Local softball roundup, April 20-25
Here’s a look at the softball action from around Franklin County:
Monday, April 20
Colbert Heights 5, Belgreen 4
Haleyville 13, Phil Campbell 4
Red Bay 7, Covenant Christian 0
Red Bay handled the Lady Eagles of Covenant Christian without much problem to start the week, taking a commanding lead early and not allowing the hosts to gain a foothold offensively. The Lady Tigers went up 5-0 to start the game in the top of the first inning. A Covenant error allowed the first run to score before senior Kyla Blackburn’s steal of home made it a 2-0 game. A passed ball that allowed Olivia Miller to come in made it 3-0, Bella Blackburn’s RBI groundout made it 4-0, and another Lady Eagles error made it 5-0. Red Bay’s final two insurance runs were scored in the second and seventh innings on two steals of home plate by Raigan Henson and McKenna Young. Young would finish the day as her team’s leader at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. In the circle, Charley Lindley pitched a complete game shutout. Lindley allowed just three hits and struck out nine batters through seven innings.
Hatton 8, Russellville 5
Tharptown 14, Decatur Heritage 2
Tuesday, April 21
Belgreen 14, Phil Campbell 2
Outhitting Phil Campbell 16-3, the Belgreen Lady Bulldogs dispatched their county foe in five innings. Led by Zoey Blaxton, who finished with a game-high five RBIs, BHS scored five runs in both the first and third innings before finishing PCHS off with a four-run fifth inning. After RBI hits by Kendra Williams and Caleigh Lawson, the top of the first inning was highlighted by Blaxton’s two-run homer over the center field wall to make it 5-0. Phil Campbell responded in the home half of the first, cutting the deficit to three runs after Shiloh Madden’s fly out gave two runners a chance to come around. Belgreen shot back two innings later with five more runs, three of which came off home runs by Lawson and another by Blaxton. Charley Hogan’s RBI double then made it a 9-2 game before an RBI single by Randi Terry put the Lady Bulldogs up 10-2. Terry would later lead off the fifth with a solo home run before a PCHS error and a final RBI hit by Blaxton closed the scoring. In the circle, starter Addi James took the loss and Jemma Moore, who struck out seven batters through four innings was credited with the win.
Red Bay 14, Sheffield 0
Russellville 5, West Point 1
Tharptown 4, Decatur 0
Behind a combined two-hit pitching performance from Alyssa Fischer and Cadence Kennedy, Tharptown was able to pull off a four-run victory over Class 6A Decatur in the mid-week. Fischer, who finished with a 3-for-4 day, also led her team at the dish as the Lady Wildcats outhit the Lady Raiders 11-2. Tharptown’s runs were produced through solo runs in the fourth through seventh innings. Paisleigh Carr opened up the scoring in the fourth on an RBI single that scored Allie Gann, an RBI triple by Gabi Johnson made it 2-0 in the fifth, Fischer’s run-scoring single to left field made it a 3-0 contest, and then Gann rounded things out with an RBI line drive to center field that scored Ashlynn Abbott. In the circle, the starter Kennedy, who pitched four and a third innings, allowed one hit and struck out four batters; the reliever Fischer had the same line through two and two-thirds.
Vina 5, Winston County 1
After trailing 1-0 through four innings, Vina came from behind to beat Winston County in the Lady Red Devils’ only game of the week. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Vina plated three runs—two because of errors and one on a Kenzie Elrod flyout that allowed Lindie Easterling to score—before a hard hit ground ball by MiKayla Shotts drove in the final two runs of the game in the sixth. In bringing those two runs across, Shotts was providing herself with some insurance in the circle. Shotts threw all seven innings and as well as allowing just one run gave up as many hits—seven—as she recorded strikeouts.
Thursday, April 23
Belgreen 9, East Lawrence 8
Phil Campbell 11, Phillips 0
The Lady Bobcats run-ruled Phillips in their final game of the week. Phil Campbell, thanks to a passed ball that scored Chaley Bullington in the first inning, led the game 1-0 through three innings but were able to put the game on ice with a huge 10-run fourth inning. Highlighted by a three-run inside-the-park home run by Bullington which made it a 6-0 contest, the Lady Bobcats also scored runs on passed ball, three errors, and a two-run single by Amyah Hamilton. Hamilton finished her day 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Bullington went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a team-high three RBIs. In the circle, Addi James went the whole way, five innings, and allowed just three hits in the shutout. James also finished with nine strikeouts and allowed just one walk.
Red Bay 14, Phillips 1
Russellville 12, Florence 2
Decatur 12, Tharptown 8
Friday, April 24
Fort Payne 9, Belgreen 0
Belgreen 2, Hamilton 1
James Clemens 5, Russellville 3
Wilson 5, Russellville 4
Russellville 11, Pelham 4
In a tournament in Athens, Russellville managed an impressive victory over Pelham thanks to a huge eight-run third inning that put the Lady Golden Tigers ahead late. Led by Kaylee Suggs, who finished the game 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored, RHS went up 1-0 in the first on a solo home run by Ticelee Gholston before Pelham tied the game up 3-3 going into the bottom half of the third. That’s when the the Lady Golden Tigers, who had five hits and drew three walks, punched back for eight runs. Blevyn Sappington’s two-RBI single got the scoring started; it was then followed by a two-run single by Suggs, an error, an RBI single by Bri McCulloch (who later stole home), and finally an RBI double from Alexia Groce. Earning the win in the circle was Taitum Bishop, who pitched three innings, allowed two earned runs off four hits, and struck out two.
Saturday, April 25
Priceville 7, Belgreen 2
Fort Payne 7, Belgreen 1
Russellville 2, Danville 1
Winfield 5, Russellville 3