Freshman Koda Kirksey could not have picked a better moment for her first varsity home run.
In the bottom of the fourth inning with no outs, Kirksey stepped to the plate against Laney senior pitcher Brileigh Matthews, who had held New Bern scoreless to that point. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Kirksey delivered a towering drive that sailed well over the center-field fence, giving the Lady Bears the decisive run in a tightly contested game.
The moment was especially fitting for Kirksey, the Bears’ cleanup hitter. In her first at-bat earlier in the game, she nearly left the yard — sending a deep shot into left-field that landed just foul by only a couple of feet.
Pitcher’s Duel in the Circle
The game quickly developed into a classic pitcher’s duel between two standout seniors.
Matthews was impressive for Laney, limiting New Bern to just four hits while striking out 12 batters and walking only two.
But the Lady Bears had an ace of their own in the circle.
Senior standout Anna Champey delivered another dominant outing, finishing just one play shy of a perfect game. A slight infield miscue allowed the Buccaneers’ only baserunner of the night, who never advanced past second base.
What many did not see was what happened in the dugout afterward.
Champey immediately comforted her teammate, wrapping her in a hug and saying, “Don’t even worry about it. Let’s just win this game.”
It was the definition of leadership from an unselfish player who consistently puts the team above individual accomplishments.
Champey Continues Historic Start
Champey struck out 14 of the 21 batters she faced while tossing a complete game, recording her second no-hitter in the Lady Bears’ first three games of the season.
New Bern’s defense backed her up all night. Maddie Game, Ellie Poston and Kirksey tracked down everything hit their way in the outfield, helping preserve the shutout.
The Bears’ four hits came from freshman Andersyn Lane, Champey, Kierstyn Darnell and Kirksey, whose solo blast proved to be the game-winner.
Champey, who started the season with 298 career strikeouts, has now brought her total to 336 and is averaging 12.66 strikeouts per game. She has walked just three batters all season.
Looking Ahead
This Lady Bears team has leaned on its freshman class to contribute early, while veteran leadership continues to guide the group toward its goals — a conference championship and, for the seniors, their first career playoff victory. I caught up with Koda and asked about her home run, and she said, “It was a huge accomplishment, and I was pumped up!”” She wasn’t the only one; the entire Bears dugout erupted with excitement, as did their fans.
New Bern will have a brief break before traveling to face rival Havelock on Wednesday. The Lady Bears will take on the undefeated Rams, who enter the matchup at 3–0.
Don’t sleep on the Lady Bears softball team. If the early part of the season is any indication, this group may have some special things ahead, not only this year, but for years to come.