By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
MOODY — Ryleigh Hodges stepped into the batter’s box here on a blistering cold Saturday night and singled on the third pitch she saw to drive in Libby Higgins as the Moody Blue Devils completed an unlikely comeback to defeat Springville and win the St. Clair County Softball Tournament championship.
The Blue Devils won 12-11 with Hodges’ walk-off single, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. But the most interesting thing about this tournament win was how the Blue Devils got there. After falling to Springville 6-2 in the semifinal game in the winners’ bracket, Moody had to turn around and defeat Ragland immediately.
The Blue Devils picked up a 9-5 victory there, putting themselves back into the finals, where they had to beat Springville twice to win the championship.
Game 1: Moody 10, Springville 5
Moody scored four runs in the third inning, with Emma Kile, Hodges and Higgins each getting an RBI to propel the Blue Devils into the lead.
Hodges got the win that had eluded her earlier in the day, allowing five runs on three hits and pitching all seven innings.
Springville’s Bella Bullington, who had led the Tigers to victory in the first meeting between the two teams earlier in the day, was chased after two innings allowing four runs on five hits and one walk.
Higgins led the Blue Devils at the plate, going 4-for-5.
Game 2: Moody 12, Springville 11
The Tigers struck back in the first inning of the final game, scoring six in the opening frame and forcing the Blue Devils’ best pitcher, Hollie Graham, out of the circle after only two-thirds of an inning. Graham allowed six runs on four hits, with one strikeout.
Springville got on board when Makalyn Kyser doubled, bringing Bekah Hargrove in from second base. But the hit that sent Graham to the dugout was a triple by Emmy Leopard that scored Tori Barnes and Shelby Hathcock. Hodges came in for Graham and allowed a single that scored Leopard before the Blue Devils’ Faith Myers caught a liner to end the bleeding.
Moody answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and then put two more on the board in the third.
Hodges shut down a dangerous Tiger lineup for three innings before Springville put three more on the board in the fifth and another two over the sixth and seventh innings. Going into the bottom of the seventh, it was 11-4, Springville.
But that seventh inning will go down in Moody athletics history: After Higgins singled to center field, but got put out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Already, one out.
Then, in rapid succession: Myers singled, Hodges singled, and then with Haley Forrester in as a courtesy runner for Hodges, she and Myers both advanced one base on a passed ball. With one out, there were two runners in scoring position. Taylor Rogers then singled to right field to score Myers. 11-5, Springville … but the Moody faithful were beginning to hope.
Emma Kile singled on a grounder to right, scoring Forrester, while Rogers advanced to second base to make it 11-6, with two runners still on. Lacey Nichols singled to center, scoring Rogers while Kile advanced to third on the throw in. It was 11-7, and there was a definite momentum shift — all on the Blue Devils’ side.
McKenzie Phillips singled, a grounder up the middle that found its way into center field, scoring Kile and putting Nichols on second. The score: 11-8, Springville. One out. Senior Maddie Barfield at bat. Another single to keep the game alive and load the bases.
With the bases full of Blue Devils, Springville brought on Bullington to pitch. Riley Mitchell grounded to the shortstop, who threw home to force Nichols out the plate. Two outs, but the bases were still loaded, and the Tigers clung to a precarious lead.
Higgins came up to the plate, a powerful hitter with a dangerous swing. With ducks on the pond, Higgins doubled to score three runs and tie the game with three RBIs as Phillips, Barfield and Mitchell all scored.
Now it’s 11-11, with Myers at the plate. It’s a grounder up the middle to put Higgins on third. Hodges again at bat. Two on, two outs. She takes two pitches — one for a ball and one for a called strike — and then on that third pitch, Hodges puts it into play, a fly ball to left that scores Higgins and deliver the title into the arms of the Blue Devils.