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The LaGrange softball team got a complete performance on Tuesday, beating Trinity Christian 5-1 to book a spot in the region 4-AAAA championship game.

“That is a complete game right there,” LaGrange coach Craig Mobley said. “Offense, pitching and defense were executed all across the board. When you play like that in all three phases of the game, good things are going to happen.”

Defense, offense and pitching were in complete unison as the Grangers cruised to a semifinal win.

“I think everybody out here was tired of losing, and we took it out on them tonight,” Abby McGill said. 

McGill set the tone for LaGrange, taking the first pitch of the bottom of the first over the centerfield wall for a massive home run.

“I was just going out there thinking ‘let’s get it started with a bang,” McGill said with a laugh. 

Mobley said, “McGill has been setting the tone for the team all year.”

The hit left the Granger dugout energized, and they were able to feed off that going into the other six innings.

“We were not really expecting that,” said Zoe Thompson, the Grangers starting pitcher in the game. “It got everybody fired up.”

LaGrange doubled its lead in the bottom of the second when Carolyne Garcia hit a one-run single. Garcia had a monster game offensively, going 3-for-3 with an RBI, and not a single error on first base.

The game would stay deadlocked until Tatum Nation drove in two runs in the bottom of the fifth and let out a war cry to her teammates in the dugout.

“It was exciting, and I was able to help Zoe out a little,” Nation said. “It felt really good to produce in a big moment because I’ve been in a bit of a slump.”

Mobley added that “It gave us a bit of breathing room and took the pressure off of us and put it on them,” Mobley said. 

The Grangers added another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Hudson Wood flew out to drive in the fifth run of the game for LaGrange.

The Lions got a run back in the bottom of the seventh and got runners on first and second, but Thompson slammed the door on any attempt at a rally. 

Thompson was superb, pitching a complete game while allowing just four hits on four strikeouts. 

“It felt like I had no pressure out there,” Thompson said. “It feels really good when it all comes together like that.”

Thompson has delivered time and time again in big games for LaGrange this season.

“This will build on her confidence,” Mobley said. “She was cracking the zone and being a good leader for our team.”

LaGrange got quality offense from up and down its order. McGill and Kimberly Reynolds had two hits apiece while Shelby Siggers and Nation had a hit each.

The Grangers fell in the region 4-4A region championship to Whitewater last season and will be looking for revenge or another opportunity to beat rivals Troup in the region championship game on Thursday at Whitewater High.

“Hopefully, we get the same, a complete game like we had tonight,” Mobley said of the upcoming region championship game.

The winner of the championship game will host while the loser will travel to Wayne County to take part in the opening rounds of the 4A state playoffs.