By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Tribune currently has three teams still alive in the AHSAA Softball State Playoffs with Moody in the 5A East Regional in Albertville, Springville in the 5A North Regional in Florence, and Hewitt Trussville in the 7A East Regional in Albertville. All three teams got started on Thursday and all of them advanced to the next round of the playoffs.
The Moody Blue Devils took the most difficult road of all three teams, dropping their first game on Thursday morning with a 7-1 loss to the Scottsboro Wildcats. Ryleigh Hodges took the loss,
giving up 7 runs on 4 hits and striking out 3 batters. At the plate, Hodges went 2 for 2 with an RBI. With their backs against the wall, playing in the loser’s bracket, the Blue Devils took on the Lincoln Golden Bears and came out on top 11-4. Bella Turley got the win on the mound, going the distance and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and striking out one. At the plate, Libby Higgins went 2 of 4 with 4 RBI to go with Taylor Rogers 3 of 5 batting with 3 RBI. The win earned Moody the right to stay alive and compete in a re-match from the area championships with the rival Saint Clair County Saints, who smashed Guntersville 15-0 but took a loss against Alexandria 6-4. That game is Friday morning and the winner will take on the winner of the Southside vs Sardis game.
The Springville Tigers, who have had a fantastic season, started their day on Thursday against the East Limestone Indians. Springville made a statement in game one, taking down the Indians in a
14-0 blowout. Shelby Hathcock and Bella Bullington shared the mound in this one with Hathcock pitching the first two innings and allowing no runs on 2 hits and striking out 5 batters. Bullington would allow no runs on 2 hits and strike out 2 herself. Multiple players contributed from the plate with Leah Bowden, Kiley Christopher, Layla Bradshaw and Ashlyn Cooley all having 2 RBI each. The Tigers drew the Jasper Vikings, who had just beat Lawrence County 7-2. This game would be a bit of a different challenge for Springville than the first game. Jasper jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning and, after tying the game in the fourth, Springville would need an 8th inning RBI by Riley Ruple to bring Bullington across the plate to seal the 4-3 win for the Tigers. Georgia Chancellor pitched the complete game for Springville allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and striking out 2. Ruple went 1 for 1 at the plate with the game-winning RBI. Springville takes on the Ardmore Tigers Friday morning for the right to advance.
Hewitt Trussville Softball Team after Regional Qualifier win.
Photo by: HTHS Athletics
The Huskies of Hewitt Trussville got their 40th (and 41st) win of the season on Thursday with their victories over Thompson and Spain Park. In game one, the Huskies beat Thompson 9-2 after jumping all over them in the first 3 innings and taking a 7-0 lead into the fifth inning, where Thompson got their first and only 2 runs of the game. Sara Phillips picked up the win, pitching the full 7 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 5 strikeouts. Gracie Reeves went 2 of 3 from the plate with 2 RBI and Ahkeela Honeycutt went 2 of 4 with 2 RBI as well. In the second game of the day for the Huskies, they took on area rivals the Spain Park Jaguars to move to the next round of play and get a nice 8-day break. The Huskies would earn both as they beat the Jaguars 7-3. The game was close as both teams got 2 runs in the first inning of play and no one scored again until the Huskies tacked on 4 runs in the fifth and another in the sixth while Spain Park managed just one more run in the seventh. Zaylen Tucker got the start for the Huskies, pitching a little over one inning and allowing 2 runs on 1 hit and striking out a batter before handing the ball to Phillips who allowed a run on 5 hits and struck out 10 Jaguar batters in the game. Olivia Faggard went 3 of 4 from the plate, driving in 3 runs. The Huskies will enjoy the long break before taking on Daphne on Friday, May 19.
