ALL-AREA: Pate selected as softball pitcher-of-the-year

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on June 13, 2015 11:28 PM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

CALYPSO -- Written in different-colored chalk on two rows of cement blocks that lead around the school and to the front steps of the North Duplin gymnasium were the softball players' names and numbers.

The last block just before you step onto the parking lot summed it up -- "1-A state champs."

Rylee Pate still feels as if she's living a fantasy less than a week after helping guide the Rebels to their first state softball championship -- and the first such title in any girls' sport in school history.

"It's been exciting," said Pate, who has been selected as the 2015 News-Argus All-Area Pitcher-of-the-Year.

What an understatement.

Pate and her teammates embraced the "one game at a time" mantra and soon found themselves in position to accomplish two goals -- win the Carolina 1-A Conference regular-season title and return to the playoffs.

The Rebels fell short in their league title quest.

However, their return to the postseason became a historical -- and unforgettable -- journey. The team posted five shutouts and allowed just one run before they reached the state championship series.

North Duplin dropped the opening-round game to Hiwassee Dam. That night in the hotel, Pate and her teammates vowed they weren't coming home without a state crown.

"Our goal was win each (playoff) game and just advance further, and we said all along that when we got there (to the state finals), we had already baked the cake," Pate said.

The Rebels added the icing with back-to-back victories -- 2-1 and 7-3 -- over the Eagles the following day on the UNC Greensboro diamond.

"I told them going over there that it's tough to bounce back (after a loss) and it shows what kind of team you have ... what kind of heart you have and you're able to dig down like that," first-year ND head coach Ricky Edwards said.

Pate had a cool, competitive posture inside the pitcher's circle and the sophomore right-hander proved nearly unhittable all season. She logged a 14-3 record and 0.83 earned run average with 197 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings of work.

In 18 starts, she threw 12 complete games and two no-hitters. During the Rebels' incredible playoff run, Pate threw 97 strikeouts and was part of five shutouts in six tries before they ran into Pinetown Northside in the east regional finals.

"You have to have that kind of attitude a little bit," Pate said of her demeanor on the rubber. "When someone gets a hit off of you or you walk someone, you have to be confident in yourself and know what you can do."

North Duplin's strength was its defensive chemistry. The Rebels (20-4-1) had confidence in Pate and consistently made the plays behind her when balls were hit in their direction.

Pate attributed that success to playing with her teammates since middle school. They all knew each others' weaknesses and used each others' strengths to their advantage.

"We all worked together, trusted each other," said Pate, who plays travel ball with the Fayetteville Wildcards. "We wanted to make it as far as we could and that pushed us very hard. We just wanted to make sure we could be the best we could be."

That's how a state champion should think.