SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — The Piedmont Academy Lady Cougars took down Brentwood Lady Eagles 11-5 to finish 8-0 in GIAA Region 2A. The win allows Piedmont Academy to be the No. 1 seed as they seek their fourth consecutive state title.

Though the Lady Cougars did not run-rule Brentwood as they did in their first meeting in late September, Piedmont Academy offense still propelled them to a convincing win.

“Our kids see the ball well, sometimes it takes us a couple innings to adjust to pitching. Our pitching is so up and down in our league,” head coach Joe Johnson said. “I was expecting a low start, but these kids battled. They are quiet, but they can hit.”

For the Lady Cougars, it was all about Marissa Holder.

Holder, an all-state selection in 2023, drove in four runs on three hits, but it was her three-run home run in the fifth inning to take the lead and set the tone.

Once the Lady Cougars took a 5-0 lead in the third inning, the Lady Eagles mounted a comeback over the next three innings to make it a 5-5 game. 

After Holder hit the go-ahead home run, Piedmont Academy held the lead the rest of the way.

The Lady Cougars scored three runs in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout and a pair of RBI doubles.

Tuesday’s win secured a 18-5 regular season finish while being perfect in region play.

Piedmont Academy outscored their region opponents by a combined 91-9 in eight games during the regular season.

Johnson has been around for all three of the state championships, but he feels this year’s team is even more special.

“In the five years I have been here, this is the best lineup we have put together,” Johnson said. “From the No. 1 batter to the No. 9 batter. They can hit and they are fast, there are no slow kids. It is a really good lineup.”

As far as lineup construction, Johnson has kept it consistent.

Emily Whitwell, Breck Piedra and Teagan Sweat have been the 1-2-3 hitters for the Piedmont Academy for the majority of the season with Holder waiting in the cleanup spot.

When it comes to the pitching in the postseason, Johnson will stick with Mackenzie Plunkett and Whitwell.

“Coming from game one, they have both come a long way,” Johnson said. “Emily was probably one of the top two or three pitchers in the state last year as far as ERA. Mackenzie is one of our ninth graders. Every good inning we get out of her means one less for the other.We are very happy with the pitching staff going into the playoffs.”

According to Johnson, one thing that has helped the program have prolonged success is the amount of underclassmen on the roster. Piedra is the only senior for the Lady Cougars in 2023.

“In the time I have been here we have never graduated more than three [players],” Johnson said. “That has been one of the things that has set us up to where we are now. Our program has stayed with the same core group of eight girls that are in that junior class, and those kids can ball. They are all just great travel players and great athletes.”

The Lady Cougars will begin their playoff run at home against region foe Greenwood. In two matchups against the Lady Gators earlier in the year, Piedmont Academy won both matchups 8-0 and 12-0, respectively.

Piedmont Academy will have a doubleheader with Greenwood Saturday, Oct. 14 before a game three on Sunday.