By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers combined timely hitting with effective pitching and solid defense to defeat all four opponents they faced and walk away with championship honors in the Decatur Invitational Softball Tournament at Wilson Morgan Park Saturday night.
They had wins over Scottsboro, Cullman, Decatur and Ardmore and improved their record to 7-3 on the season.
In the championship game, the Lady Tigers came up with a go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning and went on to win 3-2. The run was scored by Anna Beth Hall. She singled, stole second and came home on an infield single by Hayden Watts. Earlier, they pushed across two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Michel Fields reached first base on a single to center field and Sara Lang followed with a two-run homer, her second of the season. Hall also had a single.
Ardmore scored its two runs in the top of the third inning on a double followed by two back-to-back singles.
Hartselle 2, Scottsboro 1.
The Lady Tigers got on the scoreboard in the first inning on the strength of a triple by Hall and a single by Audrey McClanahan. They added what turned out to be the winning run in the second inning thanks to three Scottsboro errors. A late throw to first base by the catcher following a third strike put Watts on first base with one out. She advanced to second on a passed ball and scored when the catcher let a third strike get by her for the second time and allowed Raley Sittason to reach first.
Scottsboro scored its only run the bottom of the fourth inning on a home run.
Riley was the winning pitcher, allowing one run on four hits while striking out 10 and walking none.
For Hartselle, Hall doubled and Kristy Pevahouse, Riley and McClanahan each singled.
Hartselle 6, Cullman 2
The Lady Tigers struggled at the plate through the first four innings with only one hit, a single by Lang. However, they broke out of their slump by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth to claim their second win of the day. Ironically, it was a sophomore pitcher who had not reached first safely in two previous times at bat that got things started. With one out, Meaghan Grey looped a 0-1 pitch over the head of the third basemen for a single. Pevahouse followed with an RBI triple and then scored on Hall’s single to tie the score at 2-2. McClanahan reached first on an error and a single by Fields loaded the bases. Lang was hit by a pitch to load the bases and another run scored on a fielder’s choice. A hit batter scored a third run and a fourth run scored on a fielder’s choice.
Singles by Alex Paulsen and Kimmie Minor followed to score the fifth and sixth runs.
Gray was the winning pitcher. She allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six and walking two.
Cullman scored its two runs in the top of the fifth on a walk, a bunt single and a triple.
Hartselle 16, Decatur 0
The Lady Tigers got revenge for a loss two days earlier to Decatur by bombing the Lady Red Raiders with 16 runs on 14 hits in a three-inning game.
Chandler Orr broke out of a hitting slump by slugging a home run and a pair of singles. Lang had a double and a pair of singles; McClanahan, a double and single; Pevahouse, a double; and Fields, Kelsey Starr, Minor and Hall, each with a single.
Riley wax credited with the win. She pitched two innings and allowed no runs on two hits and struck out one. Gray pitched the third, allowed no hits and struck out one.