White Plains, AL – White Plains’ Richardson homers twice, adds triple and double as Wildcats power way past Jacksonville for area title. Both teams headed for regional
Area softball tournament results/pairings
Class 6A, Area 12
At Choccolocco Park
FRIDAY, April 26
Oxford 14, Gadsden City 1
Pell City 15, Clay-Chalkville 0
Pell City 15, Oxford 4
SATURDAY, April 27
Clay-Chalkville 29, Gadsden City 16
Oxford 21, Clay-Chalkville 2
Finals: Pell City 7, Oxford 3
Class 5A, Area 10
At Alexandria
MONDAY, April 29
Central-Clay 2, Lincoln 1
Alexandria 15, Central-Clay 0
TUESDAY, April 30
Central-Clay 12, Lincoln 7
Finals: Alexandria 12, Central-Clay 2
Class 5A, Area 13
At Southside
SATURDAY, April 27
Southside 5, Douglas 1
Boaz 7, Sardis 4
Douglas 4, Sardis 3
MONDAY, April 29
Southside 12, Boaz 0
Boaz 15, Douglas 0
TUESDAY, April 30
Finals: Southside 6, Boaz 1
Class 4A, Area 8
At Handley
TUESDAY, April 30
Munford 13, Talladega 0
Handley 15, Munford 0
Talladega 16, Munford 1
Finals: Handley 15, Munford 0
Class 4A, Area 10
At White Plains
MONDAY, April 29
Jacksonville 16, Cleburne County 1
White Plains 23, Anniston 2
Anniston 7, Cleburne County 3
White Plains 11, Jacksonville 0
TUESDAY, April 30
Jacksonville 16, Anniston 2
Finals: White Plains 11, Jacksonville 1
Class 4A, Area 12
At Cherokee County
SATURDAY, April 27
Cherokee County 1, Ashville 0
Oneonta 3, Etowah 2
Ashville 10 Etowah 1
Oneonta 3, Cherokee County 1
MONDAY, April 29
Cherokee County 5, Ashville 0
Cherokee County 8, Oneonta 0
Cherokee County 4, Oneonta 1
Class 3A, Area 7
At Beulah
FRIDAY, April 26
Randolph County 5, Dadeville 4
Randolph County 3, Beulah 1
SATURDAY, April 27
Beulah 13, Dadeville 3
Finals: Randolph County 10, Beulah 2
Class 3A, Area 10
At Piedmont
SATURDAY, April 27
Piedmont 11, Saks 1
Weaver 12, Wellborn 2
Wellborn 25, Saks 12
Piedmont 1, Weaver 0
MONDAY, April 29
Weaver 9, Wellborn 0
Finals: Piedmont 3, Weaver 1
Class 3A, Area 11
At Hokes Bluff
FRIDAY, April 26
Glencoe 13, Ohatchee 1
SATURDAY, April 27
Hokes Bluff 3, Glencoe 1
Glencoe 12, Ohatchee 11
MONDAY, April 29
Hokes Bluff 10, Glencoe 0
Class 2A, Area 9
At Pleasant Valley
MONDAY, April 29
Woodland 4, Ranburne 1
Pleasant Valley 15, Woodland 0
Woodland 7, Ranburne 0
Pleasant Valley 15, Woodland 0
Class 1A, Area 7
At Wadley
TUESDAY, April 30
Lochapoka def. Notasulga
Wadley 16, Lochapoka 0
Loachapoka 7, Notasulga 0
Finals: Wadley 17, Loachapoka 0
Class 1A, Area 11
At Spring Garden
FRIDAY, April 26
Spring Garden 17, Faith Christian 1
Cedar Bluff 10, Jacksonville Christian 0
Jacksonville Christian 12, Faith Christian 2
TUESDAY, April 30
Spring Garden 6, Cedar Bluff 2
Cedar Bluff 13, Jacksonville Christian 7
Finals: Spring Garden 5, Cedar Bluff 2
By Joe Medley
Hitting for the cycle is nice, and all, but Callie Richardson found a better option Tuesday.
Why sweat the single in a cycle when hitting an extra home run?
White Plains’ junior slugger crushed two home runs to go with a triple and double as the Wildcats beat Jacksonville 11-1 in the Class 4A, Area 10 final.
Both teams advanced to the East Regional at Albertville’s Sand Mountain Park and will play May 6 at 9 a.m. against opponents to be determined.
White Plains (26-14) left Albertville as the East Regional’s top state qualifier in Class 4A in 2023. That led to the Wildcats’ first state-tournament appearance since 2019.
They’re set make their first with Lex Hull-Muncher as head coach.
“We got the job done,” she said. “We punched our ticket to regionals, no matter what the outcome was today. Of course, we wanted to go as area champions, but we punched our ticket to regionals.
“That was goal number one to get back to. Now, we have to go take care of business at regionals.”
Jacksonville (17-19) will make its second consecutive regional appearance and first under Gary Atchley, who made the move from Weaver after the 2023 season.
“I think at the beginning of the season, a lot of people might’ve counted us out, and didn’t figure we were going to be here,” Atchley said. “These girls, we’ve stayed on track. We played hard and did what we were supposed to do in practice.
“At the end, here we are, going to regionals for the second time, I think, in school history, fast pitch, and first time back to back.”
Richardson’s most-valuable-player performance powered the way Tuesday. She she finished 4-for-4 with three runs and five RBIs.
White Plains’ powerful leadoff hitter slammed the first pitch she saw over the fence in left-center field, easily clearing the fence and landing between parked cars.
“I always go up there thinking, since I’m leadoff, swing at the first pitch and just try to get on,” she said. “I know the person behind me can do it.”
She parked a 1-2 pitch over the left-field fence in her second at bat then went on to add a second solo shot.
Richardson tripled in the fourth inning and doubled in the fifth. The game ended with Addi Bradley’s two-run double in the sixth, or Richardson would’ve been the third batter in the seventh.
She finished with 13 total bases.
Richardson’s performance came four days after she announced her commitment to Anderson University. She’s clearly back in full swing after undergoing a procedure unrelated to sports earlier this season.
“The girls make fun of me for using the word grit,” Muncher said, “but where we come from and have the facility, it’s Growth, Resilience, Intentionality and Testimony. She, honestly, every day shows up with grit.
“I mean, she showed up from a procedure that a lot of girls would not come back from for a couple of weeks, but she shows up with intentionality. Her teammates are her first priority.”
Richardson’s teammates showed up, as well, on Tuesday. Leighton Arnold pitched a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts in six innings and went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Cassidy Arnold went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, and Cooper Martin singled with a run and RBI.
Sara Kate Adams went 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Jacksonville scored its run in the sixth, when Lexi Phillips singled, took second base on an error and benefited from two passed balls.
Atchley said he’s “so tickled to death to see the seniors” get to go back to regional.
“I’ve got one, Teah Evans, that wasn’t on the team last year,” he said. “Just to be able to go down there and experience is going to be great for all of us, for sure.”
Class 4A, Area 10 all-tournament team
MVP: Callie Richardson, White Plains.
White Plains: Sara Kate Adams, Leighton Arnold, Halie Smith.
Jacksonville: Je’henna Engram, Teah Evans, Dailyn Wood.
Anniston: Arianna Storey, Lyric Williams.
Cleburne County: Macey East.
White Plains and Jacksonville play for the Class 4A, Area 10 softball title on a good day for home runs and chickens in the dugout.
Photos by Joe Medley
