The Trenton softball team will get a chance to defend its state title.

On Tuesday morning at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, the defending champions scored early and often in a 9-2 win against top seed Liberty County (Bristol) in the FHSAA Rural State Semifinals.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said sophomore pitcher Addison Allaire. “We had two practices yesterday. We’ve really come together as a team. We have a lot of fun together…we knew we were going to have to fight our butts off, but we came out on top.”

Trenton (18-6), the No. 4 seed, will play No. 2 seed Northview (Bratt) at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday for the state title. The Chiefs (22-6) defeated No. 3 seed Branford, 14-6, in the other state semifinal, denying the Bucs (21-7) their third straight title game appearance.

“It feels amazing,” said junior center fielder Presley Akins (2-for-4, 2 runs). “I was so young last time (sophomore). I was nervous at first, but now the nerves are gone and I’m ready to go into tomorrow.”

Allaire helped settle the nerves in the top of the first inning with an RBI double to center field, scoring senior Olivia Weaver, who had walked, for an early 1-0 lead.

“We know if one of us can hit the ball, then all of us can hit the ball,” Akins said. “We all flow like that. We’re all connected; it’s like a family. We’re all sisters.”

Speaking of sisters, freshman Emaleigh Philmon and senior Charleigh Philmon each scored a pair of runs in the win.

In fact, all nine batters reached base at least once for the Tigers.

“This group, over the last four or five weeks, they’ve really started to jell together, play together, play for each other,” said first-year head coach Kevin Benson. “This group has seen some adversity this year, but we’ve been able to keep this same lineup on the field for the last five weeks or so and it’s really started to solidify itself. They’re accepting their roles and that’s huge.”

Allaire’s hit in the first inning came with one out off Northwest Florida State College commit Cha’miya Williams (15-3), who entered the game with a 1.01 ERA.

“I knew I was going to have to look down,” Allaire said. “Her rise ball is really good, gets a lot of people on it. I just saw one down in the zone that I could hit hard and just tried to hit it hard.”

Benson told his team before the game how important it was to get off to a good start.

“Addi smoked that thing,” he said. “I told them we don’t have to win it all in the first inning but just get a run or two on the board in the first and put a lot of pressure on them, put a lot of pressure on the Williams kid in the circle…they tried to start forcing some stuff at the plate and that played right into our hand, fortunately.”

Williams walked the first two to start the top of the second inning and the Tigers plated two runs on a throwing error by shortstop Taylor Kincaid on a ground ball by Akins.

Freshman Addilynn Welbers and Charleigh Philmon scored for a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Allaire was dominant in the circle.

Although she gave up eight hits, she only allowed one earned run.

“She’s second to none,” Benson said. “That kid, she’s laser-focused when she’s in the circle. She’s always got a game plan and always puts effort into every pitch. She’s a perfectionist and she holds herself accountable to a high level.”

Allaire, who threw 110-plus pitches, didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven.

“I just really had to trust my defense today and they backed me up really well,” she said. “I’m just super proud of them for having my back and Makenna (Young) did amazing.”

With a runner at first base and one out, Young made an over-the-shoulder catch on a line drive headed to right field to take away a hit. The second baseman also had a leaping catch on a line drive in the final inning.

Trenton added insurance in the third inning, sending eight batters to the plate and scoring three runs on two hits and three errors.

Weaver hit a ball deep in the hole behind the second base bag, driving in a run and reaching safely on an errant throw by second baseman Mackenzie Walker.

The Tigers added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to advance to their second straight title game.

“Obviously, the goal for every team should be or is to make it to the championship game and to have that opportunity to win a championship,” Benson said. “Getting there ourselves, that’s obviously another goal reached, but that’s not our ultimate goal.”

FHSAA softball state playoffs

(Teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)

Tuesday, May 20

Class Rural State Semifinals

4 Trenton 9, 1 Liberty County (Bristol) 2

2 Northview (Bratt) 14, 3 Branford 6

Wednesday, May 21

Class Rural State Championship

4 Trenton vs. 2 Northview (Bratt), 1:30 p.m.