A good year for Good Hope Lady Raiders softball:
Lady Raiders go deeper in AHSAA playoffs than they did in 2024:
GDW Analysis:
GOOD HOPE: Last year, Good Hope softball produced 20 victories but were knocked out of the AHSAA 4A playoffs in the Area 13 tournament from Priceville.
Things were different in 2025. Good Hope raised its wins to 25, claimed the Area 13 championship and reached the AHSAA North Regional at the Florence Sportsplex.
They missed out on being an Elite 8 qualifier with a pair of 3 to 2 losses to Hamilton and Cordova.
Once again, the Lady Raiders stand out as the best softball program covered regularly by Gameday Weekly.
The Lady Raiders went 25/13/1.
Tim Tucker's Lady Raiders put together an 8 game winning streak and won 12 of their final 17 games.
The winning streak was from April 15 to May 6. Five different schools felt the wrath of an experienced ball club playing good at the right time of the year when it mattered for postseason play.
A mature team in 2025 was the tone, even with some starters as an 8th grader, a sophomore in skilled positions.
Four seniors showed leadership when it was asked.
The last two years Good Hope softball has seen victory in 45 games with 23 losses and a tie.
Pitching was basically handled by sophomore Molly Benefield who stayed healthy this season. Addyson Burgess would come in the circle as well and made an impact aside from her position at 1st base.
The 2025 season for Benefield resulted in 174 strikeouts in 142 innings, walking 40 batters and an earned run average of 1.09.
The seniors that showed their way at the plate as well as on defense were Burgess, Haley Lay, Natalie Miller and Brooklyn Lambert.
Miller was named MVP by Gameday Weekly in the Area 13 tournament.
Outfielder Lizzy Steed earned GDW's selection as the top performer in the Cullman County tournament.
The middle infield of 8th grader Kylee Smith at shortstop and junior Campbell Koch playing 2nd was steady throughout the season in which GDW covered the team 9 times.
They did not lose with GDW on assignment.
Sophomore Maggie O'Neal was a regular in left field while contributions off the bench came from freshman P/IF Calleigh Granger, freshman OF Gracie Garmon, 8th grade catcher Gracie Bates, freshman OF Isabella Charland, 7th grade OF Kenzlee Smith and 8th grade IF Carlee Trammel.
Tucker will have to replace Lay behind the plate, Burgess at 1st, Miller at 3rd and Lambert in RF.
But with Benefield to be in her 3rd year in the circle, Koch and Kylee Smith in the middle infield, Steed in center, O'Neal in left, the experience is worthy for this team to make adjustments and develop from the start of the 2026 schedule until it gets time for the postseason.
Good Hope will remain in 4A, Area 13 facing Danville, West Morgan and East Lawrence. Danville was 2nd to Good Hope in the area tournament and gained a trip to the regionals too.
Cullman County female sports are right now handled by Good Hope.
The Lady Raiders claimed county championships in volleyball, basketball and softball, pulling off this feat for the 2nd consecutive year.
Photo of the Good Hope Lady Raiders after winning the AHSAA 4A, Area 13 championship at Greg Owen Field April 26.
Photo courtesy of Dusty Benefield.
