The Wicksburg softball team finished off a dominating run through the Class 2A, Area 2 Tournament, capping it with a 20-0 win over Samson in the championship game on Tuesday at the Wicksburg campus.
Wicksburg won its three tournament games by a combined 52-0 score and ended all three games in three innings. Panther pitching allowed only one hit in nine innings.
On Monday, Wicksburg beat Geneva County 17-0 and Samson 15-0.
Both Wicksburg (35-12-1) and Samson (12-14) advanced to the South Regional Tournament in Gulf Shores next Wednesday and Thursday (May 8-9).
In Tuesday’s championship game, Tylaya Lingo and Ellie Cox belted a three-run homer each in a six-run first to jumpstart Wicksburg.
The Panthers scored 14 runs in the second inning, highlighted by a run-scoring double from Chloe Joyner and Lingo plus two-run singles each from Addyson Kelley, Anslie Ellenburg and Anleigh Wood. Ellenburg and Kynlee Holland had an RBI each off a bases-loaded walk and Emalee Mathis had an RBI on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. The other runs scored on an error, wild pitch and passed ball.
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Lingo, Joyner and Sarah Turvin all had two hits for Wicksburg with Lingo driving in four runs.
Dahlia Ganz was the winning pitcher, working two of the three innings, striking out one and allowing one hit. Holland worked the final inning, striking out three and walking one.
Makayla Phillips had a first-inning single for the lone hit for Samson.
Samson 8, Cottonwood 7: Samson broke a 7-7 tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Holly Warren scored on a passed ball and the Tigers held on for an 8-7 win over Cottonwood in a losers bracket game.
Cottonwood loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but a line out ended the threat and the game.
Samson overcame a 5-0 deficit with six runs in the third inning, but Cottonwood reclaimed the lead with two in the top of the fourth before the Tigers tied it with a matching run in the bottom of the fourth.
Warren had two hits and Makayla Phillips, Ava Sormrude and Karliegh Moore all had a single and an RBI for Samson.
Ryleigh Jackson was Samson’s winning pitcher in relief. She pitched the last five innings, giving up just two runs, only one earned, while scattering eight hits. She struck out two.
Cottonwood, whose season ended with a 10-17 record, was led by Ty Nodd with three hits and an RBI and by Delaney Acosta, Mischa Ward and Bailey Lackey, who all had two hits with one RBI each. Laura Trawick added two hits.
Class 2A, Area 3
G.W. Long 8-19, Ariton 6-1: G.W. Long won a pair of games over Ariton to claim the Class 2A, Area 3 Tournament title on Tuesday.
Long lost to Ariton on Monday and had to win twice to win the title. The Rebels won the first game 8-6 to force a second championship game and routed the Purple Cats 19-1 in the decisive game.
Long (23-16-1) and Ariton (25-17) both advanced to the South Regional Tournament in Gulf Shores next Wednesday and Thursday (May 8-9).
In the first game, G.W. Long scored six runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-3 lead and held off Ariton for the win. The explosive inning was highlighted by Maleah Long’s three-run homer. It also featured a run-scoring double by Kaylie Foster, a run-scoring single by Anna Claire Free and an RBI sacrifice bunt by Carlie Davis.
Maleah Long earned two hits and four runs batted in overall in the game. Foster had two hits with one RBI.
Free was the winning pitcher, striking out nine over seven innings. She gave eight hits and six runs, only five runs earned.
For Ariton, Beth Dixon had a pair of run-scoring singles, while Nya Allen belted a two-run homer and Caitlyn Webb had an RBI double.
In the second championship game, G.W. Long scored 12 runs in the top of the first inning to seize command. The Rebels added two more in the second inning and five more in the fourth.
Ally Whitehead and Anna Claire Free powered the Rebels, combining for six hits, including three homers, and 11 runs batted in.
Whitehead belted a grand-slam homer in the first inning and a solo homer in the fourth and finished the game with three hits and six runs batted in. Free hit a three-run homer in the fourth and earned three hits and five runs batted in.
Maleah Long also hit a solo homer for G.W. Long. Long, Ansley Watson and Davis all had two hits with one RBI. Foster had a double and two RBI, Kennedy Roberston had a double with one RBI and Kaylie Joseph had a single with an RBI.
Aubreigh Haynes was the winning pitcher for G.W. Long. She pitched three innings, giving up just one hit and one run, while striking out one. Joseph struck out two in the final inning.
Macileigh Bragg had the lone hit for Ariton, earning a double. Sydney Adams scored Bragg on a ground out.
Class 2A, Area 4
Zion Chapel 10, Luverne 0: Riley Bannin pitched a three-hit shutout with six strikeouts to lead Zion Chapel’s championship win over Luverne.
Both Zion Chapel (33-3) and Luverne advanced to the South Regional Tournament in Gulf Shores next week.
Shea Wambles led the Rebel offense, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs batted in and Kennedy Hussey was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in. Amber Kidd also had two hits. Kaylee Hodge added an RBI triple and Sydney Boothe and Emily Rhodes both had a single and RBI.
Luverne 11, Pike Liberal Arts 9: Pike Liberal Arts battled back from a 9-0 deficit to get within two runs but couldn’t complete the rally in falling in an elimination game to Luverne.
Allie Booth, Haylie Brown and Tera Walker had two hits each for Pike Lib with Walker driving in a run. Alissa Barron had a double and two runs batted in and Julianne Meyer and Yaley McLendon both had a single and an RBI.
Pike Liberal Arts ended the season with a 10-18 record.
Pike Liberal Arts 11, Goshen 1: Pike Liberal Arts had 12 hits with all nine batters earning at least one and scored in all five innings during the 10-run losers bracket win.
Pike Liberal Arts stayed alive in the tournament with the win. Goshen’s season came to an end.
Alissa Barron, Gracie Smith and Yaley McLendon all had two hits to lead Pike Lib with Barron driving in two runs and Smith one run. Allie Boothe earned a two-run double and Mary Holland Stephens a RBI double, while Riley Burkett had a run-scoring single and Haylie Brown had an RBI sacrifice fly.
Barron pitched four of the five innings, striking out four and allowing just one hit and one unearned run. Stephens pitched the last inning, striking out two and walking two.
Abigail Ellerman had a run-scoring single for Goshen.