Perry wins first Softball State Championship

By Marcus Trevino mtrevino@stwnewspress.com

October 7, 2023

The state championship game, bottom of the seventh inning, bases loaded, win or go home – it’s the moment all softball players dreamed of as little girls.

But for Perry High School pitcher Joely Kukuk, it was a position she desperately wanted to get out of.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I really got to focus right now because this could be bad,’” the sophomore said. “That’s not really how I expected it. I was hoping it would be much simpler than that.”

The No. 2 Lady Maroons (35-6) beat No. 1 Lone Grove (32-9) 3-2 Saturday at Cowgirl Stadium to win the Class 3A fast pitch softball state championship, the first in school history, using a timely double play.

Painfully denied a spot in the state tournament 12 months ago, 22-year coach Bryan Hayes said the coronation was worth the wait.

“These girls worked so hard. It’s just an incredible feeling that I can’t describe,” Hayes said. “It didn’t matter that our record was 33-8 last year. We were all mad at the world, and we knew that no matter what, we did not want that feeling again because we had too much talent.”

Perry took an early 2-1 lead in the first inning with RBIs from Kennedy Hight and Alley Kennedy.

Freshman Neveah Mills batted-in the game’s final score in the second inning. She had hits in all three of her at-bats.

She said she was happy to help bring a championship to Perry and hopes her performance leads to another goal.

“I’m really hoping this gets me to college ball,” Mills said. “Either OSU or OU, definitely.”

Kukuk, after giving up the run in the first inning, pitched six scoreless frames, striking out three batters. Her night included a three-up, three-down third inning, and she got out of a jam with two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning.

She said the early lead kept her composed in the high-pressure situations.

“I think it really made a difference in winning or losing,” Kukuk said. “I think if we didn’t get that extra point in the second, then I think it would have really made a difference.”

The Lady Longhorns, seeking their third consecutive state title, won their semifinal game in comeback fashion. Hayes said he could tell they were “oozing” with confidence in the last frame, and it was “nerve wracking to death.”

“Since the day we started, I tried to train the girls to be their own ball player because, just like the last play, I didn’t say a word,” Hayes said. “I was sitting there panicking, but I didn’t have to do a dang thing because they’re always trying to make the next play on their own.”