AHSAA SOFTBALL: PCA one win away from state title

By TIM GAYLE

OXFORD -- Prattville Christian scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to edge Plainview 3-2 and advance to the finals of the 3A state softball tournament.

PCA (35-8) will play for the 3A state title on Saturday at 5 p.m. A second game, if necessary, will be played at approximately 6:45 p.m. PCA, the only unbeaten team remaining in the double elimination tournament, will face Houston Academy, Beulah or Plainview for the state title.

Houston Academy (44-7-1) will play Beulah (26-16) on Saturday at 10 a.m. The winner will face Plainview (40-8-1) at 12:30 p.m., with the winner of the second game advancing to the finals.

Prattville Christian blasted Fyffe in the tournament opener as Jersee Carter went 4 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Riley Sweeney went 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBIs, Sarah Williams went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Sally Swindall went 2 for 4.

PCA wiped out a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first as Carter tripled and scored when Sweeney reached base on an error. Sweeney later scored on a wild pitch.

In the second inning, Carter hit a one-out single and scored on Sweeney’s triple. Williams had a two-out double to drive in Sweeney and Chloe Hollon tripled in a run and scored on an error for a 6-1 lead.

In the third, Swindall had a one-out single and Carter followed an out later with an RBI single. Carter stole second and scored on Sweeney’s double.

In a second-round game, PCA managed just four hits but won a pitching dual with Beulah 2-0. Landyn McAnnally threw a two-hitter, striking out 11 in seven innings of work, while Sweeney had an RBI in the win. 

Katie Morris and Brandy Phillips combined on a four-hitter in six innings of work, striking out three.

McAnnally repeated her performance in the early evening 3-2 win over Plainview, striking out four in a complete-game performance.

Tessa Word struck out 13 PCA batters in 5.2 innings. 

Williams had a pair of hits and an RBI, Carter had a pair of hits and Sweeney had an RBI. Hollon delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh to give the Panthers the victory.