Class 3A softball: Emily Needham leads Saint James past Colbert County to title

When Emily Needham took the field on Friday, she carried a powerful reminder of home right in her pocket. It was a gray rock, etched with the words, “I love you, pumpkin,” a touching sentiment from her late father, Rob.

“I’ve had it with me all day,” Needham said at Jacksonville State. “It’s a reminder of him, and I’ve thought about him every game.”

In the final game of a career defined by resilience through adversity and injury, the Saint James pitcher turned in a performance for the ages. Needham tossed a complete game, leading the Trojans to a decisive 9-1 victory over Colbert County to capture the Class 3A state championship.

The tournament MVP, who also contributed a double at the plate, admitted the reality of the victory began to set in as the lead grew. “I was thinking about how I wish he could be here, but I know he’s proud of me,” she said.

A Dominant Finish

The University of South Alabama signee was nearly untouchable in the circle, allowing just three hits and four walks while racking up seven strikeouts. Saint James coach Mark Hall lauded her character, noting that she represents both her family and the program with unmatched class.

“I just love her,” Hall said. “She’s like my daughter. When I call pitches, and you’re communicating with her constantly, and then going through the process of losing her father, and trying to stay as close as I can to that child through all that, and her family... I’m going to miss her a lot.”

Building a Champion

The championship represents a significant milestone for the Trojans, who finished as the Class 3A runner-up last year following previous tournament runs of third and fifth place. “This team worked our butts off this year,” Needham added. “Coming off of runner-ups last year, we worked even harder for this one.”

By the Numbers

Saint James: Sydney Johnston sparked the offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Kaitlyn Hudson and Emily Darby each chipped in two hits, with Hudson crossing the plate three times.

Colbert County: Hallie Holland provided a bright spot with a 2-for-3 performance, including a home run.

Did you know? Saint James made history this season as the only program in the state to secure championships in both girls basketball and softball.

Coach Hall emphasized the difficulty of the road to the title: “We played the top three teams that you could possibly play in this tournament... You play them in a row, and we won all of those games. It’s amazing. I don’t know if there’s ever been a tougher road to get to a state championship, so we earned it.”