By GARY STALLARD
AC Athletics
In Angelina College’s nearly 60-year history, there has been just one national championship team.
This next week, that same team will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its title with a much-anticipated reunion.
The 2014 Lady Roadrunner softball team stunned the NJCAA by winning the national championship in St. George, Utah. The team was the first Texas team to win an NJCAA Division I title and (thus far) the only Angelina College team to nail down a championship.
The current Lady ‘Runner softball team will play host to the champs in a reunion ceremony scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday, April 20 at Lady Roadrunner Field. The current AC team is scheduled to play a doubleheader against Blinn College starting at 1 p.m., but those attending the reunion will have plenty of room and time to reminisce about one of the greatest moments in Angelina College Athletics history.
Should weather force game cancellation, the ceremony honoring the 2014 team still will take place inside Shands Gymnasium.
Under coaches Mark and Barbi Mattson, the Lady Roadrunner softball team in 2014 featured just two sophomores on its roster. After a slow start – the group started 1-3 in conference play – merely qualifying for the conference tournament seemed like a longshot. but the team overcome numerous challenges – including airport delays leading to a 39-hour trip just to get to St. George, Utah – on the way to earning their title. They would arrive at the site of the national tournament on just a few hours of sleep (and without having even seen the playing fields).
What transpired was legendary.
AC rallied from a 6-2 deficit to beat a ranked Southern Union College (AL) team 7-6 in extra innings. Next came another extra-inning thriller, with the Lady Roadrunners taking down Jefferson College (MO) team in a walk-off, 4-3 win in nine innings.
Next would come an 8-2 win over Region XIV foe San Jacinto College, followed by a nail-biting 4-2 win over nationally ranked Central Florida College.
The Lady Roadrunners were in the national championship finals, needing one win in two tries to take the title.
Central Florida didn’t make it easy, taking the first game by a 6-2 margin, setting up the winner-take-all match.
AC’s ladies showed no signs of a letdown after the loss, jumping out to an 8-1 lead before taking an 8-5 win.
When the last out settled into shortstop Sage Martinez’ glove, the team didn’t really celebrate. There was a team hug in the pitching circle, but that was about it.
It was as if they were as shocked as the rest of the softball world.
Prospective attendees for the reunion ceremony are asked to contact Sports Information Director Gary Stallard at gstallard@angelina.edu.