After starting off the day with a loss, the Straughn Lady Tigers fought their way back into the championship game of the AHSAA Class 4A, Area 2 softball tournament in Headland before falling to the Lady Rams.

 

ASHFORD 2, STRAUGHN 1

In the opening game of the tournament between Straughn and Ashford, the Lady Yellow Jackets scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to top the Lady Tigers 2-1.

Molly Stewart picked up a two-out single for the Lady Tigers in the top of the first inning, but was left stranded after a strikeout.

In the pitching circle, Hayden Willis sat down the Lady Rams in order, including a strikeout for the final out of the inning.

Willis remained strong in the circle in the bottom of the second inning as she produced three-straight ground outs to retire the side.

The score remained deadlocked at zero heading into the fourth inning after Willis retired the Lady Rams in order for the third inning in a row.

Straughn threatened in the top of the fourth inning when Brentley Armstrong picked up a one-out single and then Kristen Peavey was hit by a pitch, but two-consecutive strikeouts ended the threat.

In the bottom of the fourth, a one-out error followed by a double led to the Lady Rams taking a 1-0 lead.

Willis escaped the inning with no further damage after getting a ground ball and strikeout to end the inning.

Willis went back to work in the bottom of the fifth and retired the Lady Rams in order on three ground balls.

With their outs runnings running low, Peavey reached second base on a two-out error to get the Lady Tigers going.

Willis then helped out her own cause by ripping a double to left that allowed Peavey to cross the plate as the tying run.

The score remained 1-1 entering the final inning of the contest after Willis retired the Lady Rams in order in the bottom of the sixth.

However, the Lady Rams picked up a single to start the bottom of the seventh, followed by a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice that put runners on first and third. The Lady Rams then got a single to plate the winning run.

 

STRAUGHN 8, 

ANDALUSIA 5

The Straughn Lady Tigers jumped on top early and held off the Andalusia Lady Bulldogs 8-5 in the first elimination game of the tournament

Haley Harper got things started for the Lady Bulldogs with a single to open the game and moved advanced to third on a sacrifice from Olivia Amerson.

Harper attempted to scored on ground ball to shortstop, but Stewart fielded the ball and fired home where Sarah Langford applied the tag just before Harper reached the plate.

Stewart then led off the home half of the first inning with a single and then moved to second on single to right from Armstrong.

Stewart then scored off an error to put the Lady Tigers on top 1-0.

Armstrong scored on passed ball and Peavey scored off an error to put the Lady Tigers up 3-0 after one inning of play.

Sydney Ray was hit by a pitch to start the top of the second inning, but Willis got a ground ball and two strikeouts to retire the side.

The Lady Tigers added to their lead in the bottom of the second inning when Carolina Fussell and Stewart both scored off a two-out error.

Straughn made the most of the extra out when Peavey crushed a 1-2 pitch well over the fence in the left for a two-run home run.

After two innings of play, Straughn held a 7-0 lead.

Mary Katherine Salter led off the top of the third inning with a slap-bunt down the third base line for single.

Harper then reached on error and Salter moved around third.

Amerson followed with a ground out to first that allowed Salter to come around to score.

A single from Merikal McCaskill then scored Harper from third, and Ray followed with a single to left that score McCaskill to make the score 7-3.

The Lady Bulldogs added two runs in the top of the fifth inning when Ray and Chloe Mikel came around to score.

Straughn’s final run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Peavey sent her second home run sailing over the fence in left.

McCaskill and Harper each finished the game 2-for-4 for the Lady Bulldogs.

Peavey led the way for the Lady Tigers going 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Willis picked up the win in the circle, striking out two, scattering four hits and three runs over five innings of work.

 

STRAUGHN 7, 

ASHFORD 4

Facing elimination for the second time on Monday, the Straughn Lady Tigers delivered a 7-4 victory over the Ashford Lady Yellow jackets to earn a spot in the championship game against Headland.

Langford got things off to a hot start for the Lady Tigers when she sent the first pitch she saw in the top of second over the fence in center for a home run.

Macy Matthews followed with a double and then Dallas Mackoff and Fussell reached to load the bases.

The Lady Tigers added two runs when Stewart doubled to center.

A ground out led to a fourth run and Peavey drove in Stewart to put the Lady Tigers on top 5-0.

The scored remained 5-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning when Ashford added a run to make it 5-1.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Lady Tigers added a run when Matthews scored on single from Stewart.

Peavey’s bat continued to heat up as she sent her third home run of the tournament over the fence in right to give the Lady Tigers a 7-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning.

The Lady Yellow Jackets picked up three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough to avoid elimination at the hands of the Lady Tigers.

In the championship game, the Lady Tigers matched up with Headland and needed to beat the Lady Rams twice.

It was the fourth game of the day for the Lady Tigers and the Lady Rams picked up the win in the championship game.

With the second place finish, the Lady Tigers advance to the Class 4A South Regional tournament in Gulf Shores.