North Duplin’s Kasey Jones shouts ‘let’s go’ after teammate Lilly Fulghum struck out an East Columbus batter to leave the bases loaded in the first inning Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham (4) easily steals second base against East Columbus during game three in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern softball regional. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin freshman Lilly Fulghum swats a solo home run and earns the win inside the circle as the Rebels claimed the 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A east regional softball crown Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham slides home and scores a second-inning run during play against East Columbus. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin shortstop Reece Outlaw snags an infield pop fly behind second base during early-inning action against East Columbus on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin right-hander Lilly Fulghum fires a pitch toward the plate against East Columbus Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin lead-off batter Riley Hatch waits for the pitch during play against East Columbus. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham, left, legs out an infield as East Columbus first baseman Bailey Padgett waits for the throw Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin outfielders M’chelle Jaco, left, Iala Overton, middle, and Sarah Thomas Tucker wait to take the field on defense during middle-inning play against East Columbus on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Riley Hatch steals second base as East Columbus shortstop Karli Godwin applies a late tag Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Reece Outlaw connects on a three-run homr during fourth-inning action. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham, right, celebrates with teammate Reece Outlaw after the junior connected on a towering home run that landed somewhere near Faison on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Kasey Jones slides into first base, but is called out as East Columbus’ Bailey Patrick fields the throw. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Members of North Duplin’s coaching staff and a couple of alumni watch the action from the outfield fence Friday evening. The Rebels defeated East Columbus, 14-7, to win the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional softball title. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Ady Spence celebrates after reaching second base during the latter innings against East Columbus on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s M’chelle Jaco stands on second base as East Columbus’ Karli Godwin applies a late tag. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham harrassed the East Columbus defense all evening. The sophomore infielder batted 3-for-4. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
An overflow crowd of North Duplin fans, including the baseball team (standing), watched the Rebels claim the school’s third eastern regional softball championship in school history - two in fast-pitch (2015, 2023) and slow-pitch (1989) action. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s players celebrate winning the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional softball championship with a 14-7 conquest of East Columbus on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin pitcher Lilly Fulghum, right, cries in the arms of teammate Reece Outlaw after recording the last out to give the Rebels the 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional title Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin head softball coach Jaime Kylis Higginbotham, middle, celebrates with senior Adaisha Bernal, left, and assistant coach Starr Jaco after the Rebels won the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional softball title Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin players celebrate their eastern 1A regional championship Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Riley Hatch carries the eastern regional championship trophy after a 14-7 win over East Columbus on Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin players give head coach Jaime Kylis the traditional Gatorade shower after the Rebels won the 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional softball crown Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s players hold up the ‘W’ after winning the 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional softball championship Friday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — Lilly Fulghum stepped to the back of the circle, rubbed her hand in the dirt, toed the rubber and fired a pitch toward the plate.
What happened next turned a season-long fantasy into reality for North Duplin’s softball team Friday evening.
East Columbus’ Kaley Mitchell popped up into foul territory.
Rebels catcher Kasey Jones, Fulghum and third baseman Riley Hatch raced toward the ball in front of the Gators’ dugout. Fulghum dove head first and the ball dropped into her glove.
Game over.
The celebration began for North Duplin, which clinched the 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional softball crown with a decisive 14-7 victory in a “winner-take-all” battle.
The Rebels (23-3 overall) face Union Academy (24-4) in next weekend’s state championship series. NCHSAA officials have not announced the site and game times.
“I wanted to make the last out, get the game over with because I was shaky,” Fulghum said. “I didn’t know it was three outs. I was looking for the runner at first. Then Riley came and hugged me.”
Game three resembled a boxing match.
The Gators threw the first jab with a first-inning run.
North Duplin counter-punched to go ahead 3-1.
East Columbus’ second strike, a five-run second inning highlighted by Jenna King’s solo home run, momentarily stunned the Rebels.
Not fazed, Reece Outlaw and Lilly Fulghum delivered the knockout blows — back-to-back home runs in the fourth. A boisterous Gator contingent grew silent.
“We knew it was going to be a fight,” said an emotional ND head coach Jaime Kylis, who wiped tears from her eyes. “The first couple of innings really sets the stage for how the game is going to be played. We were ready and I’m super proud of them. As little women, they handled their business.”
The fourth-seeded Rebels added four runs in the fifth.
Seeded 10th, the Gators averted the mercy-rule loss, but their fate had been sealed. For the second straight outing, the Waccamaw 1A/2A champions struggled to push across runs and stranded eight runners – five in scoring position.
Fulghum held East Columbus to one run over the final five innings. The right-hander painted the corners of the plate with a breaking pitch and timely change-up that caught EC batters off guard.
“Kasey was ringing me up with her frames [for the umpire] and the curve ball was working for me all night,” said Fulghum, who filed 13 strikeouts in the scorebook.
Eight of nine North Duplin starters registered at least one hit.
Outlaw turned in a 4-for-4, three-RBI performance. Hatch (RBI), Higginbotham (RBI) and Fulghum (three RBI) provided two hits apiece.
Jones (three RBI), Iala Overton (RBI), M’chelle Jaco and Sarah Thomas Tucker (RBI) each registered one hit.
North Duplin scored 31 runs on 34 hits and slugged three home runs during the three-game series.
“I’m kind of at a loss for words,” Kylis said. “I’ve known a lot of these girls since they were in coach-pitch. This is another special thing because I get to watch them do this.
“I’m very blessed to be a part of this memory, it’s so touching and it’s a memory they will have for the rest of their lives. To be a part of this has been so much fun. I’m really thankful for my dad [assistant Steve Kylis] because it’s been really cool to do this with him.”
The Rebels earned their first regional championship since 2015 and third overall in program history. They finished as the eastern runners-up in 2016.
Jones felt like destiny belonged in the team’s gloves all season.
“I think that going to state championship this year would be the best way possible to end out the season,” Jones said. “I think that we’ve been counted out for so long since 2016 that nobody thinks we’re going to get there because we’re little North Duplin.”
Those critics are silent now.
