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RECAP: AHSAA softball area tournaments results

Story by Grif Pritchard — Publisher
Photos submitted by CASCOREBOARD readers

CENTRAL ALABAMA SCOREBOARD OFFICE — Area Tournaments wrapped up last week. Here is how the teams fell out, and who is going on to regionals.

7A: 

Area 4: Champion: Auburn High School

Area 4 Runners-Up: Central Phenix City

FINAL RECAP: No. 8 Auburn 13, No. 9 Central-Phenix City 5

AUBURN — Given the level of talent competing throughout the CAScoreboard Coverage community, in some cases area tournaments turned out to be mini regionals. The Auburn / Central-Phenix City match-up is a great example where you had the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in the final Alabama Sports Writers’ Softball poll going head to head for a championship. 

The Red Devils drew a first-round bye and met Auburn once in the second round. The Tigers (who defeated Smiths Station 7-2 in the first round) picked up the 7-0 win to advance to the Area Championship game and punch their ticket to Regional (in Montgomery). Central – now with a loss – ended Smiths season with a 4-0 win to advance to the championship series and a rematch with the Tigers. 

With a regional ticket punched, both teams could focus on playing for the area championship. 

In the finale, Auburn jumped ahead 3-1 but found themselves down a run after a three-run Red Devils third. The Tigers steadied themselves and outscored their opponents 10-1 rallying for five runs in the fourth and the sixth to exorcise the Red Devils and pick up the win. 

Hannah Pitts went the distance for Auburn, working a complete game with 10 strikeouts. Central-Phenix City started the game with Libby Miles (four complete) but brought in Ally Supan to close out the game. 

Pitts, Kate Thornell, Olivia Nay (a homer), Makyara Thurman and Ellie Davis collectively drove home 11 of the Tigers 13 runs. 

Madison Hurt and Lane Thaxton (a three-run homer) drove home four of the five Central runs. Kristen White (for Central) had three hits and scored twice. Gerritt Griggs added two hits to the tally and scored twice. 

For Auburn, CoCo Doyle, Lange Johnson, Jayden Jordan and Davis combined scored nine of the Tigers’ runs.  

6A:

Area 2 Champion: Spanish Fort

Area 2 Runners Up: Gulf Shores

FINAL RECAP: No. 3 Spanish Fort 15, Gulf Shores 0

Spanish Fort — The Toros bulled their way through the area tournament defeating Gulf Shores 6-5 in the opener and then Robertsdale 7-1 to punch their ticket into regional (played miles away in Gulf Shores). In the finale, the Toros made short work of their opponents. Spanish Fort hung 12 on the board in the first inning and then added one in the second and two in the third to end the game 15-0. Ainsley Lambert (using 35 pitches) gave up one hit and fanned one Dolphin on the way to picking up the win. 

In those three innings, Hanna Carlton had herself a day, hammering out a double and then barreling up a grand slam to finish the day with seven RBIs. Tabitha Frazier doubled twice to push home a run and then scored three times. 

Hannah Atwood, Haley Hart, Raleigh Hocker and Hannah Weishaar made their mark on the championship game, plating multiple runs. 

Lydia Reno had the lone Gulf Shores hit. 

Area 6 Champion: Helena

Area 6 Runners Up: Chilton County

FINAL RECAP: No. 2 Helena 13, Chilton County 1

HELENA — Chilton County dropped two to eventual regular-season champion Helena before Spring Break and that proved to be the difference as the Huskies never broke stride on the way to hosting the area tournament. A rematch between the Huskies and the Tigers was inevitable and happened on the first day of the tournament. Helena dispatched Pelham to the Elimination bracket (9-4) and the Chilton County finished five runs better than Calera (13-8) to advance to the championship semifinal. 

In that game Helena plated a run early and – following a Tigers score – plated another in the fourth and then in the sixth to pick up the 3-1 victory. 

Ty’eisha Williams homered and had the lone RBI in the championship semifinal. Marlie Giles finished the affair with a pair of hits. 

The loss dropped the kids from Clanton into a short-lived showdown with Pelham. Chilton County sent Pelham packing spoiling from a 13-3 defeat. Setting the stage for the final showdown between the Tigers and the Huskies. 

Helena touched up Chilton County pitching and the Tigers defense for four runs in the first, four in the second, three in the third and then two in the fourth to take a 13-0 lead. 

Jadyn Kurzdiel scored for the Tigers in the top of the fifth, but the five errors proved too much to overcome. 

Sara Ezekiel led the Huskies with five RBIs. Bella Holiday, Ann Marie Stanbridge and Haley Morris accounted for six to round out the 11 Helena runners driven home on nine hits. 

Macey Pierce, EK Locke, Emma Deason and Kurdziel finished the final game with the four Tigers hits. 
Stanbridge picked up the win for the Huskies, working four innings and fanning four while giving up just two Tigers hits. Elise Dufour came on and worked the final inning giving up two hits and an earned run. 

Mallie Harrison took the loss for the Tigers, throwing 103 pitches in a four-inning outing while recording one strikeout.

5A:

Area 8 Champion: Central of Clay County

Area 8 Runners Up: Shelby County

FINAL RECAP: Central Clay 5, Shelby County 1

Area 12 Champion: Hayden

Area 12 Runners Up: Corner 

FINAL RECAP: No. 5 Hayden 6, Corner 1

THE CITY OF HAYDEN — Hayden High scored 32 runs in their first two games on the way to punching their ticket to regionals and a berth into the Area Championship game. In the finale, the Wildcats kept that train on rolling as Taylor Yeager took advantage of a passed ball to score and put Hayden up 1-0. 

The Yellow Jackets answered with their lone run of the game in the bottom of the first. Olivia Cummings singled to right scoring Jaden Goodwin. 

The rest of the game –  belonged to the Wildcats as they plated two in the second and then one each in the fifth, sixth and seventh to claim the Area Championship and a berth into the Regional Tournament. 

Ainsley Armstrong and Kiley Weston went yard for the Wildcats scoring a combined three runs in the process. Yeager and Weston had a combined four hits in the win. 

Ashley Gunter picked up the win for Hayden, working a complete game with four strikeouts on just 97 pitches. Cummings also went the distance for Corner but was touched up for seven hits and six runs (four earned) across her 126-pitch outing. 

4A

Area 3 Champion: Alabama Christian

Area 3 Runners Up: LAMP

FINAL RECAP: Alabama Christian 16, LAMP 0

LAGOON PARK / MONTGOMERY — Fifteen years and fifteen area championships; that’s the legacy that has been being built at Alabama Christian as they knocked off LAMP 16-0 last week to win the Area 3 Championship and punch their ticket into the Regional Tournament. 

The two met in the championship semifinal and the Eagles outpaced the Golden Tigers 2-1 to advance to the championship and dim LAMP’s hopes of remaining undefeated through the tournament. 

With the game tied at 1-1, ACA took the lead late following a Katie Chappell single. Chappell’s shot scored Izzy Warrick to put ACA up 2-1 on the way to the win. The championship game was just as dramatic for the first two and a half innings. After that, it was all Eagles all the way. 

ACA plated eight runs each in the third and fourth innings to win the game and continue their string of championships. 

Peyton Cely, Caitlin Russell, Haley Herron, Chandler Ming and Arin Sturdivant had the hits for the Golden Tigers. 

Hayely Cassidy had the biggest hit of the day for the Eagles, a grand slam, and she finished the outing with five RBIs and two runs scored. Chappell – long ball aside – finished the day with three hits and three runs scored. Skylar Crews also had a pair of hits, plated two runs and then scored twice herself. 

Warrick picked up the win, working four innings and throwing 51 pitches while holding LAMP to zero runs and forcing them to leave seven runners stranded. 

Emily Daniels and Herron combined to work the outing for the Golden Tigers. 

Area 7 Champion: Beulah

Area 7 Runners Up: Reeltown

FINAL RECAP: Beulah 10, Reeltown 0

BEULAHLAND — The host Beulah High Bobcats didn’t stand in the way of a years’ old rivalry. The Bobcats played the waiting game as Dadeville and Reeltown sorted things out. Dadeville won the first game 8-5 and then advanced to a showdown with the Bobcats. Beulah dispatched the Tigers to the Elimination Bracket where they, again, faced off with the rival Rebels. In this game, Reeltown used a four-run-fifth to fuel the one-run victory. 

Bentley Baker singled to score Cameron Tubbs and cut the lead to 6-5. Several batters later Kenzie Hornsby drew a bases-loaded walk to push home Tikiaria Brooks and tie the game at 6-6. A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh marched the Rebels to the victory and into a rematch with Beulah (also a regional berth). Karlee Cotten got the start and worked four and two-thirds innings with four strikeouts. Abi Packer came on to work the rest of the game and picked up the win. 

The Bobcats were more like a softball buzzsaw in the championship game scoring runs in bunches throughout the game. Beulah scored two in the first and three and the second to push ahead 5-0. They added four in the third and one in the sixth on the way to the 10-0 victory. 

Abrianna Green, Savanna Clements and Brandy Phillips scored six of Beulah’s 10 runs. Green, Clements, Brandy Phillips and Elizabeth Hancock plated Bobcats runs as Beulah ended the game leaving only two runners stranded. 

On the other side Baker and Bella Studdard has the only two hits of the day. Studdard was saddled with the loss, despite only working two and two-thirds innings. Cotton and Packer came on the close out the game. 

Brandy Phillips – for Beulah – picked up the win, working three and two-thirds innings of two-hit softball with six strikeouts. Katie Morris came on to work the rest of the game, pitching a shutout and fanning seven.

2A:

Area 6 Champion: Thorsby

Area 6 Runners Up: Isabella

FINAL RECAP: Thorsby 21, Isabella 13

THORSBY — While the Area 6 championship didn’t live up the outrageous statistics stemming from 46-45 game between Montgomery Public School teams Park Crossing and Sidney Lanier, the Championship outing between the Rebels and Mustangs did keep the bookeeper busy. 

Thorsby – in the first game of the best-of- three area tournament – defeated rival Isabella 6-2 and then brought out the whoopin’ stick for the second game. The two teams combined for 34 runs, 35 hits and eight errors (four each). 

Brookly Reeser turned an offering into a grand slam, plating four. Lindsey Burnett and Madisyn Ellison plated a combined eight runs. Brinley Giambrone drove home a pair. Maddie Ray, Emry Davis and Makinley Turner drove home a run each for the Thorsby rally.

For Isabella – Kristin Wilson homered twice and drove home five runs. Morgan Short and Amelia Fjeldstad had two RBIs each.

Area 8 Champion: Randolph County

Area 8 Runners Up: Horseshoe Bend

FINAL RECAP: Randolph County 7, Horseshoe Bend 4

  • Class 2A, Area 8 Tournament
    •  Randolph County 7, Horseshoe Bend 2
      • Reagan Taylor and Brooke Miliner scored the two Generals run in the opening game of the Area Tournament. 
    • Horseshoe Bend 4, Ranburne 3
      • Down 3-0, the Generals rattled off four runs to tie the game and then take the lead in the sixth advancing to a rematch with Randolph County and a berth into the regional tournament. 
      • Reagan Taylor sent one over the fence and Caly Carlisle finished up with a double and a single in the win. 
    • Randolph County 7, Horseshoe Bend 4
      • In a rematch from the opening the round, Randolph County came out on top winning the area tournament, but the Generals doubled their run-total in the loss. 

Founder/Publisher of Central Alabama Scoreboard. Former sportsguy, and managing editor.

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