Oxford, Ala. – (GSN) – Winning a championship in any team sport is a tough challenge. Doing it with changing players and SIX straight years is historic. Orange Beach completed the task by going undefeated at the state tournament site here on May 18-19.

Orange Beach defeated another perennial softball power in Plainview, 6-0, at Choccolocco Park’s softball stadium, using a familiar pattern the Lady Makos used to go 3-0 on the first day of the tournament: MK McMullan pitching a two-hit shutout and the offense using a big inning to blow the game open for the win in the Class 4A title game. McMullan, who gave up two runs over the four games, was named the MVP of the tournament.

Orange Beach had beaten Plainview on May 18, 11-2, and would have had to play Plainview a second time if they had lost. But losing in Oxford is something the Lady Makos have never done. It takes four straight wins to take the title through the winner’s bracket and Orange Beach is now 24-0 in games played at Choccolocco Park. They separated themselves from Pisgah who won five straight titles in 2001-05.

In a hard-fought game, Orange Beach had scratched out a 1-0 lead before batting in the bottom of the fifth inning. But Orange Beach exploded for five runs in the fifth, including the final four of the game with two outs. Addy Oldman scored on a sacrifice fly by Katie King on a close call at the plate that would have been out number three to keep the threat alive.

Teagan Revette then legged out an expertly laid bunt for an infield single, followed by three base hits and two errors on the Lady Bears. Besides King, Ava Hodo and McMullan had RBIs in the Makos big inning.

Plainview made some incredible plays to keep it close early, including several diving catches in the outfield to snuff out Makos’ threats. But they mustered very few threats of their own against McMullan. The biggest came in the fourth inning when McMullan pitched out of a bases-loaded jam on a squeeze bunt where McMullan fielded it, tossed to catcher Hodo at home, who then threw to first base for the inning-ending double play.

For Makos Hodo and Revette, both starters in 2021 for the first state title as seventh graders, their careers ended as state champions for six straight years.