Local softball roundup, April 13-18: County teams face off ahead of area tournaments
Here’s a look at the softball action from around Franklin County:
Monday, April 13
Belgreen 4, Waterloo 3
After falling behind 3-0 going into the bottom of the third inning, Belgreen responded and eventually came back to walk the game off in the bottom of the seventh. An RBI single by Jemma Moore and an RBI groundout by Mackinley Hogan in the bottom of the third helped the Lady Bulldogs cut the deficit to 3-2; then, in the fourth inning, an error by Waterloo allowed BHS to tie the game up. In the bottom of the seventh, Belgreen loaded the bases with two singles and a walk before S Bryant’s infield single scored Lilliana Willingham from third base to win the game. Offensively, Moore and center fielder Bryn Scott led BHS with two hits apiece. In the circle, Brooklyn McGaughy got the start and pitched five and two-third innings, but it was Zoey Blaxton, who finished out the game in relief, who was credited with the win.
Red Bay 15, Sheffield 0
Red Bay put up crooked numbers in every inning to run-rule Sheffield in four to begin the week. Pitchers Hadley Griffin and Charley Lindley combined to allowed just one hit in the shutout while the Lady Tigers’ offense recorded 11 knocks the visitors. Offensively, three different RBHS players had multi-RBI games, including Kyla Blackburn and Lindley who finished with three RBIs each. Lindley, in fact, had a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate and also came around to score twice. The huge shutout was Red Bay’s third of the season and first since March 5.
Austin 7, Russellville 6
Vina 7, Covenant Christian 0
Tuesday, April 14
Mars Hill 7, Phil Campbell 3
Sulligent 12, Red Bay 2
Cherokee 10, Vina 9
Lexington 11, Tharptown 7
Russellville 14, Belgreen 4
An offensive explosion by host Russellville, combined with several Belgreen errors, resulted in a shortened five-inning game when the Lady Golden Tigers not only re-took the late lead over the Lady Bulldogs but expanded it to the necessary 10 runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning to win early. Thanks to a BHS error and an RBI by Khristyan Huerta in the first inning, Russellville took a quick 2-0 advantage over the Lady Bulldogs before the visitors responded by cutting the deficit in half a couple innings later. Bryn Scott’s solo homer in the third cut RHS’ cushion to 2-1; then, in the top of the fifth, Belgreen plated three more runs off RBI hits by Mackinley Hogan and Kendra Williams to make it 4-2, BHS. Russellville’s response to the Lady Bulldogs’ go-ahead knocks was, however, emphatic: back-to-back doubles by Blevyn Sappington and Ticelee Gholston pull the Lady Golden Tigers back within one run before a Bri McCulloch hit and BHS error allowed the tying run to come around. RHS didn’t let off the gas there; the hosts would go on to add 10 more runs due in large part to home runs by Chloe James and Sadie Odom and RBI hits by Taitum Bishop and Huerta. Huerta, along with Taitum Bishop who had a 3-for-4 day at the plate, led the Lady Golden Tigers with three RBIs. Bishop did her part in the circle, as well, striking out five batters through five. Zoey Blaxton got the start in the circle for Belgreen and pitched four and a third innings before being relieved by Brooklyn McGaughy and Jemma Moore in the middle of the fifth inning.
Thursday, April 16
Tharptown 10, Lindsay Lane 2
Propelled by a seven-run fourth inning, the Tharptown Lady Wildcats took care of Lindsay Lane at home in the midweek. THS opened the scoring in the second inning on a passed ball that scored Haylie Goforth to make it 1-0. Then, in the third inning, the Lady Wildcats plated two more runs on an RBI groundout by Gabi Johnson and an RBI single by Lexi Little. The biggest offensive explosion for Tharptown came in the fourth when an RBI single by Cadence Kennedy and RBI doubles by Paisleigh Carr and Allie Gann made it a 10-1 game. Gann, who went 2-for-4 at the plate, finished with a game-high three RBIs for the Lady Wildcats. In the circle, Kennedy, who allowed five hits and struck out three batters, got the start and pitched five innings before being relieved by senior Alyssa Fischer.
Phil Campbell 4, Sheffield 1
Vina 16, Lynn 5
Vina picked up its 13th win of the season—and it was a big one: the Lady Red Devils run-ruled No. 7-ranked Lynn on the road, outhitting the Lady Bears 11-6. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Vina responded with a nine-run second inning three consecutive RBI doubles from Lana Bell, Kenzie Elrod, and Braxtyn Quinn. Lynn added three more runs to pull back within four runs by the end of three innings, but the Lady Red Devils finished strong with seven runs in the final three innings to complete the rout. An RBI triple by Harleigh Ridge was followed by an RBI single from Kari Harper to make it 15-5; Harper later scored the final run of the contest on a wild pitch. Bell, Ridge, and Quinn, who had a 3-for-4 day, all finished with two RBIs each, while Harper led the team with two steals and five runs scored. In the circle, MiKayla Shotts went all six innings, allowing four earned runs off six hits while striking out two batters.
Friday, April 17
Belgreen 4, Wilson 4
Cullman 5, Belgreen 1
Tharptown 6, Phil Campbell 2
After falling behind 2-0 after three innings, Tharptown responded with six runs between the fourth and fifth innings to topple county foe Phil Campbell. The Lady Bobcats opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third after a Georgia Motes double scored Chaley Bullington and a sacrifice fly by Shiloh Madden brought in Motes from third base. Tharptown responded in the fourth inning by cutting PCHS’ lead to 2-1 thanks to an RBI groundout by Sophie Waldrep. The next inning saw Tharptown go ahead and ultimately take a 6-2 advantage. A bases-loaded double by Lexi Little scored two runs and put THS up 3-2 before a Gabi Johnson single made it 4-2. Tharptown scored two more insurance runs—the final two runs of the game—on an RBI groundout by Gann and on an error by PCHS that allowed Johnson to come across. Addie James pitched the entire game for Phil Campbell in the defeat, allowing five earned runs off five hits. For Tharptown, Alyssa Fischer earned the win in the circle after throwing a complete game. Fischer allowed two earned runs off six hits and struck out five batters.
East Lawrence 12, Phil Campbell 9
Red Bay 5, Covenant Christian 4
Russellville 6, Scotts Hill 5
Albertville 9, Russellville 7
East Lawrence 9, Tharptown 4
Saturday, April 18
Muscle Shoals 7, Belgreen 3
Brooks 3, Belgreen 2
Cherokee 7, Red Bay 3
Red Bay 6, Sheffield 2
Red Bay dispatched Sheffield in four innings in one of its four games played Saturday. Led by a three-RBI performance from Kyla Blackburn, the Lady Tigers went up 1-0 in the first before adding five more runs in the second inning. RBHS’ first run came via a Sheffield error but the next three came through a bases-clearing double by Blackburn to make it 4-0. Two more Lady Bulldog errors later in the inning allowed two more RBHS runs to come across and make it 6-0. Sheffield’s two runs were scored in the top of the fourth. In the circle, Charley Lindley pitched all four innings and earned the win, allowing three hits while striking out seven batters.
Red Bay 2, Cherokee 1
Cherokee 4, Red Bay 2
Russellville 3, Skyline 0
Allowing just two hits, Russellville starting pitcher Kaylee Suggs pitched a five-inning shutout as the Lady Golden Tigers went on to beat the Skyline Lady Vikings in Florence. Russellville, led by Suggs who had a hand in all three Lady Golden Tiger runs, opened the scoring in the top of the second thanks to an RBI double by Suggs that scored Blevyn Sappington to make it 1-0. Then in the fourth, RHS rounded out the scoring with two runs on another RBI hit by Suggs and an error by Skyline that scored Suggs from third base. Russellville ended the week with a 20-19-1 record.
Russellville 2, Colbert Heights 1