By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
If I were a betting man, I would have placed my money earlier in the season on either the Ariton Lady Cats or the Long Lady Rebels for the Class 2A Area 3 Championship. Both 2A teams had some strong wins thanks to some very talented players.
As it turns out, Long hosted the Class 2A Area 3 Championship playoffs in Skipperville this year. When it came down to the final game, Ariton High School had managed to not lose any of the games in the championship bracket, and their final opponent was the Long Lady Rebels. G.W. Long happens to be Ariton’s Dale County Schools system rivals.
Well, the Purple Cats came to the game Tuesday night with their claws out and ready to roar, and they capped off their postseason by defeating the Lady Rebels 3-0 to secure the Area Championship.
Ariton entered the title game with a 27-16-1 record and delivered a composed, complete performance against a G.W. Long squad that finished its season 23-18-1.
The championship matchup was defined by dominant pitching and disciplined defense. Beth Dixon delivered a stellar performance in the circle for Ariton, recording all 21 outs in the shutout victory. Dixon did not allow a run and scattered five hits across seven innings to keep the Lady Rebels off balance throughout the contest.
While G.W. Long battled hard defensively and limited Ariton’s offense for much of the game, the Purple Cats broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Lizzy Faircloth delivered the biggest hit of the night with a two run double, giving Ariton the lead. Ainsley Swanson followed with an RBI single to extend the advantage to 3-0.
That offensive burst proved to be all the support Dixon would need as Ariton preserved the shutout from start to finish.
Faircloth drove the middle of the lineup and led the Purple Cats with two RBIs while going 1 for 3 at the plate. Dixon also contributed offensively with two hits, while Brynlee Peters added two hits of her own in the championship effort.
G.W. Long pitcher Gracie Stafford turned in a strong outing despite taking the loss. Stafford pitched six innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out five batters and walking one.
Long’s offense was led by leadoff hitter Carlie Davis, who collected three hits in four at bats and accounted for more than half of the Lady Rebels’ hits in the game.
The win marked a significant turnaround in the season series between the two programs. Earlier in the year, G.W. Long had found success against Ariton, but the Purple Cats responded when it mattered most, closing the season with a performance that earned them the bragging rights.
With the victory, Ariton finishes the year at 27-16-1 and adds another championship trophy to program history, while G.W. Long concludes its season at 23-18-1 after a strong postseason run.
The Purple Cats’ title win highlights a resilient postseason push, but their hard work is far from over. Ariton will continue postseason softball play next Wednesday when the Purple Cats travel to Gulf Shores for regional competition.
The 2026 Ariton Varsity Softball Team and 2A Area Champions.
