Lady Knights advance to 1st state appearance
Summerfield – For years, Robbinsville softball has been the standard-bearer for consistency and excellence across North Carolina.
Yet, something was missing: a state championship.
The Lady Knights now have their first opportunity to stand atop the 1A mountain, stamping a ticket for the Best-of-3 title series by defeating Bethany Community School 6-1 in Game 2 of the Western Regional Finals.
"These girls have played no telling how many games together. We're so solid," said head coach Billy Knight. "It's as good a hitting, pitching and defensive team as we've ever had. They've worked so hard for this and have earned it."
Robbinsville (No. 1, 25-2) had to wait an extra day to secure its state trip, after Game 2 was rained out. As a result, the Lady Knights had to stay overnight before completing the series sweep in suburban Greensboro.
"This was a teaching moment for the girls," Knight explained. "I pointed out to them that they were going to have to stay in a hotel, get up and be ready to play softball on back-to-back days if they wanted to win a state championship."
The final outcome was not indicative of the Lady Knights' on-field performance. Solid connections simply found a glove, rather than the dirt or grass.
Robbinsville wasted little time establishing a field presence at Bethany Community School (No. 6, 18-7), as Ella Nelms smacked a double in the top of the first to bring home Suri Watty and courtesy runner Myah Winfrey. After aiding her own cause, Nelms (20-0) went on to strike out eight Lady Wolves in the regional-title game.
Kynadee Spencer followed with a second-inning double to plate Sydney Adams, before Dreylee Webster flew out to bring in Sophie Roberts during the third.
Bethany Community ended the shutout in the bottom of the fourth, when Cadence Parsons singled to score Peyton Weavil. Robbinsville bided its time until the sixth, responding with a Spencer double that brought Anna Williams dashing across the dish. Watty reached on an error during the next at-bat, with Khaygen Buchanan scoring among the chaos.
Nelms punched out Alyssa Rakestraw in the bottom of the seventh to cement the championship. She enters the state series with 210 strikeouts; just 21 walks; and a minuscule 0.13 ERA. Only 26 hits have been recorded against the freshman phenom this season.
Bethany Community is the only team to score against Robbinsville in the postseason, as the Lady Wolves scratched out an 11-1 loss at Judy Nichols Memorial Field in May 19's series opener. The Lady Knights have outscored their opposition 37-2 in the 2026 playoffs.
Robbinsville has now reached the Western Regional Finals three times: 2019, 2024 and 2026.
One more obstacle
The 1A state championship softball series will be held Friday-Saturday, at Duke University in Durham. Game 1 will be played at 4 p.m., Friday; while Game 2 will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday.
If Game 3 is necessary, first pitch will be at 5 p.m., Saturday. All games will be live-streamed through the NFHS Network.
Standing between Robbinsville and immortality is Bear Grass Charter (No. 1 seed, 24-3). Traveling from Williamston, the Lady Bears swept Lake Waccamaw's East Columbus 6-3, 13-2 in the Eastern Regional Series.
"They have been a very consistent program," Knight observed. "When I saw the (1A) reclassification, I had a hunch we would be playing them for a state championship."
Bear Grass Charter will load a talented, experienced line-up onto the bus for the 127-mile trip to Duke. By contrast, Robbinsville has 311 miles of asphalt to traverse.
Eleven players return from last year's Lady Bears, which went 22-5 and reached the fourth round of the playoffs. Back are seniors Aubrey Dotson (shortstop), Lane Gregory (left field) and Callee Perry (third base, outfield). Junior Hannah Lilley looks to carry the workload inside the circle, which will be complemented by the defensive work of fellow classmates – and other players reporting back for duty – Chloe Clifton (third base, catcher); Ella Hayes (third base, first base); Olivia Hogge (outfield, second base); and Julia Woods (outfield).
"This is a series of what I feel have been the best 1A programs in the state for the last few years," said Knight. "For us to be there is validation of all the hard work we – as coaches – have put in. I couldn't do it without my coaching staff; they are tremendous."