FRIDAY PREPS: ST. JAMES wins two in Invitational; Lee-Scott baseball tops LAMP
COMBINED REPORTS
St. James won its two Friday games in the Trojan Invitational at Lagoon Park and will carry the top seed into Saturday’s bracket play in the seven-team tournament.
The Trojans scored a run in the fourth and another in the sixth to win a pitchers’ duel with Opelika 2-0. Tat Shuford hit a pair of solo home runs off of Opelika pitcher Emily Birmingham to account for the only runs in the game. Birmingham allowed seven hits in six innings, but Shuford’s homers were the only hits that resulted in runs.
Shuford went 2 for 3, scored twice and had a pair of RBIs. Emily Darby also went 2 for 3.
Emily Needham allowed just two hits and struck out 14 to pick up the win for St. James (3-0).
The Trojans returned to action in the evening and defeated Maplesville 6-2. The Class 1A Red Devils scored a pair of quick runs off of Peyton Middleton before Middleton settled in and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out four and walking none.
St. James tied the game with a pair of runs in the second inning and won the game with a four-run fourth inning. Shuford went 1 for 2 with a double, scoring a run and driving in two more.
Mia Zukowski went 3 for 3, scoring a run and driving in another, and Ava Stanford went 1 for 1, scoring a run and driving in another.
St. James (4-0) will play the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Autauga Academy and Maplesville in the semifinals at 11:45 a.m. The championship game will follow at 1:30 p.m.
BASEBALL
Lee-Scott Academy 11, LAMP 5
AUBURN -- Lee-Scott Academy scored five runs in the first inning and five more in the second to put away the Golden Tigers 11-5 on Friday afternoon.
Allen Owen, Luke Donaldson, Sam Jackson and Maxwell Hammer each scored two runs as the Warriors took advantage of four errors by LAMP. Beau King had a three-run triple, Jackson had an RBI double and Owen and Smith Harkins added singles as the Warriors were outhit 9-4 but made the most of their hits.
Braden Martin picked up the win, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out six. Davis MacIsaac pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing a run and a hit while striking out three.
Luke Littlejohn led LAMP, going 3 for 4 with a double, a run scored and a pair of RBIs. Daniel Davenport went 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs.
Caden Carpenter took the loss, allowing five runs, two earned, in one inning, walking four and striking out one. Matthew Lutz pitched the final three innings of no-hit ball.
Macon East Academy 6, Bessemer Academy 0
ELMORE -- Macon East bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 6-0 win over Bessemer Academy on Friday in the Edgewood Varsity Tournament at Edgewood Academy.
Patrick Ernest went 3 for 3 for the Knights with singles in the second, third and fourth innings. His two-run single in the third sparked a five-run inning that propelled the Knights to victory.
Caden Mobley followed with a two-run single and the Knights picked up another run on an error to break open the game.
Bryant Grimes pitched the first three innings for the Knights, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking none. Jackson Todd pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and walking two.
Macon East (3-1) lost the tournament opener to Edgewood 5-3 on Thursday before bouncing back on Friday. The Knights will face Abbeville Christian on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., with the winner facing Edgewood.
Following the tournament, the Knights will travel to Alabaster to play Evangel Christian School on Monday.
Patrician Academy 10, Hooper Academy 1
BUTLER -- Bryson Reid drove in three runs to lead the Saints to a 10-1 win over Hooper Academy on Friday.
Jeremy Griggs went 1 for 2 and drove in a run to lead Hooper. Cason Dunlap also had a hit for the Colts.
Hooper returns home to play host to Crenshaw Christian on Monday.
SOFTBALL
Catholic 5, Smiths Station 4
The Knights broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to defeat Class 7A Smiths Station 5-4 in the 2025 home opener on Thursday.
Hayden Fitts went 2 for 3 with an RBI and scored a pair of runs to lead the Knights. Riley Hudson went 1 for 3 with a run scored, Kamryn Iverson went 1 for 2 and scored a pair of runs and Avery Sadler went 1 for 3 for Catholic.
Jennifer Looney picked up the win in the circle, allowing seven hits and four runs, one earned, in seven innings. Looney walked three and struck out eight.
Catholic (1-3) remains home to play Alabama Christian on Monday at 3 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Montgomery Academy 7, St. Paul’s Episcopal 2
MOBILE -- The Eagles went and competed in two matches on Friday, beating St. Paul’s Episcopal 7-2 in the morning before winning against UMS-Wright in the afternoon.
In the morning match, John Alford and Jackson Brown got the Eagles started on the right path with a win at No. 1 doubles. Anton Yang and Bo Johnston won at No. 3 doubles.
Singles winners for Montgomery Academy included Jackson Brown at No. 2, Ford Morano at No. 3, Edwin Wu at No. 4, Liam Baker at No. 5 and Anton Yang at No. 6.
Montgomery Academy 9, UMS-Wright 0
MOBILE -- The Eagles swept all matches in the afternoon match with UMS-Wright.
Singles winners were John Alford at No. 1, Jackson Brown at No. 2, Ford Morano at No. 3, Edwin Wu at No. 4, Liam Baker at No. 5 and Anton Yang at No. 6.
Doubles winners were Alford-Brown at No. 1, Morano-Wu at No. 2 and Yang and Bo Johnston at No. 3.
Montgomery Academy (6-0) improved to 4-0 in dual matches this season and will return home to host Catholic on Wednesday and Prattville on Thursday in a pair of matches at MA’s McLemore Tennis Center.
GIRLS SOCCER
Prattville Christian 10, Julian 0
PRATTVILLE -- Mimi Szeker led the Lady Panthers with four goals scored and an assist as PCA opened the season with a 10-0 rout of Julian at Panther Stadium on Friday night.
Baylee Rogers added two goals, while Mary Virginia Penton, Aiden Williams, Anabelle Weedon and Scarlett Mahlke each scored one goal. Addison Sutton and Mady Boyett each had one assist.
Scarlett Mahlke and Eden Alexander combined in goal for the shutout.
PCA (1-0) will play host to BTW Magnet on Friday.
BOYS SOCCER
Prattville Christian 3, Julian 1
PRATTVILLE -- Jens Johnson scored a goal and assisted on another to lead Prattville Christian to a 3-1 win over Julian on Friday at Panther Stadium.
Ethan Green and Cody Chapman each added a goal, while Micah Newsom and Cooper Dunn each had an assist.
PCA (1-1) will travel to play Wetumpka on Tuesday.
TROJAN INVITATIONAL SOFTBALL TOURNEY
Lagoon Park Softball Complex
Friday’s Results
St. James 2, Opelika 0
Chilton County 9, Pike Road 2
Autauga Academy 8, Trinity 3
St. James 6, Maplesville 2
Chilton County 16, Opelika 0
Pike Road 10, Autauga Academy 1
Maplesville 12, Trinity 6
Saturday’s schedule
Quarterfinals
Maplesville vs. Autauga Academy, Field 1, 10 a.m.
Chilton County vs. Trinity, Field 2, 10 a.m.
Pike Road vs. Opelika, Field 3, 10 a.m.
Semifinals
St. James vs. Maplesville-Autauga Academy winner, Field 1, 11:45 a.m.
ChiltonCo/Trinity vs. Pike Road/Opelika, Field 2, 11:45 a.m.
Championship, Field 1, 1:30 p.m.