Lady Tigers bring home Ardmore title
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers (29-4-1) returned home with a championship trophy in their grasp Saturday night after pulling off a stunning come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Sumiton Christian’s Lady Eagles in the final of the Ardmore Invitational Softball Tournament.
The Lady Tigers trailed 2-0 after six innings before they rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the seventh and sent the game into extra innings using the international tiebreaker rule. Sumiton came back to push across two runs in its half of the eighth to make the score 4-2. Hartselle answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to clinch the win.
“I didn’t think they played as well as they should have in pool play after tying with Giles County (Tenn.),” said Hartselle head coach Daniel Bates. “But they came back and played better in the tournament. Even after they had their backs to the wall in the championship game, they found a way to come back and win. I’m real proud of them for doing that and hopefully it will pay off down the road.”
Kayla Faulk knocked in the winning run with one of her four singles in the game. Olivia Golden smashed a triple, a double and an RBI.
Jacquie Shadden hit a pair of singles, drove in a run and scored a run. Katie Gentle added a double while Kelsey Bennich had a single and an RBI. Baylee Holt also singled and scored a run.
Faulk pitched the entire game, allowing four runs on six hits, struck out four and walked four.
HHS 2, Giles Co. (Tenn.) 2
Hartselle managed on four hits in a five-inning pool play game on Friday afternoon. Banish had a pair of singles and an RBI. Leah Robinson singled and scored a run while Faulk singled.
Abby McHugh pitched the entire game for Hartselle. She allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking two.
HHS 7, Westminster 2
Golden paced the Lady Tigers with a triple, double, single, two stolen bases and a run. Gentle had two singles, 2 RBIs, a stolen base and scored two runs. Lindsey Roamer had a pair of singles, an RBI and a run. Shadden and Holt each singled.
Faulk pitched all the way for Hartselle. Se gave up two runs on five hits while striking out three.
HHS 3, SCA 0
The Lady Tigers blanked Sumiton Christian 3-0 to avenge revenge a loss to the team in an earlier tournament.
Robinson paced the winners at the plate with a pair of singles, an RBI and a run.
Ashley Bonner singled in a run and scored a run while Bennich singled.
Breanna Riley pitched a no hitter in the five-inning game while striking out 12.
HHS 5, Elkmont 0
Hartselle shut out Elkmont 5-0 behind a six-hit attack in the opening round of tournament play on Saturday.
Golden had two singles and two RBIs; Bonner tripled and scored a run; Holt doubled in a run and scored a run; Shadden singled in a run and scored a run; and Meghan Stephenson had a single and an RBI.
Abby McHugh pitched all four innings and was credited with the win. She allowed no runs on three hits while giving up no walks and recording four strikeouts.
HHS 2, Cherokee Co. 1
Hartselle edged Cherokee County 2-1 in the second round of tournament play.
Gentle paced the win with a home run. Golden doubled and scored a run. Bonner singled and drove in a run. Riley and Faulk each singled.
Riley was the winning pitcher. She allowed one run on four hits while striking out five.
Hartselle will compete in the Morgan County Tournament in Decatur beginning Thursday afternoon.
