No. 1 Oxford, No. 2 Alexandria to face off in Calhoun County winners’ bracket final. No. 3 White Plains, No. 4 Ohatchee, No. 5 Pleasant Valley and No. 7 Piedmont still in it.
Calhoun County softball tournament
MONDAY, April 6
At Calhoun County Sports Complex
No. 7 Piedmont 12, No. 10 Wellborn 2
No. 6 Jacksonville 14, No. 11 Anniston 4
No. 4 Ohatchee 18, No. 13 Faith Christian 1
No. 5 Pleasant Valley 8, No. 12 Saks 1
No. 9 Jacksonville Christian 6, No. 8 Weaver 0
No. 2 Alexandria 14, Piedmont 1
No. 3 White Plains vs. Jacksonville, 6:30 p.m.
Ohatchee 3, Pleasant Valley 0
No. 1 Oxford vs. Jacksonville Christian, 6:30 p.m.
Losers’ bracket
Saks 13, Faith Christian 0
TUESDAY, April 7
At Calhoun County Sports Complex
Losers’ bracket
Piedmont 11, Saks 3
Weaver 13, Jacksonville 6
Pleasant Valley 15, Wellborn 0
Jacksonville Christian 5, Anniston 2
Losers’ bracket
Piedmont 5, Weaver 4
Pleasant Valley 8, Jacksonville Christian 0
Winners’ bracket
Alexandria 3, White Plains 0
Oxford 3, Ohatchee 2
THURSDAY, April 9
At Calhoun County Sports Complex
Winners’ bracket final
Oxford vs. Alexandria, 5 p.m.
Losers’ bracket
Ohatchee vs. Piedmont, 5 p.m.
Pleasant Valley vs. White Plains, 5 p.m.
Losers’ bracket final
TBD, 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, April 10
At Jacksonville State
Elimination game, 5 p.m.
Finals, 6:30 p.m.
If necessary, 8 p.m.
By Joe Medley
A rundown of Tuesday’s action in the opening day of the Calhoun County softball tournament at Calhoun County Sports Complex:
Winners’ bracket
ALEXANDRIA 3, WHITE PLAINS 0: Reece Carr pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts, and No. 2 Alexandria moved on to Thursday’s winners’ bracket final against top seed Oxford.
White Plains dropped into the elimination bracket and will play Pleasant Valley on Thursday.
Tuesday’s game marked the latest showdown between Alexandria coach Brian Hess and White Plains’ Anna Burgess, his former assistant. Alexandria beat White Plains 3-2 earlier this season.
“We’ll end up playing them probably again, sometime later in the week, and we’ve got them Monday, and then we’ve got area tournament,” Hess said. “I told her, I’ll be glad when they go 3A. Me and her can actually have fun at a game for once, playing each other, instead of it being like this.
“Two great teams, man. Every time we’ve gotten together this year, it’s been like that, a nailbiter.”
Alexandria’s Charlee Parris hit a solo home run Tuesday. Ryan Lumpkin had a single and an RBI, and Boo Boo Bright had a single and a run.
White Plains’ Carli Fritts held the Valley Cubs to three hits and struck out six batters, and Sara Kate Adams had both Wildcat hits.
OXFORD 3, OHATCHEE 2: Jordyn Alexander recently returned to Oxford’s lineup after surgery unrelated to sports, and she came through for the Yellow Jackets during Tuesday’s action in the Calhoun County Tournament.
Her two-run single in the bottom of the third inning gave Oxford the lead, and pitcher Jayla Jackson made it stand as top seed Oxford advanced to Thursday’s winners’ bracket final against No. 2 Alexandria.
Ohatchee drops into the elimination bracket and will play Piedmont.
The Yellow Jackets (14-7) will play the Alexandria-White Plains winner for the right to advance to the finals.
Alexander’s single scored Emma Tims-Becerra, who reached on a double, and Madison Murphy, who walked.
“We got down a little early, but I’m proud of how we fought,” Oxford coach Wendy McKibbin said. “We kept our composure, got runners on and scored and just kept battling, so I’m just proud of my kids.”
C Kennedy had a single and an RBI, and Jackson pitched a complete game, allowing three hits with six strikeouts in five innings.
Ohatchee’s Gracie Reed had a single and two RBIs, Makayla Brackett and Annie Cox combined to hold Oxford to four hits. Brackett had three strikeouts.
Elimination bracket
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 5, ANNISTON 2: Audrina Williams singled and drove in two runs, and JCA stayed alive to play Pleasant Valley in the elimination bracket.
Cali Sexton had an RBI and a run, and Symone Estell had a double and a run.
Williams got the win, holding Anniston to three hits with five strikeouts in six innings.
Anniston’s Lyric Williams went 2-for-3 with a run.
PLEASANT VALLEY 15, WELLBORN 0: Alexa Cranmer went 3-for-3 with two triples, three runs and an RBI, and the Raiders moved on to play Jacksonville Christian in the elimination bracket.
Hanna Henry 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. Lilly Robinson and Elise Wheeler each went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs, and Baylee Grogan went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Grogan pitched a one-hitter with three strikeouts in three innings.
PIEDMONT 11, SAKS 3: Kaelyn Greene went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and two runs, and the Bulldogs survived to face Weaver in the elimination bracket.
Amarae Champion went 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and two RBIs, and Nakia Bothwell went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
Cadence Buttram went 1-for-2, two runs and an RBI, and Ellie Tolbert hit a double.
Callie Faulkner allowed two hits with four strikeouts in four innings on the way to the win.
Saks’ Ryleigh Kelly had a double and an RBI.
WEAVER 13, JACKSONVILLE 6: Heaven Bishop hit a solo home run as part of Weaver’s six-run fifth inning, and Weaver survived to face Piedmont in the elimination bracket.
Maddie Stanford went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs, and Promise McLean went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Reyleigh Partner went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, and Kinzley Miller went 2-for-4 with two runs.
McLean pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits, two earned runs and two walks with two strikeouts in five innings.
Jacksonville’s Jaylen Huntley went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs and two runs. Raybon Pridgen went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI, and Alyssa Barnes went 2-for-3 with a run.
PLEASANT VALLEY 8, JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 0: Ella-Kate Roper pitched a three-hitter with one strikeouts, and Pleasant Valley survived the day in the elimination bracket..
Charlee Grogan went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run, and Alexa Cranmer went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. Elise Wheeler went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs.
Cailey Almaroad and Bentlee Turner each had a single, a run and an RBI, and Ellie Patterson had a single and an RBI.
PIEDMONT 5, WEAVER 4: Ellie Tolbert’s one-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning scored Keagan Rogers, and the Bulldogs walked it off in their elimination game against Weaver.
Piedmont (10-11-2) will play Ohatchee on Thursday.
Piedmont’s Anna Hase went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, and Greene had a single and two runs. Nakia Bothwell and Amarae Champion had a single and a run apiece.
Rogers got the win, allowing seven hits, two walks and one earned run with on strikeout.
Weaver’s Ariel Sargent went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Promise McLean had a single and a run.
