AISA SOFTBALL: Defending champions still kicking as second day of state tourney begins
Kylie Taylor makes a throw to first in Macon East’s game on Thursday at Lagoon Park. The Knights advanced in the Class AAA tournament. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
The three defending state champions all returned to the Alabama Independent School Association state softball tournament on Thursday, but one suffered an unexpected setback and another needed a controversial finish to remain among the unbeaten.
Only six unbeaten teams -- two in each class -- remain as the tournament enters its second day at Lagoon Park Softball Complex. The tournament will feature three games in each classification on Friday, then meet back at Field 6 on Saturday to decide the state championship.
In Class AAA, defending state champion Macon East Academy (40-16-1) remains unbeaten, but not without a controversial finish that took more than 30 minutes to settle.
In the tournament opener, the Knights defeated Fort Dale Academy 9-6 as Miya Tatum singled, doubled and had a two-run home run in the sixth, going 3 for 4, scoring three times and driving in three runs. Kaiden Byrom and Kylie Taylor both doubled and scored.
Macon pitcher Casey Stengell allowed seven hits, striking out seven and walking two.
For Fort Dale, Anna Claire Thomas went 2 for 4 with a triple and scored twice, Bailey Lambert went 2 for 4 and Brinkley Long went 1 for 3 with a home run.
Macon East advanced to face Bessemer and fell behind twice in the final two innings. Carson Cox hit a three-run home run in the sixth to put the Rebels up 6-2 but Macon rallied to tie the game, only to see leadoff batter Olivia Brackner hit a solo homer off of Stengell to put Bessemer back in front 7-6.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jamya Powell reached on an error, advanced to third on another error on the same play and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3. Jadah Powell singled up the middle to drive in another run and Mollie Ross hit a bloop single to drive in two runs and tie the game.
“We’ve done it all year,” Macon East coach Glynn Lott said. “We’ve probably won more games coming from behind in the last inning -- it’s kind of our M.O. -- than doing it the other way. We weren’t in a situation we haven’t been in before. That’s why we play all the games we play.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Tatum singled up the middle to start the rally and Jamya Powell was intentionally walked one out later. Byrom reached on an error to load the bases before Stengell ripped a single back up the middle against a drawn-in infield. The ball hit Powell’s leg as the sophomore was five feet up the baseline, then bounced off the second-base bag and rolled into center field as first Tatum, then Powell crossed the plate.
Bessemer protested the play, but officials ruled that because Powell was behind the drawn-in shortstop, she was not out when hit by the ball.
“I thought the ball went by the infielder,” Lott said. “Once it does that….
“I saw it hit second. I don’t know what else it hit but it hit second at some point. That’s when it kicked. I was trying to make sure the first run scored to tie the game.”
In AA, there wasn’t nearly as much controversy as defending state champion Hooper cruised into the third round after defeating Pickens 10-1 and Patrician 10-0. The Colts will play Edgewood today at noon, with the winner advancing to the state championship game.
In the win over Pickens, the Colts broke open a 3-1 lead with a five-run fourth inning.Victoria Hagemann went 2 for 4 and scored three times, Kaylee Midkiff and Katie Robinson both hit two-run home runs and Jade Taylor went 2 for 2 with an RBI and scored twice. KG Taylor held Pickens to four hits in five innings while striking out eight.
In the win over Patrician, Midkiff had a two-run home run in the first and a solo homer in the fifth, one of three home runs in a four-run fifth that ended the game on the mercy rule. Robinson added a two-run home run and Hagemann had a solo blast.
In Class A, defending champion Lowndes won the opener with an 11-0 win over North River before losing its second game, 3-2, to Crenshaw. In the win over North River, Haley Briggs went 3 for 3, Catie Wallace Self and Caralee Janes both went 2 for 3 and Presely Hamilton, Abby Lovell and Kinzee Kreder all went 2 for 2.
AISA SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
Here are the results and pairings for the annual Alabama Independent School Association state softball tournament, which continues through Saturday at Lagoon Park Softball Complex. The tournament is double elimination and the finals may be moved up 30 minutes if a second game isn’t necessary in the preceding championship division.
CLASS AAA
Thursday’s results
Game 1 -- Macon East Academy 9, Fort Dale Academy 6
Game 2 -- Bessemer Academy 12, Glenwood School 10
Game 3 -- Clarke Prep School 8, Springwood School 0
Game 4 -- Lee-Scott Academy 11, Monroe Academy 1
Game 5 -- Fort Dale Academy 6, Glenwood School 2
Game 6 -- Monroe Academy 12, Springwood School 8
Game 7 -- Macon East Academy 8, Bessemer Academy 7
Game 8 -- Clarke Prep School 7, Lee-Scott Academy 4
Friday’s schedule
Game 9 -- Fort Dale Academy vs. Lee-Scott Academy, 10 a.m., Field 1
Game 10 -- Monroe Academy vs. Bessemer Academy, 10 a.m., Field 2
Game 11 -- Macon East Academy vs. Clarke Prep School, noon, Field 1
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon, Field 2
Game 13 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 2 p.m., Field 1
Saturday’s schedule
Game 14 -- Championship, Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 4 p.m., Field 6 (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)
CLASS AA
Thursday’s results
Game 1 -- Edgewood Academy 11, Jackson Academy 3
Game 2 -- Southern Academy 10, Abbeville Christian Academy 9
Game 3 -- Patrician Academy 5, Chambers Academy 3
Game 4 -- Hooper Academy 10, Pickens Academy 1
Game 5 -- Abbeville Christian Academy 14, Jackson Academy 2
Game 6 -- Chambers Academy 14, Pickens Academy 8
Game 7 -- Edgewood Academy 2, Southern Academy 1
Game 8 -- Hooper Academy 10, Patrician Academy 0
Friday’s schedule
Game 9 -- Abbeville Christian Academy vs. Patrician Academy, 10 a.m., Field 3
Game 10 -- Chambers Academy vs. Southern Academy, 10 a.m., Field 4
Game 11 -- Edgewood Academy vs. Hooper Academy, noon, Field 3
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon, Field 4
Game 13 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 2 p.m., Field 3
Saturday’s schedule
Game 14 -- Championship, Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 1 p.m., Field 6 (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)
CLASS A
Thursday’s results
Game 1 -- Snook Christian 9, North River Christian 0
Game 2 -- South Choctaw Academy 12, Coosa Valley Academy 2
Game 3 -- Lowndes Academy 11, Heritage Christian 0
Game 4 -- Crenshaw Christian 10, Cornerstone Christian 1
Game 5 -- North River Christian 14, Coosa Valley Academy 2
Game 6 -- Cornerstone Christian 14, Heritage Christian 4
Game 7 -- South Choctaw Academy 3, Snook Christian 2
Game 8 -- Crenshaw Christian 3, Lowndes Academy 2
Friday’s schedule
Game 9 -- North River Christian vs. Lowndes Academy, 10 a.m., Field 5
Game 10 -- Cornerstone Christian vs. Snook Christian, 10 a.m., Field 6
Game 11 -- South Choctaw Academy vs. Crenshaw Christian, noon, Field 5
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon, Field 6
Game 13 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 2 p.m., Field 5
Saturday’s schedule
Game 14 -- Championship, Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 9:30 a.m., Field 6 (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)