Cherokee rode a wave of momentum that included an eight-game winning streak to make it to the Class AAAA Fast-Pitch Softball State Championships in Columbus.

With their first game starting off today against Region 1AAAA champion Lee County at 2 p.m., the Lady Warriors will try to ensure that wave hasn't crested.

"It definitely takes getting hot at the right time and that is what we have done," Cherokee coach Tonya Carlisle said. "We had a rough start to the season and our kids had a lot of resilience and we just never quit. We never stopped believing in what we were capable of doing. We are looking forward to seeing what happens down here."

Cherokee's charge began Oct. 4 with a 2-0 win over South Paulding and carried the Lady Warriors through both the Region 5AAAA tournament, where they earned a No. 3 seed, and state sectionals with an undefeated run over Northwest Whitfield, Loganville and Ringgold.

"I felt like we had hit the ball well all season," Carlisle said. "We just weren't able to get key hits at the right time and our defense struggled a little bit during the season. Everything started going on all cylinders. We started getting the key hits, we started having games where we played error-free ball and had great pitching to go with it. It just took everything going right at the same time."

Defense has been the name of Cherokee's game of late. In the eight-game winning streak, the Lady Warriors have given up a combined four runs. In a scoreless game with Ringgold to ensure a berth to today's Elite Eight, Cherokee displayed defensive prowess by forcing out the go-ahead runner at third and forcing a double play to end the Lady Tigers' scoring chances before loading the bases to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

"Defense wins championships," Carlisle said. "We are just hoping to keep that alive."

Cherokee's defense will face a test in the Lady Trojans, who went 20-11 en route to the Region 1AAAA title. Lee County bounced Wayne County, Dutchtown and Northside-Warner Robbins in its state sectional to make it to Columbus.

Cherokee will look to provide Lee County with roadblocks on defense and offense with its roster. Pitcher Abbey Meixel is the Lady Warriors' key in the circle. The junior has posted a 17-7 record on the season with a 0.77 ERA and 250 strikeouts.

Meixel has also come up solid at the plate, posting a .351 batting average with 19 RBIs. Also swinging the bats well are third baseman Sharon Swanson and freshman outfielder Natalie Rhodes. Swanson, a junior, has a .333 batting average with 24 runs and 16 RBIs while Rhodes is hitting .327 with 14 runs scored.

Carlisle said Cherokee will be prepared for any team it may draw should the Lady Warriors advance. A win this afternoon would put Cherokee back on the field later in the evening to face the winner of the game between Whitewater and Marist at 6 p.m. A loss against Lee County would result in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Friday morning.

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