LONGWOOD — Kinley King got to yell out Columbia’s record one last time.
This time, as state champions.
Her “29-3” cry in the postgame huddle put a bow on a magical season for the top-ranked Tigers, who survived two-bases loaded jams in the final two innings to top Lake Wales 3-2 for the Class 4A state title Saturday afternoon at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park. They did it behind a complete game effort from freshman pitcher Ryleigh Stone, who got Mattie Cockrell to fly out to right field for the final out after surrendering a run two batters prior.
Cockrell’s deep fly ball fell into the glove of Marlee Hunt, who was quickly embraced by teammates for a long celebration. It’s the second title in program history for the Tigers, who finished the season on a 16-game winning streak to bring home their first championship in 13 years.
THE TIGERS DO IT. THEY’RE THE CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPS.
— Jordan Kroeger (@ByJordanKroeger) May 23, 2026
Cockrell flies out deep to right to end it. Tigers win their second state title and first since 2013.
Final: Columbia 3, Lake Wales 2 pic.twitter.com/IXNmrsB9Y8
“I’m proud of them,” Columbia coach Joe Saucier said. “We’re 29-3 on the season…That’s a heck of a club right there. I’m sad that it’s over with but dang I love those girls.”
The Tigers (29-3) built a 3-0 lead thanks to a two-RBI triple by catcher Emily Delgado in the fourth and an RBI single by shortstop Alannah Lord in the fifth before holding on for dear life. Keira Davis led off the sixth with a double and Kyra Williams then hit a ground ball to Lord, who skipped the throw to senior first baseman Ava Christie before it bounced toward the Lake Wales dugout.
That miscue, which would’ve been the third out, allowed Davis to score from second to finally get the Highlanders (25-7) on the scoreboard. Stone then walked two straight batters to load the bases, but she limited the damage when she struck out Zamirya McBurrows.
“Ryleigh is a dog, that girl doesn’t allow pressure to get to her head,” Delgado said. “She knows she’s good, so all she’s got to do is pitch the ball…there is no pressure for her. She’s our rock and she doesn’t break.”
That was true again in a drama-filled seventh.
After Pyper Barnhardt reached first base on a fielder’s choice with no outs, Davis singled to put runners on the corners. Stone responded with her ninth and last strikeout of the day but then surrendered an RBI single to Kailey McRae, who was able to advance to second on the throw home while Davis reached third.
Saucier then opted to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Kyra Williams and load the bases for Cockrell. He made the same bet in the seventh inning of the district championship against Baker County, and just like that night, Stone made it pay off with a victory.
It’s why the Tigers have called her “Stone Cold” all year long.
“I still love the pressure,” Stone said. “I’m used to that. (Saucier) is always like, ‘OK, we only have one run that keeps us from losing so let’s walk the girl and load the bases.’ That’s the hardest part. He’s done that before. I was like, ‘I’ve got this. He’s done it before.’"
Even if the ball off Cockrell’s bat made her heart sink for a moment.
“I got a little scared because I called that pitch and I thought she jacked it over,” Stone said.
The ball instead began dropping with room to spare for Hunt, who ended quite a stressful inning for Stone and the Tigers. Stone, who only allowed one earned run five hits and five walks, was so locked in that she didn’t even realize the game was over due to the scoreboard showing nine innings.
The freshman admitted she thought there were still two more innings to go until her teammates rushed the field. That’s when it finally clicked for her that the Tigers were state champs.
“I was about to get ready and hit again,” Stone said. “I was like, oh, OK!’”
The day began as a pitcher’s duel between Stone and McBurrows, with the teams combining for only one hit through the first three innings. The Tigers didn’t even register their first hit until Delgado’s two-RBI triple, which was lined down the right-field line to score Anna Dansby and Lord after McBurrows had hit both with a pitch.
Lake Wales right fielder Paiten Dunaway was playing extremely close to center field and Delgado eyed the right corner of the outfield right away when she stepped into the batter’s box.
“We had some girls who had their head down, so I had to bring it up somehow,” Delgado said. “I was expecting that outside pitch from her and I nailed it.”
McBurrows hit four Columbia hitters total on the day, the last coming in the fifth inning when she pegged Luisa Taylor following a double by Addyson Sherman. Dansby then walked to load the bases before Lord delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 3-0, which finally chased McBurrows from the circle.
All three runs against McBurrows were earned on four hits and a walk in addition to the four hit batters. She finished with five strikeouts before being pulled for Barnhardt.
“We knew she (McBurrows) wanted to stay outside so we put our toes on the plate and that’s what happened,” Saucier said of the four hit batters. “When you put your toes on the line, you get in the heat of the battle sometimes and you get hit.
“Those girls are tough. When you hit one, you hit all 15.”
Barnhardt limited Columbia to only two more hits over the final 2 1/3 innings to give Lake Wales a chance to pull off a dramatic victory. But the Highlanders weren’t the team of destiny on Saturday.
That was the Tigers, who send out seniors Raelyn Wehinger, Lauryn Lee, Amani Tunsil, Delgado, Taylor, Sherman, Dansby and Christie as state champions.
.@CHSTigersSB is bringing a trophy home. pic.twitter.com/8qEtb9X2ZS
— Jordan Kroeger (@ByJordanKroeger) May 23, 2026
“This team means the world to me, the absolute world,” Delgado said. “I’ve known these girls for so long. I’ve known the younger girls for so long. I’ve known them since travel ball, since they were younger. This senior group has known since the beginning that this was going to be it. I was confident enough to know that we’ve got this.”