Weaver, AL – Rested Todd fans 11 batters, makes key defensive play to help Piedmont stave off area challenge from determined Weaver
By Joe Medley
Emma Grace Todd’s Piedmont softball teammates call her “Egg” because of her first two initials, and a fresh Egg translated into another area tournament at home for Piedmont softball. Rested from a break the circle, Todd struck out 11 batters and turned a key defensive play as the Bulldogs held off Weaver 4-2 on Thursday. The victory meant Piedmont (28-10, 6-0 area) clinched the right to host its area tournament for the second year in a row and second time in the program’s fastpitch history. Home has mattered in Piedmont’s area alignments over the years. The Bulldogs won their area tourney last year. “We’ve had some wars,” Piedmont coach Rachel Smith said. “It’s tough to get out of our area. I can remember five, six, seven years ago, where it could be anybody.”
Weaver (15-7, 4-2) came into the game hoping to force a tiebreaker but will carry the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A, Area 10 tournament. Area tournaments will play out between April 28 and May 4. “You build up to these kinds of games, and we’ve been playing some pretty good softball lately,” Weaver coach Gary Atchley said. “We’re not deflated. I think this gave us some momentum going into it, because they’re a really good softball team. “I think tonight was the first time where we thought, ‘Hey, we can play with these teams.’ This game was good for us.”
On a night when Todd and Weaver’s Kynlee Fulmer tamed bats, defense mattered. Weaver had the best of it early. A throw-and-tag play on Savannah Smith’s third-inning shot to right-center field denied Smith a triple. Weaver third baseman Alana Cooper applied the tag, and she wasn’t done making plays. In the fifth inning, she charged a popped bunt then threw to first baseman Madison Atchley to complete a double play. Todd returned the favor, however, for one of the game’s biggest plays.
After Madison Atchley’s two-run single brought Weaver within 3-2, Todd charged up to catch Jadyn Smith’s popped bunt with runners on second and third bases then threw to third to double up Cooper. Todd and catcher Cacey Brothers conspired before the play. “Me and Cacey had already talked about it, that we kind of expected it was coming,” Todd said. “I said I was going to throw a fastball high and inside, so that’s how we got her to pop up.” Gary Atchley said he took a chance on the squeeze play. “You get to second and third, and you’ve got the two- and three-hole hitters up,” he said. “(Todd) kind of kept us off-balance a little bit. I thought we hit the ball pretty decent off of her. She’s a really good pitcher. “I thought we were in a situation where I had to try to make something happen.”
A rested Todd got the rest done by directing her fire into Brothers’ mitt. She spread out five hits with no walks over seven innings. “We had tried to just rest her and get her ready for this game,” Rachel Smith said. “We knew it was going to be a big game for us and tried to get her a couple of days off, hoping that she was fresh for the day.” Piedmont will try to sharpen up for area-tourney play in this weekend’s Pre-Area Tournament at Albertville’s Sand Mountain Park, site of the East Regional. The tourney field will include fellow Calhoun County powers Alexandria, Oxford, Pleasant Valley, Spring Garden and White Plains. “Hopefully, if we can get out of our area and get to the regional tournament, I’m just trying to look ahead and get some playing experience at that venue,” Rachel Smith said. “Those fields are deep. I think they’re 220, and they’re turf. It bounces different, and there are a lot of good teams up there, so good competition.” [read more sports stories]
