Softball season hits home stretch this week
Published 9:25 am Friday, April 21, 2023
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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer
With less than two weeks left in the regular season, now is the best time for Chilton County area softball teams to round into their best forms heading into area tournaments. Some schools took those steps by picking up some late-season area wins between April 11-20.
Chilton County High School
The Tigers went 2-1 in AHSAA Class 6A Area 5 games during the period, starting with a 15-0 win over Carver High School in three innings on April 11. Kelcie Goggins was 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs, and Mallie Harrison had two RBIs. Lily Benson controlled the circle for three innings and did not allow a hit while striking out three hitters.
Chilton County’s other area win came on April 18, 12-2 over Stanhope Elmore High School. Macey Pierce had a home run, and Harrison was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Gracie Brewer and Maecie Driskell each had two RBIs as well. Harrison was the winning pitcher going five innings giving up just three hits and one earned run.
A rain check for the Tigers April 13 area game with Calera High School was moved to April 19 where they fell 8-7. Harrison and Benson each had two hits and picked up an RBI. Brianna Goggins and Driskell also got one in the RBI column.
CCHS finished their April 11-20 schedule at Wetumpka High School on April 20 falling 11-3. Brewer was 2-for-3, and Chloe Shiers had two RBIs.
Thorsby High School
The Rebels have now won four consecutive games with three wins between April 11-20, including two AHSAA Class 2A Area 6 wins. The first, a 9-3 win over Fayetteville High School on April 11, saw the game tired at two in the bottom of the fifth inning. Thorsby posted five runs in the frame to take a commanding lead and the eventual win. Makinley started the rally with a two-RBI double. Turner was 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Brinley Giambrone was 2-for-4.
April 18 brought Thorsby their second area win during the period, 10-0 over B.B. Comer High School. Turner blanked Comer with five innings of one-hit softball while striking out 12 hitters.
Turner swung a hot bat against Jemison High School on April 17 going 3-for-3 with a triple and a home run, and was a double short of the cycle with five RBIs. The Rebels won 17-4, and Brooklyn Reeser and Braelyn Whitfield each had three RBIs.
Maplesville High School
The Red Devils are another team that secured multiple AHSAA Class 1A Area 6 wins between April 11-20. After losses to West Blocton and Shelby County high schools on April 11 and 13, respectively, Maplesville got back to winning ways against Billingsley High School on April 18 winning 12-1. Laci Cook was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, and Allie Hand was 3-for-3 with an RBI. Jaden McGee had a solo home run in the game as well, while Lexi Smith pitched five innings of one-hit softball and struck out nine hitters.
Maplesville got the best of Verbena High School April 20 winning 14-0 powered by another solid performance by Smith going seven innings giving up five hits, no runs and striking out six hitters. Grace Williams was 2-for-4, and McGee had two RBIs and a home run.
Verbena High School
Verbena went 3-1 from April 11-20 including two Class 2A Area 6 as well over Billingsley and Autaugaville High Schools to start the period. On April 11, the Red Devils led 6-1 over Billingsley after the third inning and cruised to a 6-3 win. Jaycee Quinn was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Jasmin Moates and Kiara Ray each had a double. Breanna Wright had two RBIs.
Verbena blew out Autaugaville on April 13, 22-0, and outhit them 22-0. Quinn was 4-for-4 with three doubles, a triple and six RBIs. Ray was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Jatahja White went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Verbena’s lone area loss during the period was to Maplesville on April 20, 14-0. Quinn was 2-for-4 with a double in the loss.
The Red Devils added a 7-1 win over Central of Coosa County High School on April 18. Lakeyn Mims had a two-RBI triple, and Ray had two doubles and two RBIs. Quinn threw a complete game of seven innings with no hits and one unearned run while striking out 13 hitters.
Isabella High School
The Mustangs were the busiest team in Chilton County between April 11-20 with six games. After a Class 2A Area 6 loss to B.B. Comer on April 11, 9-8, the Mustangs got back on track on April 15 with a 16-4 win over Coosa Central. Isabella outhit Central Coosa 15-3 and led 11-1 going into the fifth innings. Anna Johnson and Ashley Wells both went 3-for-4, and Auburn Bassett had four RBIs. Aliyah Patterson and Morgan Short each recorded two RBIs as well.
Isabella had a hard-fought game against Vincent High School later on April 15 go to the visitors 16-15. The Mustangs trailed 13-3 after the top of the fourth inning but fought back to take a 15-14 lead after the sixth inning, but Vincent scored late to win it. Every hitter in the Isabella lineup had a hit and was led by Jasmine Brasher going 4-for-5. Kelsey Cox, Patterson, Wells and Johnson each had three hits.
An area win from Isabella came on April 18 with a 4-1 triumph over Fayetteville. Cox and Patterson each went 2-for-4. The Mustangs followed that up the next day with a 11-1 win over Billingsley. Short was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Bassett threw five innings of one-hit softball while striking out eight hitters.
Isabella’s April 20 matchup with Jemison ended in a 17-7 loss for the Mustangs. Cox and Johnson both hit home runs in the game, and Bassett was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Jemison High School
Kinsley Martin had a monster game for the Panthers on April 11 in Jemison’s 7-6 loss to Sylacauga High School. Martin gave Jemison an early 3-0 lead with a home run, and added another one later in the game to go 4-for-4 with three RBIs. Jaclyn Lowery was 3-for-4, and Trinity Bean and Caley Branch both went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
The Panthers dropped the April 17 game to Thorsby 17-4 that saw Bean go 2-for-3 with a triple, and Braelyn Bradford had an RBI double.
Jemison outhit Briarwood Christian School 16-10, but lost 9-6. The Panthers’ 1-5 hitters had 12 of their 16 hits including Bean and Lowery with three each. Makayla Lang, Martin and Bradford each had two hits.
Jemison ended its week with a 17-7 win over Isabella. The Panthers had four home runs in the game — two from Martin, and one each from Bradford and Lowery. Lowery recorded seven RBIs and Martin had four in route to the win.
Billingsley High School
The Bears had a tough schedule between April 11-20. Billingsley fell to Verbena 6-3 on April 11, but Amber Johnson went 2-for-3 and Madison Chandler and Sadie Primm each had an RBI.
Billingsley bounced back on April 13 against Dallas County High School winning 5-0 behind a no hitter from Ada Willis. Willis also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and RBI, and Caydin Hornady and Mallory Shanholtzer were 2-for-3 as well.
Billingsley lost 20-2 to Vincent on April 17, followed by a 12-1 loss to Maplesville on April 18. Billingsley finished April 11-20 on April 19 falling to Isabella 11-1 on the road.