Good Hope's softball team poses with the championship hardware on Friday.

No amount of weather delays could halt Good Hope’s inevitable push to Montgomery.

Bailey Swann made sure of it.

The senior notched a walk-off RBI double in the seventh inning on Friday, helping the No. 7 Lady Raiders (32-9) corral the title at the West Central Regional Tournament following a thrilling 2-1 win against No. 4 White Plains in Tuscaloosa.

The sensational victory capped off a perfect — and patient — performance at Bowers Park and sent Good Hope to the Class 4A state tournament for the first time since 2013 (3A).

“There was a lot of bad weather, but we kept the momentum going,” Swann said. “We didn’t let anything stop us in our goals. We wanted it more. That’s where we won the championship.”

All three of the Lady Raiders’ matchups were affected by inclement weather, which spawned lengthy delays at every regional tournament venue across the state on Thursday and Friday.

An opening-round triumph over Handley (11-6) was delayed around six hours.

The Red and White’s next outing versus Hokes Bluff began at 11 p.m. on Thursday and was postponed after midnight in the sixth inning before officially being ruled a 4-1 victory on Friday morning.

Coach Tim Tucker’s group dealt with yet another stoppage — about two hours long — during its tilt with the Lady Wildcats before putting the finishing touches on one heck of a week.

“We fought through a lot of adversity,” he said. “Stopping, starting, getting behind, moving to other fields. I’m extremely proud of the effort of the kids. They stayed focused at all times. We got in bed last night at 2:30 a.m. and were back on the field at 8 a.m. this morning and there until 6:30 p.m. just now.”

White Plains claimed a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, but Swann tied the clash in the bottom half of the frame with a sacrifice fly.

Jacqueline Hays and Skylar Tucker then reached with back-to-back, one-out singles in the seventh inning to set up Swann’s heroics.

“We played lights out defensively the whole game,” Swann said. “And I knew all we needed was one run to win this thing. I tried to keep my calm the whole time. I prayed before, during and after my at-bat (laughs). I was struggling with this pitcher, but I had to push all that out of my head.

“It’s unbelievable … I’m still in shock we did what we did.”

Hays, Tucker and Abby Hunt ripped two hits apiece, while Swann (two RBIs), Morgan Goodwin, Angelina Flanagan, Rebekah Norris and Kailee Shikle each came up with one.

Sidnie English, meanwhile, dominated in the circle.

She surrendered just six hits and struck out one batter in seven innings of work, needing just 82 pitches.

“Sidnie pitched three outstanding games,” Tucker said. “We also had some great leadership that kept the team focused and kept them involved during those delays.”

Good Hope will take on top-ranked Alabama Christian Academy on Friday, May 17 at 10:45 a.m.

Swann can’t wait to get down there.

“We set goals three weeks ago, and we’ve accomplished every one of them,” she said. “And I just told them after all the celebrating, ‘This is why we play softball.’ This is Good Hope softball. We are putting it down in history.

“But we have bigger things to focus on now.”

See complete stats from Good Hope’s Thursday games on Page 8A.

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North Regional Tournament

Cullman and West Point were both eliminated in Florence on Friday.

The 6A Lady Bearcats fell to No. 9 Hartselle 15-9 to end their season at 19-27.

The 5A Lady Warriors, on the other hand, lost to Hamilton (4-2) and Scottsboro (8-4).

They wrapped up the 2019 campaign at 22-19-1.

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Friday, May 10

Hartselle 15, Cullman 9 (Softball)

➤ Savannah Davis: two hits, two RBIs

➤ McKenna Kline: two hits, one RBI

➤ Carlie Burnham: one hit, one RBI

➤ Faith Guest: one hit, one RBI

➤ Sydney Holder: one hit

➤ Alex Stansell: one RBI

➤ Taylor Au: one RBI

*Class 6A North Regional in Florence

**Lady Bearcats end season with a 19-27 record

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Scottsboro 8, West Point 4 (Softball)

➤ Makayla Brown: two hits, three RBIs

➤ Braelee Quinn: one hit

*Class 5A North Regional in Florence

**Lady Warriors end season with a 22-19-1 record

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Hamilton 4, West Point 2 (Softball)

➤ Sydney Sellers: two hits

➤ Carlie Wilkins: one hit, one RBI

➤ Gracie Abbott: one hit, one RBI

➤ Gracie Thompson: one hit

➤ Molly Pendley: one hit

*Class 5A North Regional in Florence

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Thursday, May 9

Cullman 6, Albertville 5 (Softball)

➤ Savannah Davis: one hit, one RBI

➤ Alex Stansell: one hit, one RBI

➤ Ashlen Heatherly: one hit, one RBI

➤ Carlie Burnham: one hit, one RBI

➤ McKenna Kline: one hit

➤ Faith Guest: one hit

➤ Taylor Au: one hit

*Class 6A North Regional in Florence

**Davis hit a walk-off RBI single in the seventh inning

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Good Hope 4, Hokes Bluff 1 (Softball)

➤ Sidnie English: two hits, two RBIs

➤ Abby Hunt: two hits

➤ Skylar Tucker: two hits

➤ Kailee Shikle: two hits

➤ Bailey Swann: one hit

➤ Angelina Flanagan: one hit

➤ Morgan Goodwin: one RBI

➤ Sidnie English: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 K

*Class 4A West Central Regional in Tuscaloosa

**Five Innings

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Good Hope 11, Handley 6 (Softball)

➤ Morgan Goodwin: three hits, one RBI

➤ Sidnie English: two hits, three RBIs

➤ Bailey Swann: two hits, two RBIs

➤ Jacqueline Hays: one hit

➤ Gracie Ray: one hit

➤ Skylar Tucker: one RBI

➤ Sidnie English: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 6 K

*Class 4A West Central Regional in Tuscaloosa

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Athens 6, Cullman 1 (Softball)

➤ Savannah Davis: two hits

➤ Alex Stansell: two hits

➤ McKenna Kline: one hit

➤ Ashlen Heatherly: one hit

➤ Taylor Au: one hit

*Class 6A North Regional in Florence

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Lexington 10, Holly Pond 0 (Softball)

➤ Madyson Rickman: one hit

*Class 3A North Regional in Florence

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East Lawrence 9, Holly Pond 0 (Softball)

➤ Ciera James: two hits

➤ Madyson Rickman: one hit

➤ Taylor Simmons: one hit

*Class 3A North Regional in Florence

**Lady Broncos end season with a 9-16 record