Lady Tigers win pair

By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers won two games and lost two in competition at the Bob Jones Invitational Softball Tournament at Palmer Park in Madison and Kiwanis Sportsplex in Huntsville last weekend.
In pool play on Friday, Hartselle lost to Hewitt-Trussville 5-4 in a game that was decided in the fourth inning and shut out Southside of Gadsden 10-0. Both games were played in Palmer Park. In a rain-delayed tournament on Saturday, they defeated Cullman 6-4 before losing a tough battle with Chelsea 1-0.
The two wins improved Hartselle’s record to 22-12 and 3-1
Chelsea 1, Hartselle 0
The Lady Tigers struggled at the plate in a 0-1 loss to Chelsea in the second round of play in the Bob Jones Invitational Softball Tournament on Saturday.
Chelsea scores the winning run in the top of the third inning on a leadoff home run by Allie Luster.
Hartselle collected five hits but missed scoring opportunities in the first, fourth and sixth innings. Ashley Bonner collected three singles while Jacquie Shadden and Leah Robinson each had a single.
Meagan Gray pitched four innings and was tagged with the loss. She allowed one run on five hits.
Kayla Faulk pitched the last two innings in relief. She allowed no hits and had a strikeout.
Hartselle 6, Cullman 4
Hartselle scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to overcome a 2-4 deficit and went on to defeat Cullman 6-4 in the opening round of tournament play in the Bob Jones Softball Invitational on Saturday.
Alex Paulsen paced a 10-hit attack with a home run and a pair of singles. Chelsea Bennich had a pair of singles and Meagan Stephenson, Bonner, Olivia Golden, Robinson and Shadden each singled.
Gray was the winning pitcher. She allowed four runs on five hits while striking out five.
Hartselle 10, Southside 0
The Lady Tigers combined 10 hits with shutout pitching to defeat Southside of Gadsden 10-0 in the second pool game they played in the Bob Jones Invitational.
Paulsen led Hartselle at the plate with a home run and single. Shadden tripled and singled, Golden had a pair of singles and Shelby Hoff, Bonner, Bennich and Kelsey Starr each singled.
Gray was the winning pitcher. She allowed no runs on three hits while striking out three.
Hewitt-Trussville 5, Hartselle 4
Hartselle left runners stranded in scoring position in the first and fourth innings in a hard-fought battle won by Hewitt-Trussville 5-4 in the opening pool play game in the Bob Jones Softball Invitational on Friday.
The Lady Tigers led 1-0 after the first inning and added three runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Bonner, Bennich, Shadden, Golden and Robinson each had a single.
Breanna Riley was the losing pitcher. She allowed five runs on six hits while striking out three and walking two. Gray pitched one and one-third innings in relief, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out one.
Hartselle 5, East Limestone 2
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers broke open a scoreless game with a five-run rally in the third inning and went on to defeat East Limestone 5-2 on the road March 30.
Hartselle placed five batters in the hitter’s circle. Shadden smashed a triple and had two RBIs, Bonner had a 2-RBI double, Bennich knocked in a run with a double, Robinson singled twice and Stephenson had a single.
Gray pitched all seven innings and earned the win. She allowed two unearned runs on five hits while striking out three.
Hartselle 13, Russellville 0
Hartselle improved its record against area opponents to 3-1 with a 13-0 shutout of Russellville on the road last Thursday.
Riley was the winning pitcher. She didn’t give up a hit, struck out 14 and walked one batter. She also had three singles to lead her team in hitting.
Also collecting hits were Bennich with a home run and single, Bonner and Hoff each with a double and single, Starr with a pair of singles and Shadden and Paulsen each with a single.
LCHS 9, Hartselle 0
Hartselle’s Lady Tigers suffered their worst loss of the season on Monday as they fell to Lawrence County 9-0 in a home game.
LCHS scored two runs in the second inning, single runs in the fifth and sixth and five unearned runs in the seventh.
The Lady Tigers managed six hits and left runners stranded in scoring position in the third and fifth innings. Kelsey Starr and Chelsea Bennich each had a pair of singles and Shelby Hoff and Olivia Golden eac h singled..
Meaghan Gray was the losing pitcher. She allowed nine runs on nine hits while striking out six.