Cubs win 2, PV splits
- Updated: March 24, 2015
Alexandria knocks off 2A No. 1, Raiders fall to top 4A team; updates with Wednesday’s matchups
By East Alabama Sports Today
GULF SHORES – Alexandria came down to the beach to measure itself against good teams and good pitching. So far, it’s passing the test.
The Valley Cubs picked up two quality wins in the Gulf Coast Classic Tuesday, beating top-ranked 2A Sumiton Christian 8-5 in a fifth-inning international tiebreaker and Bob Jones 6-0.
“These are two quality wins,” Cubs coach Brian Hess said. “It just seems we’re getting a little more confidence with every day. We’re playing a little more complete than we have in the last few weeks.”
Sumiton tied the game with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Valley Cubs (13-6) responded with three in their half of the tiebreaker. Destiny Heathcock broke it open with a two-run single and Leighton Sparks singled her home.
Sparks pitched a two-hitter in the second game. Jessica Shaw drove in five of the Valley Cubs’ six runs with a single, double and bases-loaded triple.
“We came down here to see the quality teams and quality pitching and see how we matched up with it, and so far we’re doing well,” Hess said.
The Valley Cubs move into Wednesday’s elimination round seeded eighth and will play the Walker Valley-Winfield winner at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex at 12:30 p.m.
Curry 6, Pleasant Valley 0
Pleasant Valley 8, Pensacola (Fla.) 3
The Raiders bounced back after being one-hit by the top-ranked team in Class 4A – and one of the top 25 in the country – with 11 hits against Pensacola, including six of the extra-base variety.
Atleigh Brannon had two doubles among her three hits and Tiffany Williams had a triple and solo homer. Cheyenne Griffith also had three hits and Kara Perry had two hits.
Brannon, Griffith and Williams all had extra-base hits in a four-run first inning that allowed the Raiders to erase an early 2-0 deficit. Williams’ leadoff homer in the third made it 5-2.
“It was good to bounce back,” PV coach David Bryant said. “We hit the ball a lot better, like we used to. We hit it where it was pitched and made good contact.”
Curry junior Ashlee Swindle allowed the Raiders only two base runners in the opener – Madi Bentley’s two-out single in the third and Kara Perry’s leadoff walk in the fifth.
The Yellow Jackets (20-1) seized control of the game by scoring three runs with two outs in the second inning. They scored the first run with their third single of the inning, then loaded the bases and got a walk and hit batsman.
“I haven’t seen a team all that I would say was better than Curry,” Bryant said. “We had to play at a high level to keep it close. We had a chance to get out of (the second), but we didn’t. I thought if we had gotten out of it 1-0 it might have been closer.”
The Raiders go into Wednesday’s elimination round seeded 18th and will play No. 15 Cullman at the Sportsplex at 11 a.m.
Jacksonville was scheduled for two games Tuesday – James Clemson and South Pittsburg (Tenn.) — looking for its first run of the event.
The Golden Eagles go into Wednesday’s elimination round seeded 39th and will play No. 26 Colbert Heights at the Sportsplex at 9:30 a.m. The winner meets No. 7 Sparkman at 12:30 p.m.
TUESDAY’S SOFTBALL LINESCORES
Curry 6, Pleasant Valley 0
Pleasant Valley 000 00 — 0 1 1
Curry 031 2x — 6 9 0
SAVANNAH WILLIAMS, Alisa St. John (2) and Taylor Williams; ASHLEE SWINDLE and Emily Aaron. WP: Swindle. LP: Williams.
Pleasant Valley 8, Pensacola (Fla.) 3
Pensacola 200 01 — 3 3 2
Pleasant Valley 401 3x — 8 11 1
2B: Cheyenne Griffith (PV), Atleigh Brannon 2 (PV). 3B: Tiffany Williams (PV), Kara Perry (PV). HR: Tiffany Williams (PV). WP: Anna Bryant.
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