On the heels of tragedy there is always triumph. This time, it was in the form of the Bandys softball team.

"I'm tickled to death that we came back, because, literally, we had kids crying before the game," Mike Carpenter, Bandys head coach said. "It has been a nightmare emotionally for these kids. Bandys is a small community. Emotionally, they were spent when they got here today."

With emotions riding high through the weekend after capturing the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference tournament title last week, the team was delivered with the news that two of their own were involved in an automobile accident. Both were OK, but no sooner did that news break, the news of a close friend — one some team members play travel ball with on the weekends — had lost a parent. When the players arrived at the field, coach Carpenter could see the emotion on the girls' faces, which worried him. "I've been to the playoffs almost every year, and this was the most I've ever been worried," he said. "Not because of the team (we were facing), but because of the situation."

It may have taken a few innings, but the Trojans (18-9) finally wiped those worries — and tears — away.

After loading the bases with no outs and leaving them loaded in the second inning, the Trojans got three runs in the third after falling behind 1-0. Carlee Carpenter, who was named the school's female Student Athlete of the Year by the Hickory Metro Sports Commission on Monday, led the inning off with a triple to left field. Kendra Honeycutt followed with a fielder's choice to the pitcher, but Emily Elgin's attempt to get Carpenter out at third didn't work, allowing Honeycutt to reach safely.

After Honeycutt stole second, catcher Olivia Huffman's RBI groundout to second scored Carpenter and advanced Honeycutt to third. Megan Smith then reached on a fielder's choice to Elgin who threw out Honeycutt at the plate. Macie Lovette's two-out RBI double to center field drove in Smith, and Lovette scored on the third baseman's throwing error on Ashley Lineberger's slow dribbler to third, giving the Trojans a 3-1 lead. "You don't want to use death as a motivation, but you want to make them realize you've got to have fight, you've got to fight back," coach Carpenter said.

Carlee Carpenter, pitching for the fourth straight game, limited the Eagles (10-12) of the Western Athletic Conference to just four hits and one run in seven innings. "She pitched well for us today, like she has all year," her father said.

The Trojans added two more runs for insurance in the fifth — both unearned. Huffman, who hit over .700 in last week's CVAC tournament, and Lovette both scored on back-to-back throwing errors by Elgin. With Huffman at second (single) and Lovette at first (walk), Elgin waited for Ashley Lineberger's slow dribbler down the first-base line to roll foul, but it never did. When she realized the ball would stay in play, she hurriedly picked it up and threw it to first, after Lineberger had already reached, and the ball sailed into right field, scoring Huffman. The next batter, Katie Carpenter, also reached on a throwing error to first by Elgin, which allowed Lovette to score and make it a 5-1 game.

In the top of the seventh, the first two Eagles batters reached on fielding errors, but Carpenter retired the side to leave them stranded and second and third to leave the inning unscathed. "They try hard. They're resilient," coach Carpenter said. "They're not the best softball players, but they're the most resilient softball players I've had. They make an error, they can forget (about) it. They used to carry it around, they don't carry it around any more."

A win's a win, but this one was a little bit more special, given the circumstances. "I saw a little different pep in their step after the ballgame than when they came in," Carpenter said. "I saw some smiles. It's still going to be tough for them the next couple of days.

"We pulled it out, by the grace of God, and I was proud of them," he said. "We'll see if we can figure out a way to win Friday."

Carpenter and Lovette led Bandys with two hits each, and Lovette scored two runs.

 In other area games:

ST. STEPHENS 4, WEST ROWAN 3: At St. Stephens, the Indians ended three straight years of first-round futility with a win over West Rowan in the first round of the state 3A West playoffs.

The Indians will travel to Hickory Ridge for a second-round game on Friday. Hickory Ridge defeated Lake Norman 6-0.

St. Stephens (21-4-1) broke a 2-1 game with three runs in the sixth. Stephanie Simmons led off the inning with an error, and April Pendleton's walk put runners at first and second with no outs. After a passed ball advance the runners, Holly Jones' two-run triple to center field gave the Indians a 3-2 lead. Julia Wakefield's RBI single with one out scored Jones, giving St. Stephens a 4-2 lead.

The Falcons scored a run in the seventh, but couldn't muster anymore.

Mac Queen and Wakefield were both 2-for-3. Wakefield picked up the win, allowing five hits and striking out five in a complete game.

SOUTHWEST GUILFORD 5, FRED T. FOARD 1: At Foard, the visitors scored all five runs in the top of the seventh to upset the top-seeded Tigers in the first round of the state 3A West playoffs.

The Tigers (22-4) scored their run in the second when Savannah Burns scored on a sacrifice from Meredith Lutz.

Mariah Chalk was 1-for-3 with a double, and struck out nine in the pitching loss. Burns was 2-for-3 with a double, and Lutz added a single.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN 6, MAIDEN 1: At Smoky Mountain, the home team ended the Blue Devils' season with a first-round win in the state 2A West playoffs.

Maiden ends the season 11-12.

PISGAH 10, NEWTON-CONOVER 0: At Pisgah, the home team ended the Red Devils' season in the first round of the state 2A West playoffs.

Newton-Conover ends the season at 9-14.

SOUTH POINT 10, ST. STEPHENS 0, 5 INN.: At South Point, the Red Raiders ended the Indians' season in the second round of the state 3A West baseball playoffs.

The Indians finish 19-8.