With the game well in hand, tears poured down Benton catcher Brittney Naron's face before she caught the final strike.
When the final strike crossed the plate Thursday, Naron tossed her mask and ran toward Jeri Wilson, her good friend and batterymate since she was a child.
Wilson kept her calm while her counterpart struggled en route to a complete-game gem in Benton's 9-0 victory over Pearl River. The Lady Tigers earned a trip to next weekend's Class 4A state softball tournament.
"We want to go to state so bad," said Wilson, who dealt a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts. "(Brittney) Has been my catcher since I was like 10 years old. She's graduating and going to college and I'm going to be here. It's sad."
The state tournament will serve as a going away celebration between Wilson and Naron, but several of the Lady Tigers will be along on the emotional roller coaster.
Benton head coach Michelle Owens was overwhelmed when thinking of what a state berth meant to her and her seven seniors.
"I'm not a crier," Owens said after several teary-eyed attempts to express her feelings. "The seniors have played together so hard and committed themselves to softball in the summer, in the fall, in the weight room, tournaments — they just work so hard together. I can't say enough about them.
