AHSAA SOFTBALL: Catholic, PCA, ACA advance to Regional winners' bracket

By TIM GAYLE

TUSCALOOSA -- Both Montgomery Catholic and Prattville Christian won a pair of games in the West Regional on Friday, advancing to the Class 3A winner’s bracket finals on Saturday at Bowers Park.

Catholic won its opening-round game with a 12-3 win over Excel. Carissa Gilbert and Alanna Aiken combined to pitch a five hitter with no earned runs and six strikeouts.

Catholic pounded out 17 hits, led by Mallory Hildebrand’s four hits CeCe Crawford’s three hits and four RBIs, Auburn Wilcoxson’s three hits and McKenzie Norton’s three hits and three runs scored. Aiken and Gilbert each had a pair of hits as well. 

Prattville Christian won its opening-round game with a 10-0 win over Thomasville in a game halted in the fifth inning by the 10-run mercy rule. Shelbi Pruitt had the Tigers’ only hit as Landon McAnnally and Alivia Messick combined on the one-hit shutout while striking out 12. McAnnally, who had nine strikeouts, also drove in three runs at the plate. Arielle Williams had three RBIs, while Sarah Williams and Riley Sweeney each had a pair of hits.

In the second round, Catholic outlasted Hale County 13-10 and PCA held off Oakman 5-3. In the Knights’ win, Norton and Crawford each drove in three runs and Gilbert struck out eight in six innings of work. Hale County trailed 7-3 before scoring seven runs in the final three innings. Alex Gray, Kori Young and Ally Gonzalez each had a pair of hits. 

PCA, meanwhile, built a 5-0 lead in the first four innings, then withstood a three-run sixth inning by Oakman. McAnnally allowed seven hits while striking out nine in a complete-game performance. Payson Hanson had two hits, while Hanson, Sweeney and Jersee Carter each drove in a run. 

Ashanti Stewart and Savannah Brown each had a pair of hits for Oakman.

Area 6 rivals PCA (31-8) and Catholic (23-17-1) will meet on Saturday at 9 a.m., with the winner qualifying for the state tournament. The loser will drop into the elimination round and play for the second spot in the state tournament at 1:45 p.m.

Class 4A: ACA moves into winner’s bracket; LAMP drops to loser’s bracket

GULF SHORES -- Alabama Christian advanced to the finals of the winner’s bracket in the South Regional, but LAMP did not.

The Eagles extended their longest winning streak of the season to six games with wins over St. Michael and Ashford, but the Golden Tigers were upset by Geneva in the second round of the regional, dropping them into the elimination round.

ACA (24-19) will play Geneva on Saturday at 9 a.m., with the winner qualifying for one of the spots in next week’s state tournament in Oxford. LAMP (26-15) dropped into the elimination round and will face Jackson on Saturday at 9 a.m. The winner will play the Ashford-W.S. Neal winner at 12:15, with the winner of that second game playing the loser of the ACA-Geneva game at 1:45 for the second qualifying spot.

In an opening-round game, LAMP’s Caitlin Russell pitched a three-hitter and struck out 11 in a game halted by the 10-run mercy rule in the sixth inning. Gracey Norris had four hits and Hadyn Foley had three hits and five RBIs in the 12-1 win over W.S. Neal.

ACA had it easy as well, cruising to a 16-0 win over St. Michael as Izzy Warrick went 3 for 3 at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in four more, while pitching a three-hitter with eight strikeouts in four innings of work. Katie Chappell went 3 for 4 with a pair of triples, three runs scored and four RBIs and Rose Costanza went 3 for 4 with a triple and four RBIs. 

In the second round Costanza continued her hot streak with a pair of doubles, going 2 for 3 with four RBIs while pitching a complete game with nine hits, two runs and three strikeouts. Warrick went 1 for 2 with an RBI and Chappell and Haley Ingram each went 1 for 3 and scored a pair of runs. 

Barrett Lawrence led Ashford at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

LAMP wasn’t as fortunate in the second round as its bats were silent in a 4-2 loss to Geneva, which drew a first-round bye in the regional. Makaley Boswell pitched 5.2 innings, striking out seven and holding the Golden Tigers to four hits and a pair of runs in the sixth inning.

Russell pitched for LAMP, putting together another standout performance in seven innings, allowing just three hits while striking out 14. The junior was hampered by her defense, which committed three errors.

Za’Liyah Kemmerlin and Emily Lamb each had a hit and an RBI for Geneva.