Serious softball

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: May 18, 2022

Piedmont eliminated from Class 3A after two games, Prattville Christiaan stuns Bulldogs with three in top of the seventh

From AHSAA reports

OXFORD – The Piedmont softball came close to staving off elimination in the Class 3A state softball tournament Tuesday, but Prattville Christian scored three in the top of the seventh to send the Lady Bulldogs home 5-3.

Piedmont dropped its first game of the day, 6-2 to Oakman.

Emily Farmer’s RBI single in the third gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead and they carried it all the way to the seventh.

PC put runners on the corners with one out in the seventh. Jersee Carter then hit a game-tying single, then two runs rode home on Sarah Wlliams’ sacrifice fly

Jaycee Glover and Cacey Brothers had two hits apiece in the game for Piedmont. Emily Farmer had two RBIs.

In the first game, Oakman broke away from a 2-2 tie with single runs in each of its last four bats. Glover went 3-for-3 for the Bulldogs, while Brothers had two hits and Farmer had two RBIs.

Meanwhile, Houston Academy needs just one more win to do something the Raiders haven’t done in 20 years.

The Raiders, who haven’t won a state softball title since taking home the 1A-5A slow-pitch crown in 2002 – the final year of slow-pitch – are one win away from history after beating Mobile Christian 4-1 in the winner’s bracket finals.

“This team has worked so hard,” Houston Academy coach Sharon Cherry said. “It’s been a long, hard season, and they’ve been incredible.”

The Raiders (47-13-1) set a new single-season school record for victories Tuesday, beating the record set in 2021 when they finished third at the state tourney with 44 wins. The Dothan school also earned a 2-1 victory over defending 3A state champion Plainview, the team that knocked the out last year.

In the winners’ bracket final, Alexis Milanowski drove home Suzanne Snell with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Then, leading 3-0 in the sixth, Emily Adams relieved Braya Hodges in the pitching circle with two on and no outs.

Adams escaped the jam by allowing only one run, and the Raiders added another insurance run in the seventh for the final.

The winner of the elimination bracket in the double-elimination format must beat Houston Academy twice Wednesday. Houston Academy will play in the 3A championship round at 1:30 p.m. at Choccolocco Park’s signature field. The “if” game will follow immediately if needed.

Plainview (46-6), Beulah (39-7) and Mobile Christian (45-5) are the other teams still alive after Tuesday’s competition. Plainview fought through the elimination bracket to win the 3A title in 2021.

CLASS 3A RESULTS
First round
Plainview 6, Carbon Hill 1
Houston Academy 4, Beulah 1
Mobile Christian 10, Prattville Christian 1
Oakman 6, Piedmont 2
Championship Bracket Semifinals
Houston Academy 2, Plainview 1
Mobile Christian 2, Oakman 0
Championship Bracket Finals
Houston Academy 4, Mobile Christian 1

Consolation Bracket Results
Beulah 4, Carbon Hill 1
Prattville Christian 5, Piedmont 3
Plainview 6, Prattville Christian 1
Beulah 10, Oakman 6

Class 6A

Athens’ eight senior softball players definitely remember who eliminated them from last year’s state softball tournament.

The Golden Eagles (41-10) earned a 3-1 victory over Helena High School in the winner’s bracket final of the Clsas 6A tournament. The Huskies were the team that knocked Athens out of last year’s state tournament.

“Just to be able to get to the state championship game, they’re excited about that,” Athens coach Travis Barnes said. “Helena, that’s the team that knocked them out last year.”

Athens hasn’t won a state softball title since 2010, but the Golden Eagles need just one more victory Wednesday to take home the Blue Map.

The first five batters against Helena got a hit as the Golden Eagles scored three runs in the first inning. Right-handed pitcher Emily Simon did the rest, allowing just one run and earning a complete-game victory.

CLASS 6A RESULTS
First round
Mortimer Jordan 16, Springville 11
Helena 3, Robertsdale 0
Calera 8, Baldwin County 3
Athens 4, Pell City 1
Winner’s Bracket Semifinals
Helena 10, Mortimer Jordan 8
Athens 6, Calera 1
Consolation Bracket
Pell City 8, Baldwin County 2
Springville 10, Robertsdale 0
Calera 2, Springville 1
Pell City 5, Mortimer Jordan 4