Ragland, Pisgah, Mortimer Jordan Claim Titles
Join Hatton, Dallas County, Dothan As State Softball Champs
CLASS 1A Finals
Ragland 6, South Lamar 3
Ragland won its second Class 1A state softball championship in a row with a 6-3 win in the finals over South Lamar. The Purple Devils (28-6) had sent South Lamar to the loser’s bracket earlier Saturday with a 10-0 win in the winner’s bracket finals.
Ragland scored five runs in the fourth inning of the final game to break open a 1-1 tie. Sommar Wright, who pitched all four of her team’s state-tournament wins, allowed six hits and struck out three in the finals to earn MVP honors.
Brittany Johnson drove in two runs in the big inning to pace the Purple Devils and Lauren Wright added two hits.
Leading South Lamar was pitcher Courtney Hancock with three hits, including a two-run homer.
Also selected to the Class 1A All-Tourament Team with Wright were: Madison Oliver, Emily Church and Lauren Jessica Wright of Ragland; Courtney Hancock, Bailie Springfield, Karoline Holsonbeck and Kendra Wilson of South Lamar; Sara Mock and Tasha Mack of Kinston.
CLASS 3A Finals
Pisgah 16, Geneva 2
Senior catcher Shelby Holley closed out her career with her 35th home run of the season in her final at bat as Pisgah (43-13-1) claimed the Class 3A state softball championship with a 16-2 win over Geneva in the championship game. It was the seventh state title in Pisgah school history.
Holley, who also set the national prep record for home runs in a career with 78 in her five-year career for Coach Billy Duncan’s Eagles, was named MVP of the 3A state tournament that concluded Saturday afternoon at Lagoon Park. Holley, a Jacksonville State signee, will go into the NFHS record books with a total of 72 home runs since the six she hit as an eighth grader are not counted in NFHS record compilations. She hit five home runs in the 2011 state tourney.
Holley’s final homer climaxed a five-run seventh inning as she finished with three hits, five RBIs and four runs scored. Ella Dennis also had three hits in the finals. Megan Smith hurled the win.
Kasey Carswell had a double and single to pace Geneva. Augie Pena was the losing pitcher for the Panthers.
Geneva lost to Pisgah earlier in the day 10-5 in the winner’s bracket finals, then beat Saks 9-5 to reach the championship game.
Also named to the Class 3A All-Tourney team with Holley were: Jessica Robbins, Megan Smith and Carriannne Hester of Pisgah; Elizabeth Holland, Kasey Carswell, Augie Pena and Marisse Jenkins of Geneva; Kyla Goedoe and Miranda Kilgore of Saks.
CLASS 5A Finals
Mortimer Jordan 5, Moody 1
Mortimer Jordan (33-7) clawed its way out of the loser’s bracket Saturday to beat Moody 8-1 and 5-1 in the finals to claim the Blue Devils’ third Class 5A state softball title in four years.
Coach Laura Rickman’s team was sent to the loser’s bracket on Friday but reeled off five straight victories en route to the fast pitch championship Saturday night at Lagoon Park.
Pitcher Bair Johnson earned MVP honors by pitching 33 innings on Saturday. She allowed five hits and struck out one in the final game and added three hits at the plate. Erin Lopez and Haylie McClenney also had three hits each in the final game.
For Moody, Victoria Lewis had one hit and scored the only run for Coach Amanda Ellis’ team in the final game. Destiny Perry was the losing pitcher.
Johnson pitched a six-hitter and struck out three and McClenney also had three hits in the 8-1 win that set up the deciding game. Moody losing pitcher Meagan Young had two hits in the game.
Moody had won an exciting 2-1 victory over Faith Academy in the finals of the winner’s bracket to advance to the championship of the double-elimination tournament
The Blue Devils beat Faith Academy 5-3 in the loser’s bracket finals and also downed Hartselle 15-3 and Chelsea 5-4 in eight innings on Saturday to keep their championship hopes alive.
Joining MVP Johnson on the Class 5A All-Tournament Team were: Haylie McCleney, Shelby Maze and Shelby McGraw of Mortimer Jordan; Candice Crutchfield, Lea Crutchfield, Meagan Young and Shelbi Bush of Moody; Codi Middleton and Tyler Winkler of Faith Academy.
CLASS 2A Finals
Hatton 2-6, Lexington 1-3
Hatton (42-15) came out of the loser’s bracket to beat area rival Lexington 2-1 and 6-3 Friday night at Lagoon Park in Montgomery to claim the Class 2A state softball championship.
Hillary Carpenter hurled both wins, pitching a six-hitter in the deciding game and striking out four. She yielded five hits and struck out five in the first game to force the do-or-die game in the double-elimination, eight-team state tournament.
Jessica Speake clubbed two hits and drove in one run for the Hornets. Shaide Parker had two RBIs on one hit off losing pitcher Tenna Patterson. Kate Wallace had two hits for Lexington (38-13-1) and drove in two runs.
Carey Grace Peebles singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of the first game. Patterson allowed only three hits and struck out three in the loss.
Carpenter was selected 2A State Tournament MVP. Also named to the All-Tournament Team were Jessica Speake, Carey Grace Peebles and Mariah Cantrell of Hatton; Hannah Harper, Katie Wallace, Tenna Patterson and Phoenix Young of Lexington; Cadi Oliver and Katyln Sides of Sumiton Christian.
CLASS 4A Finals
Dallas County 5, Cherokee County 3 (8 innings)
Dallas County (38-5) blitzed through the Class 4A State Softball Tournament undefeated to claim the state championship Friday night at Lagoon Park. The Hornets beat Cherokee County 5-3 in the finals as Cassandra Daniels hurled the win.
Daniels gave up just four hits and struck out seven in the championship. Lauren Millsaps got the loss. Dallas County had 10 hits, including two each by Whitney Denson and Kelly Ingram. Kendall Veach slugged a two-run homer in top of the eighth inning to give the Hornets the win.
Kaitlyn Griffith hit a two-run homer off Daniels in the fifth inning for the Warriors (44-12).
Kelly Ingram was chosen MVP. Joining her on the Class 4A All-Tournament Team were Whitney Denson, Cassie Daniels, Madison Millsaps and Amy Persinger of Dallas County; Molly Brewer, Lauren Phillips and Candace Blanchard, Cherokee County; McKenzie Kilpatrick and Amanda Seales, Alabama Christian.
CLASS 6A Finals
Dothan 2-8, Hoover 8-2
Hoover came out of the loser’s bracket to beat Dothan 8-2 Friday at Lagoon Park to force another game, but the Lady Tigers returned the favor in the final contest to claim the school’s first fast pitch Class 6A state softball championship.
Hilari Hopkins had three hits, including a triple, and Audrey Jones scored two runs in the final game. Kasey Cooper and Crystal Anderson opened the final game with solo homers. Toni Anderson also slugged homers for Dothan (59-7-1).
Emily Robinson gave up four hits and struck out four to notch the win. Madison Dickey also opened the bottom of the first inning with a home run for the Bucs. (43-25).
Dothan’s Kasey Cooper was chosen MVP. Also named to the Class 6A All-Tournament Team were Crystal Anderson, Hilari Hopkins and Denise Anderson of Dothan; Madison Dickey, Mary C. Nichols, Marcy Harper and Kalee Sparks, Hoover; Megan Dowdy and Hannah Qualls of Fairhope.