One perfect night

By JEREMY D. SMITH/ JEREMY.SMITH@DEMOPOLISTIMES.COM

LIVINGSTON &8212; She just threw strikes and tried to give her defense a chance. At least, that is the story former Demopolis High standout pitcher Brittany McGee tells of her Wednesday night dance with perfection at Judson College.

According to McGee, that moment was the first time it occurred to her she had just accomplished one of the most rare feats in her sport.

The only threat to her flawless night came with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

McGee served up a ball that a Judson batter roped into right field, apparently disrupting the perfect game and no-hitter with one swing. However, Tiger right fielder Mary Wright fielded the ball on a hop and fired to first to retire the runner and preserve perfection.

Atkinson believes that statement is one that is not only indicative of McGee&8217;s acceptance of the coaching philosophies she hears daily, but also of her team-oriented attitude.

In addition to being aided by her defense, McGee&8217;s performance was also augmented by a 19-hit, 14-run outburst.

The accomplishment serves as not only the first perfect game in UWA history, but also an interesting twist in the 2005 DHS graduate&8217;s long-standing relationship with the university.

McGee tells the story of her first encounter with the softball program, a pitching camp at U.S. Jones Elementary she attended as a first grader. That day produced an embarrassing, unhealthy meeting between her bottom lip and her braces that resulted in an emergency room visit.

That moment, while still vivid in her memory and worthy of a nostalgic chuckle, will no longer be the best story she has to tell of her days with UWA softball. That fact, an accomplishment in itself, is one for which McGee, again, credits someone else.