By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers maintained their hot pace in postseason competition by blanking Albertville 9-0 in the championship game of the Class 5A North Regional Softball Tournament at the Sportsplex in Huntsville Monday afternoon.
They will continue their run for a state championship by taking on the Rehobeth Lady Rebels of Dothan in the State Softball Tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery on Friday at 12 p.m. The Lady Tigers (44-15) lost to the Lady Rebels 0-7 in the opening round of the tournament in 2008 but fought back in the loser’s bracket to reach the championship game before losing to Mortimer Jordan.
The Lady Tigers swept all four of its regional opponents after compiling a 3-0 record in area competition. In the regional, they produced 35 runs on 44 hits while their opponents were limited to seven runs on 19 hits.
In the regional final, they put two runs on the scoreboard in the first inning, scored another run in the second, three in the fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth.
Sara Lang led a 14-hit attack. She had a solo home run, a double and a single. Chandler Orr followed with three singles. Ashley Bonner had a double and single, Michel Fields had a pair of singles and Audrey McClanahan, Katie Gentle, Anna Hall and Jackie Shadden each singled.
Breanna Riley was the winning pitcher. She allowed two hits while striking out six in five innings. Abby McHugh pitched the final two innings. She allowed two hits and two strikeouts.
Hartselle 8, Albertville 4
Hartselle remained unbeaten and clinched a return to the state tournament in Montgomery by defeating Albertville’s Lady Aggies 8-4 in the third round of the North Regional Tournament in Huntsville Saturday night.
Hartselle pounded out 10 hits and scored three runs in the second inning and five more in the third. Albertville scored all of its runs in the fourth.
Leading the Lady Tigers at the plate was Lang with a double and single. Audrey Bonner and Hall each had a pair of singles and McClanahan, Orr, Hayden Watts and Alex Paulsen each singled.
Meaghan Gray pitched all seven innings and got the win. She allowed four runs on six hits while striking out three.
Hartselle16, E. Limestone 2
The Lady Tigers remained unbeaten in regional play by pounding East Limestone 16-2 in a rain-delayed, six-inning game on Saturday
Hartselle put the game out of reach in the second inning by exploding for six runs on five sits and sending 10 players to the plate. They added four runs in the fifth and six in the sixth. The Lady Indians scored single runs in the third and fifth innings.
Hall collected three singles to lead a 13-hit attack. Orr, Paulsen and Watts each had a pair of singles, McClanahan doubled and Bonner, Lang and Fields each singled.
Breanna Riley pitched five innings and was credited with the win. She allowed two runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one. Gray came on in relief in the sixth inning and didn’t allow a run or hit.
Hartselle 2, Madison Co. 1
Hartselle edged Madison County 2-1 in the opening round of the North Regional Softball Tournament in Huntsville on Friday night.
They scored the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning on a leadoff walk to Fields followed by a double down the first base line by Bonner. Madison County led until the 6th inning when Orr scored from second on a single by Kimmie Minor to tie the game.
Gray pitched all eight innings of the extra-inning contest and was credited with the win. She allowed one run on three hits while striking out five and walking one.
The Lady Tigers pounded out seven hits. Bonner paced the attack with a double and single, Orr and Hall each had a pair of singles and Minor singled.
Hartselle 5, Muscle Shoals 2
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers produced three runs in the first inning and went on to defeat Muscle Shoals 5-2 in the finals of the Area 15 tournament last week.
Hartselle decided the game by producing three runs in the first inning and added two in the fifth.
Breanna Riley pitched the first three innings and was credited with the win. She allowed one run on two hits while striking out five. Meaghan Gray pitched one and 2/3 innings. She allowed one run on one hit while striking out one. Abby McHugh pitched the final two and one-third innings. She didn’t give up a hit while striking out two.
Hartselle collected nine hits with Kimmie Minor smashing a two-run homer. Michel Fields doubled and Anna Hall, Chandler Orr, Audrey McClanahan, Ashley Bonner, Alex Paulsen, Sara Lang and Katie Gentle each had a single.
Hall, Orr, Lang and Fields were named to the All-Area Tourney team.