Saving the day
- Updated: April 16, 2021
Friday roundup: Jacksonville girls soccer wins area title in a shootout; Oxford baseball walks off on Senior Night and more
By East Alabama Sports Today
LINCOLN – When Jacksonville keeper Amanda Cunigan turned away the final penalty kick to secure the biggest win of his three-year tenure, the only way coach Tom Anderson could describe the scene was pure pandemonium.
The Lady Golden Eagles locked up their first state soccer playoff berth since 2018 in the most dramatic possible way, beating Lincoln in a penalty kick shootout 3-2 to win the Class 4A-5A Area 10 championship. They won the shootout 3-2.
The juniors in the program were eighth-graders the last time Jacksonville’s girls made the playoffs. The Lady Golden Eagles, 7-2-2 and riding a three-game winning streak, now will host the yet-to-be-determined Area 9 runner-up in the first round.
Both teams from Donoho, both teams from Weaver and the White Plains boys also have qualified for the playoffs. Donoho’s boys won their area championship for the first time since 2000 earlier this week.
“It’s a big deal, it’s a big deal for Jacksonville girls soccer,” Anderson said. “It’s so amazing. Those girls played their hearts out. They were scrapping and fighting and never gave up. They’ve been doing that all season long.”
Both teams were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs; they were playing for the area winner and runner-up slots in the bracket.
Jacksonville got the tying goal with four minutes left in regulation on Maggie Anderson’s header off a corner kick by Olivia King. Anderson also scored the go-ahead goal in the shootout before Cunigan came up with her third and championship-clinching save of the shootout. King and Sarah Sloughfy scored Jacksonville’s other shootout goals.
Both teams missed their first attempt in the shootout and both made their second. Jacksonville made it in the third round and Lincoln in the fourth, setting up a sudden-death situation from then on.
Maggie Anderson found the back of the net in the fifth round to put Jacksonville ahead and Cunigan made it stand.
“That was clutch,” Coach Anderson said. “The keeper happened to be in the right place, stopped it and it was pandemonium. It was awesome. (Cunigan) was feeling a little down because she let a ball in earlier, but she got back on board and saved the day.”
Jacksonville’s boys won their game 2-1, also in a shootout (4-3).
Baseball
FRIDAY’S SCORES
Faith Christian 10-5, Gaston 0-3
Ohatchee 13, Ragland 0
Oxford 9, Spring Garden 8
Wellborn 7, Weaver 1
White Plains 4, Donoho 3
Oxford 9, Spring Garden 8: Peyton Watts doubled home Sam Robertson with one out in the bottom of the seventh to give the Yellow Jackets a walkoff Senior Night win.
The Jackets opened a 7-4 lead after four innings, but Spring Garden tied it in the fifth and took an 8-7 lead in the sixth forcing Oxford to tie it in the bottom of the inning on Jackson Ray’s two-out RBI single.
Watts went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Ray and Brock Killian both drove in a pair of runs. Trey Mooney and Carter Johnson had two hits apiece.
In the month of April, Johnson is hitting 12-of-25 with seven RBIs. He is 10-of-15 with six RBIs in his last six games, 6-of-7 in his last three.
Faith Christian 10-5, Gaston 0-3: One day after securing their first playoff berth in nearly a decade, the Lions swept a doubleheader.
Brodie Dodson pitched a five-inning four-hitter with eight strikeouts in the opener. He gave up singles to the first two hitters he faced, then allowed only three more baserunners the rest of the game. Dodson also had two hits, Brady Whitworth went 4-for-4, Colton Pahman homered and drove in four runs.
Andrew Folsom and Alex Almanza both hit two-run homers in the nightcap.
Ohatchee 13, Ragland 0: The Indians shook off their scoring slump from the Pleasant Valley series with 12 hits and two big innings against the Purple Devils.
Devin Howell hit two doubles and drove in four runs. Konnor Baswell, Brent Honaker and Jesse Baswell all had two hits and two RBIs. Bryce Noah scattered four singles and struck out four in the five-inning shutout.
White Plains 4, Donoho 3: The Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four innings, then held off a late Donoho rally.
The Falcons pulled to within 4-3 in the seventh on Lucas Elliott’s two-run single and had two runners in scoring position with nobody out. But the Wildcats cut down Slade Haney at home on an infield ground, he was replaced by Elliott at third, but Hayden Howard got out of the jam with two infield grounders.
Ty Daniel went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for White Plains. Haney went 3-for-4 for Donoho and Elliott had two hits and two RBIs.
Wellborn 7, Weaver 1: Brennan Talley had three hits, Kaden Goodwin drove in three runs and JoJo Wyatt threw a complete game with seven strikeouts to lead the Panthers. Devin Anderson went 3-for-3 for Weaver.
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