By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Lady Huskies and Coach Taylor Burt began defense of their 7A state title on Thursday as they welcomed the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats to Goldie Payne. The game came down to a walk-off double by Chaney Peters that would bring home Zaylen Tucker, the winning run, in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The game opened with a 1-1 first inning. For the Huskies, Tucker sent the ball over the right field wall on the second pitch she took as the lead-off batter. From there, the Wildcats would allow no more runs in the inning.
Tuscaloosa County would score another run in the second before a scoreless third inning. The Wildcats would get another run in the top of the fourth before the Huskies’ AhKeela Honeycut hit a two-run homer to bring home Olivia Faggard, who was walked earlier in the inning, to tie the game at three apiece.
The next two and a half innings would be scoreless. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Huskies looked set to head into an eighth inning battle with the Wildcats. The Wildcats got Ryleigh Wood to ground out and then walked Zaylen Tucker. After striking out Presley Hull, Chaney Peters stepped to the plate. The first pitch was a ball, but Peters blasted the ball to left field for a double that would bring a waiting Tucker across the plate for the winning run.
Kate Hicks started the game for the Huskies, and she went four innings, allowing three runs on three hits and getting five strikeouts. Tucker came in and got the win, pitching three innings and allowing one hit and striking out four. Tucker finished with one hit and one RBI while crossing the plate twice.
The defending champions start the season 1-0 and look to keep the momentum going from their opening game as they will head to Central Phenix City on Thursday for the Sidney Cooper Invitational.