Power players
- Updated: March 15, 2020
Softball roundup: Alexandria catcher-cousins Burt, Welch homer for their respective teams; Oxford, Piedmont, White Plains have good Saturdays
Saturday’s softball scores
Alexandria 5, Spring Garden 4
Oxford 6, Mortimer Jordan 3
Oxford 16, Hale County 2
Piedmont 9, Cedar Bluff 8
Piedmont 3, Sand Rock 0
Piedmont 10, Collinsville 3
White Plains 3, Alexandria 2
White Plains 4, Spring Garden 1
By East Alabama Sports Today
The cousins joined their respective varsity teams as eighth graders, play the same position (catcher) and if Saturday was indeed the last time they’re on the field, they both went out with a bang.
Millie Burt drilled a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Alexandria softball team a 4-2 lead in an eventual 5-2 win over Spring Garden Saturday. A few moments later, cousin-catcher Mitch Welch hit his second home run of the season and eighth of his career in the third inning to give the baseball team a lead in its game against Russellville.
“I think it’s just the bloodline,” Welch said. “Me and Millie are pretty close. We always work pretty hard. We always try to put the work in and never hold anything back.”
Burt also went 3-for-3 in the Lady Cubs’ first game, a 3-2 loss to White Plains.
It might be the first time the cousins homered on the same day and, depending on the weather at the beginning of next week, it came in what might be their last games before the state-mandate shutdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
“I think it was just God doing it,” Welch said. “He might have said it’s our last day or end it on a good note.”
Ashley Phillips broke a 4-4 tie with a solo homer in the seventh inning to put the Lady Cubs ahead for good and make Lanie Dreyer a winning pitcher. Phillips went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Burt and Chloe Gattis both had two hits.
Dreyer pitched a complete game, giving up two earned runs and striking out six.
White Plains 3, Alexandria 2:The Lady Wildcats scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the fourth inning and Jaylee Crow made it stand with 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief.
RBI singles by Lanie Dreyer and Jordan Beason gave the Lady Cubs a 2-0 lead in the first. White Plains got one back in the bottom of the inning on Callyn Martin’s fielder’s choice. The Lady Wildcats tied the game on Hallie Williams’ run-scoring single in the fourth, two batters before the passed ball.
Rylee Gattis had two hits for Alexandria in the game. Emma Jones and Lily Ponder hit doubles in the game for White Plains.
White Plains 4, Spring Garden 1:Emma Howard and Jaylee Crow combined on a one-hitter for the Lady Wildcats. They only hit they allowed Kaylee Kirk’s third-inning double. Howard and Crow retired the next 10 in a row and 14 of the last 16 they faced.
The Lady Wildcats gave up an unearned run in the first, got it back in the home half of the inning on Callyn Martin’s RBI double and took a 2-1 lead on an error.
Oxford 6, Mortimer Jordan 3:Sarah Howell and Riley Rhodes both homered for the Lady Jackets. Howell went 3-for-3, while Ashlyn Burns and Riley Rhodes each had two hits.
Oxford 16, Hale County 2:Riley Rhodes, Chloe Derrick and Ellie Derrick all homered for the Lady Jackets. Ellie Derrick hit a three-run homer in Oxford’s 12-run second inning. Chloe Derrick and Rhodes went back-to-back in the third.
Piedmont 9, Cedar Bluff 8:Cayla Brothers’ two-run double broke a 5-5 tie and highlighted a six-run fourth inning.
Piedmont 3, Sand Rock 0:Emily Farmer pitched a five-hit shutout, Zhayla Walker had two hits and Grace Epperson had two RBIs.
Piedmont 10, Collinsville 3:Winning pitcher Savannah Smith had a three-run double and Emily Farmer hit a two-run double in the eight-run fourth that carried the Lady Bulldogs to victory.
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