Nobody quite knows the exact origin of the British phrase “third time lucky” or its American equivalent “third time’s a charm,” but the meaning is crystal clear.

Ardmore softball coaches, players and fans hope the saying comes true as the Tigers compete in their third straight Class 5A state tournament in Montgomery.

Ardmore will begin it’s state championship quest with a 10:45 a.m. game Thursday against Shelby County at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park. The eight-team tournament is a double-elimination format.

Ardmore, which won the state championship in 2010, advanced to the semifinal round two years ago before disappointingly getting put out in its third game at the tournament last year.

Head coach Stephen Baugh has let his players know in no uncertain terms that that performance is not good enough for an experienced team making its third straight trip to state.

Immediately after Ardmore won the Class 5A North Regional tournament championship Monday morning in Florence, Baugh made sure his players knew it was just step one of the journey to a state championship. In fact, Baugh wanted his players to be so focused on the task at hand, he scheduled a practice Monday afternoon once the team got back to the school following the regional tournament victory.

“I think last year we were satisfied to make it down there (to the state tournament),” Ardmore pitcher Sydney Hall said. “I feel going back down there we’re not satisfied until we bring home the big blue (trophy).”

On paper, Ardmore has just as good a chance to win as anyone. They have one of the top pitchers in the state in Hall, and a defense that rarely makes an error.

Hall showed just how dominant she can be in the regional championship game against Sardis. The junior pitcher tossed a no-hitter and struck out 14 batters in Ardmore’s 4-0 victory.

In the three games at the regional tournament, Hall allowed just four earned runs, and the Tigers knocked off Boaz 3-2, Russellville 10-3 and Sardis.

“It’s fortunate we’ve got a pitcher like her,” Baugh said after Monday’s regional victory. “And we’ve got eight that back her up pretty well.”

The one thing that might be Ardmore’s downfall is its streaky hitting form. The Tigers showed well offensively in their game against Russellville, but didn’t muster a whole lot of hits in their other two games at the regional tournament.

However, as Baugh noted, softball is a sport that can be dominated by an excellent pitcher. Last week, at the SEC softball tournament, five of the 12 games were shutouts.

However, just about every team at the state tournament will have great pitching, so it might be up to the Ardmore bats to be the difference.

Ardmore does have Alabama signee Karla Hice as its top batter in the lineup. Hice has been committed to the Crimson Tide since her sophomore year and signed for the school before the softball season started. It would be a dream for her to help bring home a state championship before she heads off to Tuscaloosa in the fall.

So, will the third time be the charm for Ardmore? They’ve got what it takes. Now it’s just down to them performing on the field. The journey continues Thursday morning. By Friday night, the Tigers might just be celebrating a state title. Here’s hoping.

— Edwards can be reached at jeff@athensnews-courier.com.