Local softball roundup, March 30-April 4: Belgreen, Russellville spend Spring Break at Pleasure Island Showdown
Here’s a look at the Spring Break softball action from Franklin County teams March 30 through April 4:
Tuesday, March 31
Covenant Christian 5, Phil Campbell 4
Thursday, April 2
Wicksburg 6, Belgreen 3
Baker 14, Belgreen 0
Phil Campbell 9, Haleyville 7
A tough contest between Phil Campbell and Haleyville was decided in the final two innings after the Lady Bobcats, who trailed 4-0 after the first inning, scored two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to complete the comeback victory. Behind going into the top of the second inning, two-hole hitter Kylee Fugate, who finished 3-for-5 at the plate, put PCHS on the board with an RBI single into center field. Her RBI liner was followed by a lineout by Georgia Motes, but the contact was enough to allow Madison Baker to tag up and score on the throw and cut the deficit in half. In the fourth, the Lady Bobcats were able to tie the game up 5-5 with a three-run inning. Fugate came through for her team again, singling to right field to bring home Baker before, two batters later, Tinlee Parker knotted things up with a two-run double to left field scoring Chaley Bullington and Fugate. Haleyville was able to retake the lead 6-5 in the fifth, but PCHS responded with a go-ahead at-bat in the sixth a la Amyah Hamilton whose single up the middle scored Motes and Fugate. Up 7-6 going into the seventh, Phil Campbell plated two more insurance runs thanks to Lady Lion errors. Parker, who pitched all seven innings for the the Lady Bobcats, earned the win, allowing seven runs (five earned) off five hits while striking out one batter and walking five. The win improved PCHS’ record to 7-15.
Russellville 3, Chattanooga Christian 3
Siegal (Tenn.) 4, Russellville 1
Brilliant 8, Vina 5
Despite an early 2-0 lead and multi-hit performances from B Quinn, Kenzie Elrod, and K Harper, the Vina Lady Red Devils were unable to fend off Brilliant after the visitors put up crooked numbers in the third, fourth, and sixth innings. VHS catcher Harleigh Ridge drew first blood when her RBI groundout scored Lana Bell, and Vina was able to double its 1-0 lead in the second on a bases loaded walk drawn by Bell. From there, however, Brilliant was able to respond. The Lady Tigers scored three runs in the third inning, three more in the fourth, and rounded things out with a two-run sixth that made it 8-4. Vina was able to tack on two more runs in the fifth thanks to a two-run home run by Quinn, and did grab a final run in the bottom half of the seventh on an RBI groundout by Elrod, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit. M Shotts, who threw all seven innings for VHS, allowed four earned runs on nine hits; she finished the game with eight strikeouts and 10 walks. Vina would end the week with an 8-14 record.
Brilliant 18, Vina 0
Friday, April 3
Siegal (Tenn.) 5, Belgreen 1
Belgreen 16, Franklin Monroe (Ohio) 1
Belgreen’s lone win at the Pleasure Island Showdown tournament in Gulf Shores was a blowout win over a team all the way from Pitsburg, Ohio, Franklin Monroe High School. In three innings of play, Belgreen recorded nine hits and came around to score 16 times. After taking an initial 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Marlie Terry in the bottom half of the first, BHS exploded for 12 runs in the second inning. A lot of walks and errant pitches gave the Lady Bulldogs plenty of opportunities to pour it on the Lady Jets—and they did. In addition to those Franklin Monroe miscues, Belgreen saw run-scoring hits from Bryn Scott, Caleigh Lawson, and Randi Terry in the second. BHS would go on to add three superfluous insurance runs in the third via RBIs from MaKinley Vandier and Ellie Pounders. Eighteen Lady Bulldogs made an appearance in the rout, and most saw just one at-bat, but nearly all made it count. Lawson, Randi Terry, and Pounders all drove in two runs each in their 1-for-1 games and Lilliana Willingham came around to score three runs. In the circle, Brooklyn McGaughy pitched all but the final out of the game and was credited with the win. She finished with three hits allowed and four strikeouts. Nicole Britton secured the final out of the game in relief. BHS ended the week with an 11-9-1 record.
Russellville 21, Franklin Monroe (Ohio) 0
A nine-run first inning and a 12-run second inning allowed the Russellville Lady Golden Tigers to cruise in their one win at the Pleasure Island Showdown in Gulf Shores. Led by three-hit performances by center fielder Blevyn Sappington and third baseman Alexia Groce, RHS outhit Franklin Monroe 19-0 in two and a half innings of play. Russellville went ahead in the bottom half of the first inning in its second at-bat—sophomore Bri McCulloch doubled to left field to score Ticelee Gholston and give RHS a 1-0 lead—and never stepped off the gas after that. Franklin Monroe errors played a role, but Russellville’s bats did most of the damage. Eight of the Lady Golden Tigers’ 19 total hits came in the first inning, and six of those hits resulted in at least one run being scored. In the second inning, it was more of the same from Russellville. Sappington, who scored on a single-turned-inside-the-park-home-run in the first inning (thanks to an error by the right fielder) did the same thing again to lead off the second, reaching first on a liner into right and coming all the way around after an error. RBI doubles by Groce and Jonalyn Thorn and RBI singles by MacKenzie Wright, Erin Grimes, Sappington, Khristyan Huerta, and Brandtley Benford helped to drive in most of the other 12 runs in the inning. And while the Lady Golden Tigers had a fantastic day at the plate, their pitching was just as fantastic. Kaylee Suggs, who started the game and received credit for the win, and Wright combined to throw a perfect three-inning game, allowing no base runners and striking out seven of the nine batters faced. Russellville finished its week with a 12-13-1 record.
Wicksburg 8, Russellville 1
Baker 4, Russellville 0
Saturday, April 4
Chattanooga Christian 7, Belgreen 2
Mineral Point (Wis.) 5, Russellville 4