North Buncombe softball state championship: Full 2022 coverage of Karlyn Pickens and co.
For the first time in program history, North Buncombe softball has advanced to the state championship series.
The Black Hawks will play Eastern Alamance in a best-of-three series June 3-4 at UNC-Greensboro. Game 1 will be Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by Game 2 and the if-necessary Game 3 on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m..
Below is a complete list of Citizen Times coverage of North Buncombe softball from the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Check back for updates throughout the week.
HISTORIC SEASON ENDS: Black Hawks swept with pair of one-run losses
North Buncombe didn't play cleanly enough to overcome a fierce Eastern Alamance team, making a series of small mistakes that betrayed the bind Jessica Mendoza's injury had put coach Tiffani Ferguson in — a shortstop behind the plate, a freshman at shortstop, a destabilized top of the lineup.
The miscues left the Black Hawks on the wrong side of two ultra-close games in a state championship sweep, taking a 3-2 loss Saturday to end the best season in program history and the career of one of the best athletes in school history.
"We played with (Eastern Alamance). Both games, we played with them," Ferguson said. "It was a one-run ballgame both games, and you can't even be mad about that."
DRAMATIC GAME 1: Eastern Alamance walks off on Black Hawks in pitcher's duel
Taylor's bouncer up the middle had eluded two of those their gloves and gone all the way to the wall. turning a potential infield single into a walk-off trip around the bases.
North Buncombe blinked first in a Game 1 pitcher's duel between Pickens and Kenna Raye Dark that featured four hits and 26 strikeouts combined, putting the Eagles in the driver's seat in the best-of-three NCHSAA 3A state championship series.
"One hit that got through. That's all it takes at this point," Black Hawks coach Tiffani Ferguson said. "Going into it, we said in playoffs, it's really anybody's game. Just waiting on who makes an error. And that's what happened tonight."
A SPECIAL CONNECTION: 16 years after daughter's murder, Anita King is one of team's biggest supporters
"All my classes are special to me, but these girls have just been even more special to me," King said, "because I know they would be best friends with my daughter."
King was returning to her car after eating at a McDonald's with her daughter, sister and two nephews in Covington, Ga., when a man intentionally ran them over in the parking lot, killing Avery.
The aftermath was a whirlwind. King had injuries of her own to recover from and was pregnant at the time of the attack, giving birth to a second daughter, Gracie, five months later. While grieving, she juggled considerable media attention, legal proceedings and fundraising for a playground in Avery's honor.
All of it reinforced her long-held belief that she should be a teacher.
PREVIEW CAPSULE: Breakdown and prediction of North Buncombe state championship vs. Eastern Alamance
There may not be a better state championship pitching matchup anywhere in the country than this one.
For the Black Hawks, All-American Karlyn Pickens takes the circle with an ERA under 0.30. She'll face off against UNC signee Kenna Raye Dark, who pitched the Eagles to the 2019 championship as a freshman and has a 0.46 ERA this year.
In order to prepare for Dark, the Black Hawks called in a familiar ringer to pitch at practices.
'A FREAKING MADWOMAN': Karlyn Pickens could become one of WNC's best athletes ever
The best prep softball player in WNC history and one of the area's most gifted all-around athletes in recent memory, Pickens has combined her natural tools with an indomitable competitive spirit to become an All-American flamethrower at North Buncombe.
By all accounts, what she's accomplished in Weaverville will only serve as the beginning of what could be a truly extraordinary career for the 6-foot-1 Tennessee signee.
"You almost feel like she was made for this," Black Hawks coach Tiffani Ferguson said. "She knows what she wants, and she goes for it."
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Black Hawks advance to program's first state championship
"I train for the pressure," Pickens said. "I just tried to stay calm and collected and trust my stuff, and it got the job done. That's all I have to do."
A comebacker and two foul outs later, the Black Hawks could breathe easy. However, they still needed runs at some point to avoid playing a winner-take-all Game 3 Saturday.
"We came out here to do what we always do," Pickens said. "If that means scoring in the very, very last inning then that's what's going to happen. Whatever we have to do to win the game."
'HOLY CRAP': What it's like to be on the field with Karlyn Pickens
Holley, a Belmont Abbey signee, said hitting Pickens can feel overwhelming and might "seem impossible" at first, but felt her home run was evidence that Pickens' opponents can succeed with the proper mentality and adjustments.
"Knowing I've struggled with her before and being able to adjust and succeed in that way," Holley said. "It was a surreal moment. It was crazy."
North Buncombe senior Cheyenne Cable also had an "I can't believe this is happening" moment with Pickens this year.
FOR JULIANNA: Black Hawks keeping injured catcher part of playoff run
Before the regional final game at Central Davidson last week, the North Buncombe softball players didn't break their huddle with a typical battle cry of "family!" or "Black Hawks!"
Instead, on the count of three, they yelled, "Julianna!"
Two-and-a-half hours later, as they reconvened in right field with the trophy in hand, their would-be starting catcher was again part of the huddle — joining the postgame celebration via FaceTime.
LESSONS LEARNED: 2021 regional final loss fueled team for this year
"The girls right now, I mean they're fully invested. They want it. They have a hunger for it," Tiffani Ferguson said. "They're just completely bought in."
The Black Hawks entered last year's regional final against Alexander Central 15-0, with the few early-round playoff games their only chances to play anybody outside of their conference.
"Last year's (regular season), we were kind of just playing to play," second baseman Kiersten Gosnell said. "This year, we were stepping our game up. We knew we were going to be playing better teams, we had to come out better, and we knew we wanted to be on top."
13-INNING MARATHON: Pickens K's 29 in 4th-round classic
SHELBY – All it took for North Buncombe softball to reach a second consecutive 3A regional final was a lifetime high in innings, pitches and strikeouts from the defending Gatorade State Player of the Year.
And to avoid coming any closer to the 200-pitch mark, Tennessee signee Karlyn Pickens had to score the game's only run, too.
"We were just running off pure adrenaline at that moment, and everybody wanted it so bad," Pickens said. "We weren't going home without a win."
PRESSING THE ISSUE: Aggression on the basepaths designed to win playoff games
"This entire season, we've talked about playing with intensity and playing with aggression," Tiffani Ferguson said. "We tried to be super aggressive."
The approach won't always work out — a would-be insurance run in the fifth inning was thrown out at the plate — but it's a risk North Buncombe (21-1) is willing to take, especially as the postseason wears on.
"We all know in playoffs," Ferguson said, "it comes down to one-, two-run ballgames."
FUTURE VOL: Pickens signs with Tennessee
"Tennessee has always had a special place in my heart. I kind of knew that's where I wanted to go to begin with," Pickens said. "Growing up, I went to a lot of their camps. So I knew it would be a good fit for me."
Until recently, Pickens' recruitment likely would've dragged on for years. But a 2018 NCAA rule change prohibited college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September of their junior year.
That date came after the summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, making for a strange recruiting cycle for Pickens and other class of 2022 players.
"When COVID hit, it was kind of a slap in the face," Pickens said. "But I knew I wanted to take my time and get a good understanding of the school I wanted to go to."
2021: Black Hawks bats go cold in regional final loss
"That's just part of the game, stuff like that happens," Pickens said. "It's our job on offense to come back in and score some runs. ... We tried our hardest; we put every single thing that we could into it."
Unfortunately, North Buncombe's recent struggles at the plate continued. Carrigan scattered four singles across her complete game shutout, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth to get out of the only real threat of the day.
"That was hope," Ferguson said. "Us being the tough little team that we are, being young, we tried to do what we could with two outs. Just didn't go our way."
2021: North Buncombe walks off Cox Mill in 1st round
The Tennessee commit was missing her spots in the opening frame, and the normally potent offense only managed one baserunner the first time through the lineup against Cox Mill starter Bree Burris.
"It's been a year since we've had a playoff game," Ferguson said. "That's nerves."
"We're usually a pretty solid hitting team," Pickens said. "Once the third inning came around, we were kind of flustered not getting any runs. But we came together at the end."
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: North Buncombe High School softball 2022 state championship coverage
