Special to The Tribune
MONTGOMERY – Kenleigh Cahalan proved to be a jack-of-all trades – in the field and at the plate – leading the North All-Stars to a 6-3, 10-5 sweep of the South in the 26th annual North-South girls’ softball all-star doubleheader at Lagoon Park. Playing exceptionally behind the plate at catcher and in the field at shortstop as well, she also had two hits in the game-one win, slugged as a two-run homer and RBI double in game two to earn North MVP honors.
The sweep give the North a 29-23-3 edge in the series, which was first played in 1997 when All-Star Sports Week became part of the annual AHSAA Summer Conference.
Wednesday night, the North struck first in game two in the top of the third inning for six runs. Cahalan slugged a towering two-run homer to left-center field off South starting pitcher Taniyah Brown of Brewbaker Tech to put the North ahead 2-0. Before the inning was over, Buckhorn’s Alyssa Hastings plated two more runs with a one-out single to right field. Mariah Bazile of Hazel Green stole third and scored the fifth run later in the inning, and Hannah Dorsett of Hewitt-Trussville singled in the sixth run of the rally.
The South, coached by Jenny Laird of Daphne and Mark Segrest of Elmore County finally got to North starting pitcher Olivia Cummings of Corner in the bottom of the inning, albeit in a strange way. Hits by Ryley Harrison of Fairhope and Ashlynn Campbell of Wetumpka led to two runs coming on infield outs. The South closed the inning with a third run coming on an RBI single by Brown to cut the North lead to 6-3.
The North, coached by Trent Taylor of Lauderdale County and Taylor Burt of Hewitt-Trussville, gave up another run in the bottom of the fourth, but relief pitcher Cana Vining of Athens Bible got out of the bases-loaded jam allowing just one run – coming on a sacrifice fly by Elmore County’s Anna Segrest. She also had a two-run double in the first game and played well defensively to earn the South MVP honors. The South closed to 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single up the middle by Kylie Jarman of Prattville.
South pitcher Savannah Money of Ashford was inserted in the top of the fourth inning. She pitched well – striking out three of her five total whiffs in the strong fifth inning. The North finally got to her in the top of the sixth, however, with Cahalan delivering a run-scoring double. The North added another run on a passed ball and by the time the rally had ended, Fairhope pitcher Ryley Harrison, who started game one, came back in to pitch. Two passed balls produced two more North runs and extended its lead to 9-5. The North picked up another run in the top of the seventh on a hit-by-pitch and fielding error.
Cahalan finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the two games. She had three putouts at shortstop and two assists. Cummings got the win allowing four hits, three runs and striking out one in four innings fore the North. Vining and Braydyn Mitchell of Hatton pitched two innings each in Game 2 allowing a combined three hits and striking out two.
Carrie Reasner of Sparkman had two hits in game two and game one and Hastings finished with her one hit and two RBIs.