Softball Tigers win Alex City tourney

By Michael Butler

The Tallassee softball team was chomping at the bit you might say. The scheduled season opener vs. Auburn for Feb. 19 was scratched due to rain. The Feb. 21 game vs. Benjamin Russell was also wiped from the slate due to weather.

The season finally debuted on Saturday, Feb. 23 in Alex City. The Tigers made the most of it going 5-0 and winning the Central Alabama Tournament. For good measure, the junior varsity Tigers made it to the finals with a 4-1 record in the tourney.

Tournament Champions Subitted by Stephen Osborne

The varsity team knocked off the host team Wildcats of Benjamin Russell in the finale 9-0. Wins also came against Valley (14-0), Pinson Valley (1-0), Beauregard (5-3) and Dadeville (11-2). The Tigers allowed just five runs in the five games and scored 41.

The Tigers belted out 40 total hits. Chloe Baynes had 9 hits, scored 8 runs and stole 8 bases. Lexi Love added 7 hits with 4 doubles and 8 RBIs. Belle Haynes had 5 hits in the tourney with 5 RBIs and 5 stolen bases.

Sinclair Cole and Madelyn Martin had 4 hits and 4 RBIs a piece. Martin had 3 doubles.

Three other Tallssee players had three hits each; Jordan Walters, Avary Lumpking and Sally Shipman. Anslee Osborne had 2 hits with 4 RBIs.

Walters pitched three complete games with 19 strikeouts, 1 walk and no earned runs allowed. Cole had tow complete games with 5 strikeouts, 1 walk and 2 earned runs.

"On defense we had only two errors in five games," head coach Pat Love said. "It's a good way to start. We set goals as a team on getting better on different aspects of the game and this weekend we did that. Our defense was tough. We have to continue to improve on our game, but this was a great way to start."

The JV team beat Benjamin Russell (8-1), Pinson Valley (9-2), Horeshoe Bend (7-1) and Benjamin Russell again (15-5). They lost 13-0 to Chelsea.

For the JV girls, Brooke Royster was 2-1 and Reagan Gough 2-0 on the mound. Jenna Manning had 4 doubles and 5 RBIs. Brooke Royster added 3 doubles with 6 RBIs. Kirsten Collier hit a homerun and a triple with 6 RBIs. Marlee Stewart hit 2 doubles and drove in 11 runs. Haley Baker had a double, triple and 3 RBIs.

Tallassee plays at Dadeville on Tuesday, Feb. 26 with the varsity game starting at 2:00 followed by the JV game. The varsity team plays at Prattville Christian on Thursday at 5:00 and will host the Purple and Gold Tournament on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2.