the team beat Seneca 3-0 to force a third game. The third game went about like the first two had one, and B-C emerged with a 6-2 win and the title.

Last year B-C had lost to Seneca in the finals, and his was the team’s second state championship in three years.

Big innings were the key to the series, as both teams played tenacious defense and great pitchers kept both teams in check.

Seneca reeled off its four runs in the sixth inning to take its win on Friday.

Players said after the series that they were playing as individuals, and they rededicated themselves to playing more as a team before the first game on Saturday.

B-C got three runs in the seventh inning of the second game to secure a 3-0 win.

In the final game B-C managed a run in the fourth, but erupted for four runs in the fifth that gave the Lady Bearcats a comfortable lead.

Seneca managed a comeback, but got no closer than the final score of 6-2.

B-C got more hits in the final game. Coach Richard Lundy said his team started setting up closer to the front of the batters box and that helped them make contact with the ball.

The Lady Bearcats struggled with Class AAA player of the year pitcher Aleca Johnson. Even so, Seneca also struggled with B-C pitcher Jennifer Owens.

In many innings throughout the game, neither team got a runner on base.

Lundy said he expected a tough series, and it went that way.

“We knew we would have a battle, but we just gave it our best shot. I told the girls Friday night if we could hit we would win the state championship,’’ he said.

Seneca coach Karen Trammell credited B-C with playing a tough series.

“They won it from us more than us losing it to them,’’ she said.

Team members said the meeting Friday helped them refocus, and that is what gave them the confidence they needed to win the series.

Owens, a sophomore, said the seniors “settled us down. They calmed us down and gave us some confidence.’’

Melissa Sandel, a senior, said she and the other two seniors told the team that it was not to late to play up to their capabilities and to play together.

“We just had a new mindset on Saturday. I knew we were going to win, especially after we won the first game on Saturday,’’ Ashley Garnett said.

With a renewed sense of their purpose the Lady Bearcats came out Saturday and did just that.

The Lexington Lady Wildcat softball team may have been a team of destiny this year, but a good strong defense also had a lot to do with the team winning its second Class AAAA state title in three years Saturday in Florence.

The team beat Lancaster twice to take the championship. Last week the team beat Lancaster at Ridgeview 2-1, and Saturday won 3-2 in nine innings.

The key to the second game, and perhaps to the series, was when the Lady Wildcats’ defense got out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the fifth inning.

Jeana Aldridge reached on an error, and Anna Blankenship reached on a single. After a strikeout Jessica Smith loaded the bases with a bunt.

Samantha Catoe then hit a grounder toward third. Lexington’s Nikki Howell scooped the ball up and made a throw to the plate just in time for Sunsannah Waller to make the play. The next batter grounded out and the Wildcats were out of the jam, still tied at zero.

As the girls came off the field, assistant coach Joey Lawson said “this is a team of destiny.’’

Fortune continued to smile on the Lady Wildcats as the team escaped yet another jam later in the game, and managed to get enough runs across to win without having to play a third game.

Lexington got its run in the sixth when a single by Sarah Areheart scored Tashay Jones-Black who had reached second on an error.

Lancaster mounted one last charge in the seventh. This time the Bruins got the leadoff batter on base with a single. Another single by Catoe and an error put runners on second and third with two out.

The Lady Wildcats were one out away from a state championship, but Heather Blackwell hit a single to score Brandy Byrdic to tie the score.

The teams went to extra innings, and in the ninth a runner was put on second to start the inning as per international rules.

Lancaster put Jeana Aldridge on second to start, and tried to bunt her around the bases. She managed to get to third, but did not score because Lexington did not miss a beat on defense.

In Lexington’s half of the inning, coach Scott Jumper decided at the last instant to not try to advance the runner with a bunt.

Ahreheart faked a bunt and hit the ball hard, advancing to first and moving Leshe Russell to third. Waller then hit a grounder, but to keep the runner from scoring Lancaster had to let her get on base. This loaded the bases with no outs.

Amanda Justice then hit a sharp ball down the third base line to score Russell on a close play at the plate.

The Lady Wildcats had several close games throughout the season on their way to a 33-3 record. Both games in the finals were one-run games.

Jumper said the team had scrapped all season and had won many close games.

“We expected a tough series with them. We rely on our defense a lot, but you still have to take advantage of situations. Our team has a lot of poise under pressure. It is amazing,’’ Jumper said after the game.

The Lady Wildcats were amazing all season. At one point the team went 45 innings without giving up a run and that included three playoff games.

In eight playoff games the Lady Wildcats registered four shutouts and outscored their opposition 35-7.

The Wildcats were a team of destiny, but their defense remained the corner stone.