MONTGOMERY — Cullman had every intention of hanging around Lagoon Park until the end.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite turn out that way.

The Lady Bearcats dropped a 9-4 contest to top-ranked Daphne during Wednesday’s opener before falling to No. 4 Helena 9-1 at the Class 6A state softball tournament, ending their Blue Map dreams on the first day of the annual showdown.

The Black and Gold (30-21-1) held a 3-1 cushion over the Lady Trojans late in their first-round outing but gave up eight runs in the sixth inning to lose the lead and a potential route through the winners’ bracket.

Coach Stephanie Conner’s team no doubt felt the lasting effects of the tough loss, mustering just three hits and five baserunners during an elimination game against the Lady Huskies.

“We never really recovered,” Conner said. “That’s just how it goes sometimes. Honestly, after everything we’ve been through these past two weeks, the girls have played so well. We have young kids out there trying to make the best of it. I’m proud of the seniors, who were simply trying to hold it all together. I hate it for them. I wanted more for these girls.”

Cullman, which was making its third consecutive state appearance, nabbed a 1-0 advantage following an RBI fielder’s choice by Meredith McPherson in the fourth inning. McKensi Burks (RBI single) and Hannah Morton (RBI double) helped stretch it to three runs with nice at-bats during the fifth frame.

Then it all fell apart rather quickly.

Trailing 3-1, Daphne began the sixth inning with four straight singles and a walk to tie the tilt before plating four unearned runs — the Lady Bearcats committed two throwing errors on a bases-loaded slap from the nine-hole hitter — to seize the momentum and a 7-3 advantage over the Black and Gold.

Kennedy Cronan’s two-run homer just three batters later made it 9-3 and essentially put the nail in the coffin.

“If we could have minimized that damage there and kept it closer, it might have been a little easier for us,” Conner said. “But once that happened, we struggled.”

Helena had no sympathy for Cullman, however, jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead with a solo homer from Mekhi Mayfield in the second inning. The Lady Huskies garnered two more runs during the fourth — RBI singles from Mayfield and Maggie Blanton — and three more during the fifth — an RBI double from Grace Robertson and a two-run homer from Katie Lively — to essentially squash any chance of a Black and Gold comeback. Torie White’s three-run bomb during the sixth inning was just sugar on top for Helena.

McPherson (two hits and two RBIs), Tiffani Schwaiger (two hits and one RBI), Bailey Swann (two hits), Morton (one hit and one RBI), Burks (one hit and one RBI) and Sierra Easterwood (one hit) were the lone offensive contributors during the two-game stretch.

Conner will have to say goodbye to six talented seniors — Morton, Burks, Easterwood, Tiffani Schwaiger, Olivia Schwaiger and McPherson — heading into next spring.

The fifth-year coach could only laud the group for a fantastic run with a here-to-stay program.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she said. “They’re the only class who’s been here three years in a row as far I as know. And that’s nothing to hang your head about.”