Ponytails finish first runner-up at state tourney

By Staff
Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
MONTGOMERY – The Hartselle Ponytails fell short of a World Series invitation with a loss to Montgomery Gray in the Alabama State Softball Tournament held in Montgomery.
Hartselle lost its first game but battled back through the loser's bracket only to lose in the championship.
Montgomery Gray 4 Hartselle 0
Championship
Coming off a three-hour game and only a hour's rest, a fatigued Hartselle team fell in the state championship tilt.
Montgomery Gray, the tournament's host, scored two in the second and two more in the fifth.
Ashley White suffered the loss, allowing all four runs on four hits. She struck out six.
Michel Fields and Anna Hall had Hartselle's only hits.
Hartselle 11
Montgomery American 10
Game 5
Hartselle reached the championship game with an extra-inning win over Montgomery American.
The Ponytails paid a price for the win, though, as first baseman Kimmie Minor broke her arm on a play at first base. She was out the remainder of the tournament.
Hartselle used four pitchers with Anna Hall earning the win. Michel Fields, Audrey McClanahan and Ashley White also saw action on the mound.
At the plate, Hayden Watts made some noise with an over-the-fence home run. She scored twice and had two RBIs. McClanahan scored three runs, Hall scored twice, while Chandler Orr notched two RBIs, scored a run and stole five bases.
Fields, Sara Long and Chelsea Maze also scored in the contest for Hartselle.
Hartselle 19
Montgomery American 9
Game 4
Hartselle forced a three-way tie by beating Montgomery American. The three remaining teams, Hartselle, Montgomery American and Montgomery Gray, had one loss each. Montgomery Gray got the bye, leaving Hartselle and Montgomery American to play an extra game.
Hartselle actually trailed 4-2 in this game before reeling off 12 unanswered runs.
Audrey McClanahan scored five runs, Kimmie Minor scored three, Michel Fields, Anna Hall and Chandler Orr each scored twice, while Kelsey Starr, Sara Lang, Chelsea Maze, Hayden Watts and Ashley White also scored. Fields added four RBIs, while Raley Sittason had two.
McClanahan earned the win in two innings pitched.
In other games…
Hartselle beat Linden 6-4 and Sand Mountain 14-3.
In the first game of the tournament, Hartselle fell 5-1 to Montgomery Gray.