AHSAA SOFTBALL: Same result for LAMP in win over ACA
Kaitlin Russell and the LAMP Golden Tigers earned an important area win over ACA on Thursday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
For the second time in a week, the area softball game between Alabama Christian Academy and LAMP went down to the final out.
For the second week in a row, LAMP scored the run and handed the Eagles another heartbreaking loss.
The Golden Tigers scored a run in the eighth inning a week ago at Denise Ainsworth Field to edge ACA, then completed the regular season sweep with two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-3 victory at Lagoon Park on Thursday.
The loss ensured the Eagles of traveling to play in the area tournament for only the second time in head coach Chris Goodman’s 15-year tenure. In a season that has seen its share of close losses, the Eagles discovered yet another way an opposing team can find a way to swing the momentum late as LAMP cut short a promising ACA inning in the top of the seventh, then turned the tables with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Goodman said. “I think they (ACA players) realize we’ve got a chance in the area (tournament). We’ve gotten beat in overtime and in the bottom of the seventh. We face their two best hitters and got what we wanted, a ground ball out of her, then we get a Lagoon Park hard-as-a-brick infield hit. That’s an out on our field.
“But give their pitcher credit. She made a great play on that squeeze. If they had to score two runs, it would have been a lot harder to win the game. They’ve got a good team. But I think we can play with them, too.”
ACA scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth when the Eagles’ most productive hitters, Haley Ingram and Izzy Warrick, led off with a single and reached base on an error, with both eventually scoring for a 2-1 lead. Haley Herron’s RBI single brought LAMP back even at 2-2 in the bottom half of the inning, setting the stage for the seventh.
Warrick led off with a single and stole second before Katie Chappell reached base on an infield single. Rose Costanza then popped up to LAMP shortstop Gracey Norris, but Norris’ throw back to pitcher Caitlin Russell went over her head and into the LAMP dugout, allowing Warrick to score and Chappell to advance to third.
Hayley Cassidy then reached over her head and managed to bunt the ball on a squeeze play, but Russell made a diving catch just inside the first-base line. Chappell, who had already crossed home plate, was doubled off when Russell got up and threw the ball to Norris at third base.
“Getting us out of the inning by catching the popup and throwing back (to third for the double play) was big,” LAMP coach Anthony Norris said. “If we don’t get but one of those two outs, we’re still in trouble. Her getting us out of the inning helped us to stay in the ballgame.”
In the bottom half of the inning, Russell hit a one-out single through the left side of the infield and Joanna Joiner followed with a similar-looking bouncer that avoided ACA players an out later, scoring Russell from second to tie the game. Chandler Gaskin then hit a deep fly just over the head of Chappell in right field to score Joiner and end the game.
“That was a big hit that Joanna came up with and then senior Chandler Gaskin came up with the big hit,” Norris said. “She (Gaskin) was my Bryant-Jordan achievement regional finalist so me and her missed the last game (against Luverne) because we were at the (Bryant-Jordan) banquet, so for her to come back here and do that, I know that was fun for her.”
LAMP (20-7) improved to 7-1 in Area 3, reeling off seven consecutive wins in area play after losing the opener at St. James 1-0. ACA (12-16) dropped to 4-3 in area play with a game at St. James on Tuesday at 5 p.m. A St. James victory in that matchup would force a coin flip between LAMP and St. James to determine the area tournament host.
LAMP returns to Lagoon Park on Tuesday against Highland Home before playing Brew Tech on Thursday.