By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
GULF SHORES — Hewitt-Trussville softball went 8-0 at the Gulf Coast Classic here, breezing through the tournament and capturing the championship with relative ease.
Sara Phillips threw a perfect game and a pair of no-hitters during the tournament, while Sarah Hindman also threw a perfect game as Hewitt-Trussville allowed only six runs over the course of the entire tournament, including the four games in pool play that set the seedings for the entire tournament.
In the finals, the Huskies beat Beulah 4-0 behind another Phillips gem in the circle. The Hewitt-Trussville sophomore allowed two hits and no runs over four innings, striking out 10 batters and holding Beulah scoreless.
Beulah, which had gone down 9-0 in pool play against Hewitt-Trussville, kept things even through the first two innings until Hannah Dorsett singled. Dorsett moved to third after a Kenleigh Cahalan single. On a double steal, Dorsett charged home and Cahalan advanced to third on a throwing error. Olivia Faggard brought Cahalan around with a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 2-0 for the Huskies in the bottom of the third.
In the bottom of the fourth, Olivia Stults and Rubie Simon both singled, and Dorsett bunted into a fielder’s choice that saw Gracie Reeves — running for Stults — out at third. With two on and two outs, Cahalan walked and then Faggard singled to score Simon. With the bases loaded, Chaney Peters walked to score the final run for Hewitt-Trussville.
How they got there: Here’s a look at how Hewitt-Trussville claimed the Gulf Coast Classic title.
Pool play
The Huskies went 4-0 in pool play to claim the No. 1 seed in the tournament. They beat Smiths Station 5-1 in the first game. After falling behind 1-o, Hewitt-Trussville answered in the top of the second when Olivia Faggard doubled to bring in Zaylen Tucker, who was courtesy running for Riley Tyree. Sara Phillips doubled in the top of the third to score Hannah Dorsett; Faggard singled again to score Tucker in the top of the fourth after Tyree reached on an error; and Tucker again scored in the top of the sixth, running for Tyree, who had doubled. The Huskies took the 5-1 victory.
In the second game of pool play, Sara Phillips threw a no-hitter against Beulah, and Kenleigh Cahalan went 3-for-3 with two home runs, driving in five RBIs. Cahalan put one over the fence in the second and one in the fourth as Hewitt-Trussville won 9-0. Phillips struck out 10 and walked two.
Third game, result the same: And if you thought Phillips’ no-hitter was incredible, Huskies’ hurler Sarah Hindman followed that up with a perfect game against Scotts Hill. Hindman struck out seven in the effort, facing 15 batters over five innings and throwing 34 pitches for strikes against 45 total pitches thrown.
Fourth game: Elmore County played Hewitt-Trussville the closest of any team in the tournament, but the Huskies still prevailed, 1-0. Phillips threw her second no-hitter in two games and Riley Tyree bunted Dorsett home on a sacrifice play for the one-run victory. Phillips faced 18 batter
Tournament: First round
Hewitt-Trussville beat Greene County 9-5 on the strength of Riley Tyree’s double, driving in two in the first inning. Tyree’s timely hit evened things up as Hewitt-Trussville gave up a pair of runs in the top of the first. The Huskies pulled away in the second inning behind singles by Rubie Simon andHannah Dorsett, a double by Kenleigh Cahalan, and another single — this one by senior right fielder Riley Rudick. Sarah Hindman got the win, allowing three runs in 3 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
Second round
Sara Phillips threw a perfect game of her own as Hewitt-Trussville beat Yorkville 3-0. Phillips struck out 11, facing 18 batters and throwing 74 total pitches, 51 of them for strikes. Olivia Faggard went 2-for-3 at the plate with a homer in the sixth. Cahalan also went yard in the same inning.
Semi-finals
Sarah Hindman shut out the Alexandria Cubs in a 5-0 victory, allowing three hits over six innings, with a pair of strikeouts and no walks. Kenleigh Cahalan went 3-for-3 for Hewitt-Trussville. Hannah Dorsett scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-0.