Aynor overcomes Crescent for 3-A softball state championship

Blue Jackets romp in decisive game three to take their first state championship since 2015

Aynor throttled Crescent 8-2 in Game 3 on Friday at White Knoll High School in Lexington to capture the school’s third state championship and first since 2015.

Riley Rabon had a two-run single and Ryann Ellis walked with the bases loaded as the Blue Jackets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Aynor went on from there and freshman Alivia Hess threw a three-hitter.

Aynor (30-2) was the state runner-up in 2022. The Blue Jackets have won three state championships altogether, with the others coming in 2015 as a 2-A school and in 1990 as a 1-A program. Aynor has finished second five times.

Jolie Davis homered for Crescent, which has won 19 state championships in softball, in the first inning but Hess shut the door pretty much after that.

Aynor shows off its 3-A SCHSL softball state championship trophy

Katie Goff had two RBIs for the Blue Jackets with a single and sacrifice fly. Maddie Johnson had an RBI single.

Aynor took a 7-1 win in Game 1 as Alaina Brown was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ellis was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Rabon had a hit and RBI.

Hess allowed a run in the first inning but dominated the rest of the way.

Crescent got just one hit but it was enough as the Tigers won 1-0 in Game 2, snapping Aynor’s 29-game winning streak. The Tigers scored their run in the first inning when Emily Blackwell was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and came home on Ashlyn Parker’s sacrifice fly.

The Tigers’ Courtney Brown pitched a two-hitter with four strikeouts and no walks.

Aynor’s Maddie Johnson was nearly as good. Johnson went the distance and recorded eight strikeouts.

Crescent finished the season with a 27-5 record.