The Johns Creek Lady Gladiators clinched the Region 7-AAAAA softball championship Thursday, Oct. 8, beating Milton 6-5 at home to finish atop the region standings.
Johns Creek Athletics announced the title on X, declaring the squad the 2026 Region 7-AAAAA softball champions after the final regular-season region game.
Head coach Jim Ernst's team finished 21-5 overall and 8-2 in region play, according to MaxPreps. The Lady Gladiators outscored opponents 222-94 across 26 games.
Johns Creek closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak. The Lady Gladiators beat Forsyth Central 10-1 on Monday, Oct. 5, routed Gainesville 13-1 on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and edged Milton in the region finale Thursday.
The two region losses came to Milton, 5-3 on Sept. 8, and Lanier, 2-0 on Oct. 1. Johns Creek avenged the early-season Milton loss with a one-run win to lock up the top seed.
A senior-heavy lineup powered the season. Entering the region finale, senior Reese Stiltner led the team with a .432 batting average, according to MaxPreps. Senior Zelda Arthur posted a team-best .538 on-base percentage, senior Isla Wells led the squad with two home runs and senior Addie Grindle swiped a team-high 12 stolen bases. Sophomore pitcher Uma Pittman led the pitching staff with a 2.30 earned run average (ERA). Senior catcher Claire Dennis carried a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
As region champions, the Lady Gladiators earn the No. 1 seed from Region 7 for the GHSA Class AAAAA state playoffs. Higher seeds host first- and second-round series in a best-of-three format.
The first round runs Oct. 12-15. The second round follows Oct. 19-22. The state tournament is scheduled for Oct. 28-31 at the Columbus Softball Complex in Columbus.
