Lady Bobcats win Ozark tourney
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 25, 2014
![Opp’s Laiken Free slides into third base during an earlier tournament this season. | Andrew Garner/Star-News](https://www.andalusiastarnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2014/03/0325-spt-Laiken-Free-slides.jpg)
Opp’s Laiken Free slides into third base during an earlier tournament this season. |
Andrew Garner/Star-News
Opp defeated Goshen 5-2 to win Ozark’s Softball Tournament on Saturday.
The Lady Bobcats finished 1-1 coming out of pool play and went on to win four straight games.
“We’re still not near where we want to be,” OHS softball coach Jimmy Reeves said. “It’s mid season now, and we have been fortunate enough to win a little bit. We just hope we get a lot better.”
Reeves said the main concern with the girls right now is the lack of hitting.
“We’re not hitting the ball as well as we should,” he said. “We’re hoping to improve on what we’ve done.”
The 10th-ranked Lady Bobcats improved to 13-4 on the season.
Opp got out to a good start by scoring three runs during the first inning of the championship game against GHS.
The three runs were scored off two walks and an inside-the-park home run from Laiken Free.
Kelley Pierce and Courtney Chatham went 2-for-2 each.
Chatham was the winning pitcher allowing two runs on five hits and struck out four. Katlynn Schively earned the save.
To get to the championship, the Lady Bobcats beat Eufaula 3-2.
OHS led 2-0 in the sixth inning, but EHS tied the game to make it an exciting affair for the Lady Bobcats.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sara Ballard scored the game-winning run a bunt squeeze from Chatham.
Pierce, Anna Harrelson and Tori Reisnour had two hits each.
Pierce, Free, Harrelson, Reisnour, Hope Ladson and Katie Spurlin had two hits each during Opp’s 18-1 rout over Pike County. Spurlin led with a double and a triple.
Schively got the win on the mound giving up one hit and one walk.
The Lady Bobcats fought from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Dale County 3-2 to start bracket play.
Harrelson led the fourth with a double and Ladson reached on an error. Spurlin drove Harrelson and Ladson in with a single.
In the fifth inning, Harrelson hit the game-winning RBI double to score Pierce.
Chatham went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits and struck out nine. She also made a diving catch for the last out of the game.
LAMP scored three runs in the first inning on its way to handing Opp its only loss of the tournament at 3-2.
Opp defeated Russell County 5-0 to start the tournament off on a good note.
Schively struck out three and allowed one hit in the win.
Chatham had two hits and two runs.
The Lady Bobcats will be back in action next Tuesday at Jay, Fla.