COLUMBUS, Ga. - Winning seemed to be the byproduct of something more for the Hebron Christian Academy softball team.
The Lions' season came to a close today, Saturday, Nov. 1, when they earned state runner-up after falling to Wesleyan School 9-1. However, it was a season to remember.
Hebron finishes its 2025 campaign with an impressive 31-4 record, the first 30-win season for head coach Brittany Lewis. It is the third year in a row that the Lions will end their season in the state championship game(s).
"I have coached for about 15 years and have never had a 30-win season, so this is the best season that I've had as a head coach, and it was with a special group," Lewis said. "This is honestly, probably my favorite team that I've ever had, across the board [in] travel ball or high school, just because of the people. Just great people, great parents. They fight for each other, they train at an elite level and they work hard ... just a mindset of gratefulness amongst the team. Yeah, we're sad that we finished [as] state runner-up, but I wouldn't have wanted to go to battle with anyone else. Like I told the team, 'just be grateful that you got to end on this stage, regardless of the outcome, there's no better place to end your career, for our three seniors, and just what an incredible season for Kate in the circle too."
The Hebron senior class was certainly a catalyst for the Lions, who ran through most of their regular season schedule without a blemish, heading into the postseason with just two losses. That group of seniors includes
Brittyn Sissom (Wofford commit),
Lauren Kyranakis (Georgia State commit) and
Jaycee Thornhill. Leading up to the first game against Wesleyan in the final winner's bracket contest on Friday, Oct. 31, the three were each sporting a batting average north of .340, Kyranakis leading with a .443 average, Sissom at .415 and Thornhill a .347 clip. Also before that game against the five-time state champions, all consecutive, the three seniors had combined for 88 runs-batted-in (RBI) and 40 extra-base hits (12 home runs (HR) ).
The trio is also Lewis' first four-year group of seniors since becoming the head coach at Hebron, a very special group to the skipper, to say the least.
"Those kids, obviously they're my babies, so they have my heart, but also, just the people that they are, the leadership that they display, inning-in and inning-out, they never waver with being team-first players," Lewis said of her seniors. "They're always cheering, they're always their teammates' biggest fans, and I just can't say enough about their leadership. We're definitely going to miss them, but what's cool about it is that our kids have been mentored by them, it's very much a team-led team, instead of coach-led, so our kids have had the opportunity to be mentored by them, and I think the younger ones are ready to take the torch and move forward."
Despite losing Sissom, Kyranakis and Thornhill, three key impact players in the lineup, next season will see 10 players from this year's team return, seven of those returning as starters from this season.
One of those returners will be current sophomore pitcher
Kate Kennedy, who after seeing minimal work in the circle as a freshman, flourished in her second season. Not counting the final three state tournament games, Kennedy had a 25-2 record with a 1.90 earned-run average (ERA) and 254 strikeouts in 147.2 innings of work. Kennedy's 25 wins is good for second in the nation (MaxPreps), her strikeout total ranks ninth nationally, and her ERA sits at 74th, not too shabby.
Kennedy pitched the entirety of a two-and-a-half-hour battle against Prince Avenue, which the Lions won 12-10, placing them in the championship game against Wesleyan. She also pitched all 4.2 innings against the Wolves, earning five strikeouts against a stacked roster with a handful of top college commits.
Every single pitcher that Hebron faced in Columbus was a senior, every single one. The sophomore Kennedy stood against the test.
"I wanted [Kennedy] to be on this stage, win or lose, I wanted her to grow from it, just looking ahead at her future, it's so bright," Lewis said. "She's got to have the experience to be able to perform in these big games, and so, leaving her out there, learning to battle through pain, through tough moments and learning to pitch to [Southeastern Conference] commits. It's the real thing, every game that Kate has had this season [was] her biggest, because she hasn't been on this stage before. Looking ahead, next year hopefully she comes out confident, and hopefully she goes even more to work this offseason. She's looking for big things, [for herself] these next two seasons. I couldn't speak more [highly] of her poise and leadership, even though its quiet, in the circle. She puts her head down and she goes to work. She's been a joy to coach."
Kennedy will be backed by a talented lineup next season, seven returning bats, which all played part in a dangerous order.
Sophomores
Gabby Raysor (.485 BA, two HR, 36 RBI),
Juliahna Huber (.490 BA, 12 HR, 45 RBI),
Brylee Autry (.378 BA, 1HR, 21 RBI) and
Abby Kate Chromek (.281 BA, 16 runs, 9 RBI) will highlight an exciting rising junior class, while juniors
Ainsley Trenbeath (.359 BA, 28 hits, 18 RBI) and
Leah Jensen (.439 BA, 25 hits, 16 RBI) will anchor a new senior class. Freshman
Rylie Walker (.338 BA, 1 HR, 20 RBI) will also return with a year of strong production under her belt.
The Lions will look to return with yet another experienced core next season, and hope to continue a dominant run that's seen Hebron steadily climb with records of 28-11, 29-7 and now 31-4.
