OXFORD – Five years ago, Orange Beach student Ava Hoda – then a seventh-grader – hit a dramatic game-winning home run to give the upstart Makos a state softball championship in the school’s first year of existence in the AHSAA.

Since then, Orange Beach High School has become the gold standard of Alabama high school softball, and the Makos (46-2) showed why again Thursday with a 9-2 victory over Curry in the Class 4A championship game at Choccolocco Park.

It was the Makos’ fifth straight state title – two in a row in Class 2A in 2021 and 2022 and the last three in Class 4A.

 “It’s a grind from January until now,” Orange Beach coach Shane Alexander said. “To see all of the hard work pay off, it makes you realize it’s all worth it.”

Curry senior and Alabama signee Ambrey Taylor opened the championship game with a homer to center field, and the two teams played to a 2-all deadlock after four innings.

That’s when Orange Beach junior B made the play of the game after delivering a two-out single. Katie King stole second and the throw leaked into the outfield as she quickly got to her feet and sprinted to third. Alexander immediately motioned for King to keep running, and she raced home for the go-ahead run.

“I kept on going, no hesitation,” said King, who added she couldn’t remember scoring from first on a stolen base before.

Orange Beach added three more runs in the fifth inning and three insurance runs in the sixth inning.

 “The bigger the game, the better they play,” Alexander said. “It’s that Mako grit.”

Curry (54-5), coached by Dave Lawson, lost 7-3 to Alexandria in a first-round game Wednesday and then won four straight elimination games – beating West Blocton, Hamilton, Alexandria and Satsuma – to advance to the championship round.

King won the tournament MVP and finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the finale.Jayde Palmer added two hits and three RBIs, and Teagan Revette drove in two runs. Starting pitcher K.G. Favors went all seven innings, allowing five hits, walking five and striking out four.

Alexander called winning a fifth straight state title a “full circle moment,” noting that Orange Beach defeated Pisgah to win the first title in 2021. Pisgah was the last school in AHSAA history to win five straight softball titles – from 2001-05.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this group,” Alexander said.