Bulldogs’ bats come alive
- Updated: April 29, 2015
Roundup: Piedmont, Wellborn play for 3A Area 12 softball title, clinch regional spot; includes sectional golf
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
It has been a long tough season for the Piedmont Bulldogs, but the tough schedule is starting to pay dividends as they pounded host Wellborn for 13 hits and five walks in a 10-4 win Tuesday in the Class 3A Area 12 tournament at June Evans Field.
The win moved the Bulldogs (22-20) into the finals and clinched a spot in the Regionals May 7 in Tuscaloosa. The loss dropped the Panthers (20-8) into the loser’s bracket, but they bounced back to eliminate Pleasant Valley 9-4 and clinch their own spot in the regionals.
Piedmont will face Wellborn for the area championship 4 p.m. Thursday with the Panthers needing to win twice for the title.
Piedmont 10, Wellborn 4
Wellborn jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Reagan Nunez’s three-run home run in the top of the first. The Bulldogs came back with two in the bottom of the inning as Torre Roberts came home on a wild pitch and Kayleigh Williams singled home Rachel Baggett.
Hannah Hulsizer, Peggy Ridley and Roberts put together singles in the second inning to put Piedmont ahead 4-3 and the Bulldogs never looked back. Kendall Pressley led off the bottom of the third with a towering home run to left center off Lauren Carroll, who relieved Wellborn starter Mikayla Ludwig after two innings, and Hulsizer singled home Tylin Wilson.
The Bulldogs added four more runs in the fourth as Williams and Pressley drove in runs and Hayden Tyree singled home two.
Roberts went 3-for-4 to lead Piedmont at the plate. Pressley went the distance and was the winning pitcher. She held Wellborn to just one run over the last six innings.
The Panthers had their chances as they pounded out 12 hits. Carlee Mullinax, Laurel Hambrick and Nunez had two hits apiece.
Wellborn 9, Pleasant Valley 4
[corner-ad id=2]Sydney Carroll drove in five runs for the Panthers with a first-inning bases-loaded single and a sixth-inning bases-loaded double.
Nunez had two hits and two RBI’s. Taylor Houck had two hits and scored twice, and Lauren Carroll had two singles, a walk, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs as Wellborn’s offense woke up against PV pitcher Alyssa St John. Mullinax added three hits and drove in two runs.
The Lady Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the first as Atleigh Brannon led off with a single and scored on Kara Perry’s double. Brannon went 3-for-3 with a walk.
They came up with three runs in the seventh and left two runners on in a valiant attempt to keep their season alive. Brannon, Tiffany Williams and McKinley Parris had hits in that inning.
Pleasant Valley 12, Weaver 1
Brannon had three hits and scored three runs to lead the Raiders (19-17) in the five-inning game.
Williams, Parris and winning pitcher Anna Bryant had two hits apiece for the Raiders. Bryant threw a three-hitter.
Hailee Wine singled and scored the long run for the 2-21 Bearcats.
SOFTBALL: White Plains wins Class 4A Area 11 tournament
White Plains claimed its area championship at the end of a long night of softball.
The Wildcats, who beat Saks in the winner’s bracket final on Monday, took down Cleburne County 11-3 in the do-of-die title game after the Tigers won 5-0 to set up the “if” game.
GOLF: Donoho boys, Oxford’s Huckeba advance
Donoho didn’t play its best golf, but the Falcons did win their sectional qualifier at Silver Lakes. The Falcons shot 340 as a team, led by Jacob Lecroy’s 82. They also counted an 83 by Jack Svensen, 87 by John Hutto and Ross Svensen and Robert Clauson both shot 88.
Oxford’s girls finished sixth in their 6A sectional at Lakewinds GC in Alexander City. Kayla Huckeba qualified as an individual for the substate at Heron Lakes CC in Mobile after shooting 85.
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