Before they understood the full weight of expectations at Columbia, two freshmen were already reshaping them.
Ryleigh Stone and Alannah Lord didn’t just break into the Tigers’ lineup — they took over games. The freshmen duo turned postseason pressure into routine, helping carry a program to a state championship that felt years in the making but arrived in their very first season.
Stone emerged as the team’s unshakable ace in the circle while Lord became the offensive catalyst and defensive anchor at shortstop. Together, they formed a bond that helped power the Tigers to the Class 4A state title, making them fitting selections as the Lake City Reporter’s Co-Softball Players of the Year.
“We were called the freshmen duo and we really took the impact off of that,” Lord said. “We were the freshmen duo and we were going to make sure we were out there and pushing each other.”
Lord became one of the state’s most dangerous hitters, batting a team-best .446 with five home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 37 RBIs, 44 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Stone, meanwhile, emerged as Columbia’s ace, posting a 15-1 record with a 1.22 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 109 innings while also delivering at the plate with a .406 batting average and 13 RBIs.
While they quickly emerged as stars, neither freshman could’ve predicted they’d help lead Columbia to a state title in Year 1. Lord admitted she didn’t fully understand the expectations surrounding the program entering the season, while Stone wasn’t sure how her game would translate to the varsity level.
But when the two arrived at CHS, they recognized each other from travel ball and a bond quickly developed between the only two freshmen in the starting lineup.
“We were pretty close all season,” Stone said. “I think me and her are always going to have something. It’s a shortstop and pitcher thing. She would help me, she would say stuff to me and I would say stuff to her. We just had a good relationship.”
Lord said that relationship became a source of confidence throughout the season.
“Having Ryleigh, as good as she is, pushed me up and I pushed her up,” Lord said. “It was great.”
The moment both realized something special was on the horizon was when Columbia defeated Baker County for the district championship. For Stone, it felt like the Tigers had cleared the biggest obstacle standing in their way after they had lost to the Wildcats in the same spot a year prior.
The difference this time was the two freshmen. Lord set the tone with a two-run home run in the first inning, while Stone tossed a complete game with 10 strikeouts to deliver a 7-4 win that clinched the No. 1 seed for the regional playoffs.
That victory was the springboard for the Tigers’ entire playoff run.
“We had to get past that point to really get anywhere so when we got past that point I was like, ‘oh, we got this,’” Stone said.
Columbia coach Joe Saucier was thankful to have Stone considering where his pitching staff stood just months earlier. After Harleigh Price transferred to Branford, the Tigers entered the season expecting to rely only on veteran pitchers Kinley King and Josie Raulerson.
But then Stone arrived, and what followed was one of the most impressive freshman pitching seasons in program history. Saucier found himself handing the ball to Stone in the biggest moments imaginable, and Stone repaid him with a string of postseason victories not only in the district championship but also in the regional finals, state semifinals and state championship.
“Nothing rattled that kid. Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Saucier said. “It didn’t matter if they hit it to the parking lot or whether she struck out nine in a row, she was the same kid in the circle.”
That composure became Stone’s trademark all season long.
“I can show very little emotion on the mound,” Stone said. “I can stay pretty levelheaded. I don’t get overly excited. I don’t look overly down in bad moments or good moments.”
While Stone controlled games in the circle, Lord became the catalyst for Columbia’s offense and defense. Her breakout season culminated with Dairy Farmers Class 4A Player of the Year honors, but her impact extended far beyond the box score. She routinely made highlight-reel defensive plays, diving for ground balls and showing off one of the strongest arms in the area.
Saucier said Lord’s range was the best of any high school shortstop he’s seen.
“She probably has the smoothest hands and one of the strongest arms we’ve seen at any school no matter the classification,” Saucier said. “There is no quit in that kid.”
That fearlessness traces back to her childhood. Lord grew up playing baseball where she had to constantly prove to the boys she belonged on the same field. It wasn’t until seventh grade that she made the switch to softball, and she carried that confidence into her new sport.
“I was fearless growing up,” Lord said. “I was bouncing off the walls and everything. I also played baseball growing up so I was in more of a state where I had to be better than the boys or the boys would look down on me.”
Stone’s run of postseason wins continued in the Region 1-4A finals rematch against Baker County. She followed up her district championship performance with another complete-game effort while also going 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs.
That included a two-run triple in the sixth inning to put the game away in a 6-2 win.
“That was really fun,” Stone said.
Then in the Class 4A state semifinals against Seminole, Stone entered in relief and refused to let Columbia’s season end. She did enough in the circle to keep the Tigers within striking distance, and they finally rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the seventh inning for a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory.
“I was like, ‘I’m going to do my part here. I’m not losing this game,’” Stone said. “Thankfully, we got it together.”
Two days later, she delivered the performance that cemented her place in Columbia softball history. Stone tossed a complete game in a 3-2 state championship victory over Lake Wales, striking out nine while navigating constant pressure, including a pair of bases-loaded jams in the sixth and seventh innings.
“It was unreal,” Lord said. “We’re still texting in the group chat that we just won a state championship.”
The scary part for opponents? Stone and Lord are only getting started.
After helping deliver a state championship as freshmen, expectations will be sky high moving forward for Stone and Lord. And if Columbia is going to make another run at a title in 2027, it will likely begin with the same pair that helped deliver one this spring.
But with one championship already under their belt, the Tigers have every reason to believe the freshmen duo is just getting started.
“I’m making this scrapbook,” Stone said. “That would be cool to be state champs all four years.”
Added Lord: “I want to keep this going.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
P: Ryleigh Stone
Columbia, freshman
The LCR’s Co-Player of the Year had a 15-1 record in the circle with 1.22 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 109 innings, which included a complete-game performance in the state title game. Also batted .406 with a .424 on-base percentage, one home run, 13 RBIs, three doubles and a triple.
P: Harleigh Price
Branford, junior
The Florida State commit went 8-7 in the circle with a 1.59 ERA and an area-best 184 strikeouts in 110 innings to help the 19-9 Buccaneers reach the regional finals. Also led BHS with a .429 batting average and an area-best .554 on-base percentage, which included three home runs, 15 RBIs, 16 runs scored, nine doubles and six stolen bases.
C: Emily Delgado
Columbia, senior
The Keiser signee led the area with seven home runs and 13 doubles while batting .375 with 31 RBIs, a triple and 13 runs scored for the Class 4A state champion Tigers. Also had a .423 on-base percentage.
1B: Mallory Blue
Branford, senior
The Seminole State College signee led the Buccaneers with 31 RBIs and 30 runs scored while batting .419 with three home runs, seven doubles and a triple. Also had a .455 on-base percentage while pitching a bit in the circle as well, where she went 8-1 with a 1.16 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.
2B: Anna Dansby
Columbia, senior
Had a .422 on-base percentage and batted .344 with 21 RBIs, 38 runs scored and six doubles to help the Tigers win a state title.
SS: Alannah Lord
Columbia, freshman
The LCR’s Co-Player of the Year led the area with 44 runs scored, led the Tigers with 12 stolen bases and tied for the area lead with 37 RBIs while batting a team-best .446 with five home runs, 10 doubles and two triples for the state champs. Was also the Dairy Farmers Class 4A Player of the Year, which capped a season where she also had a .495 on-base percentage.
3B: Josie Raulerson
Columbia, junior
Tied for the area lead with 37 RBIs and had a team-best .505 on-base percentage while batting .432 with five home runs, six doubles, two triples and 18 runs scored for the state champion Tigers. Also contributed in the circle, going 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 28 innings.
OF: Luisa Taylor
Columbia, senior
The Tallahassee State College commit batted .363 and had a .420 on-base percentage with one home run, 12 RBIs, 38 runs scored, six doubles, two triples and seven stolen bases. Didn’t make a single error in center field for the state champs.
OF: Hunter Revis
Branford, junior
Led the area with 20 stolen bases while batting .315 with three home runs, 15 RBIs, 28 runs scored, four doubles and a triple. Also had a .408 on-base percentage.
OF: Brianna Stephens-Woods
Suwannee, senior
Led the Bulldogs to the playoffs with team highs of 31 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and 16 RBIs while batting .350 with two home runs, six doubles and two triples. Also had a .432 on-base percentage.
UTIL: Victoria Swain
Branford, senior
The Flagler signee batted .416 with a .458 on-base percentage, three home runs, 25 RBIs, 15 runs scored and eight doubles. Also contributed in the circle where she had a 3-1 record with a 1.16 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.
DP: Graceanne Durrance
Fort White, junior
Led the area with a .480 batting average and three triples while also leading the Indians with a .500 on-base percentage, 20 RBIs, 11 doubles and eight stolen bases. Also hit a home run and was the team’s primary pitcher.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Joe Saucier, Columbia
Led the Tigers to their second state title and first since 2013, capping off a season where they finished 29-3. Columbia ended the year on a 16-game winning streak, which included a 3-2 win over Lake Wales in the Class 4A state championship following a 6-5 come-from-behind walk-off win over Seminole in the state semis. On the way there, the Tigers won their first district title since 2017 with a 7-4 win over Baker County in the District 3-4A championship and then beat Baker County again in the Region 1-4A championship via a 6-2 final for their first regional crown since 2013.