Alexandria’s Phillips slams Cleburne County twice in same inning, puts name in state record book
THURSDAY’S SCORES
Alexandria 15, Cleburne County 0
Etowah 6, Oxford 3
Piedmont 7, Cherokee County 4
Weaver 5, Glencoe 3
By Al Muskewitz
Ashley Phillips wanted to make her softball Senior Night “something to remember.” She made it one for the books.
The Alexandria senior set a state record with two grand slams and eight RBIs in the same inning Thursday night as the Lady Cubs routed Cleburne County 15-0.
“I really wasn’t even thinking either time about it being bases loaded,” the Jacksonville State signee said. “The third time I was actually mad at myself because I hit my leg with a ball the first at bat and when I came up for the second at bat I hit my leg again.
“When they told me after the game I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I had no idea there was even a record for that.”
Phillips became the 19th player in AHSAA fast-pitch history to hit two homers in an inning and the sixth with two grand slams in a game, but the first, according to the state’s list, to hit two slams in the same inning.
The blasts were her second and third grand slams of the season, tying another state record. She has hit 14 homers total.
She doubled in her first-inning at bat and finished the game 3-for-3 with 10 total bases.
Jill Cockrell walked both times to load the bases before Phillips hit the slams. Both blasts went to left centerfield over the old scoreboard, the first a line shot over the fence and the second a bomb carrying 20 feet farther. The Lady Cubs scored 14 runs in the inning.
“We were just all kinds stunned that it happened and it worked out that way; very rarely do you get a situation like that,” Alexandria coach Brian Hess said. “It’s something I’ve never witnessed. We were all kind of sitting there and I was like that’s got to be some kind of something because I’d never seen it. I’ve been doing this 22 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.
“She knew two grand slams were a pretty cool thing, but she didn’t know anything like that. When it was over, she was getting pictures made with Senior Night stuff and we told her you realize you just broke the record for RBIs in one inning and she said I didn’t have a clue.”
Rylee Gattis pitched a three-inning no-hitter and struck out seven. She faced two batters over the minimum.
“I told Rylee you can have two innings or three innings, you tell me, but you’re not going but three innings; she said I’ll take three,” Hess said. “We scored one in the first and then 14 in the second. I looked at her and said I guess this works out good that you’ll get your three.”
Piedmont 7, Cherokee County 4: Armoni Perry hit two homers and drove in three runs to power Piedmont.
The Lady Warriors outhit their hosts 13-8, but Armoni hit a two-run homer in the first and the Lady Bulldogs never trailed. Arnoni hit a solo homer in the third to extend the lead to 5-1. The Lady Warriors intentionally walked her leading off the fifth.
Weaver 5, Glencoe 3: Tiana Lawrence hit a game-tying two-run homer in the fifth and scored one of the three runs the Lady Bearcats pushed across in the top of the seventh inning to snap a 2-2 tie. Taylor Lawrence and Madison Atchley also had two hits in the game.
SLAMMING THE RECORD BOOK
Here are the records Alexandria senior shortstop Ashley Phillips broke or tied with her two grand slams against Cleburne County Thursday night:
Grand slams in a game – 2. Record shared with McKinley Portillo, Douglas vs. Crossville, 2022; Micaela Beck, Winfield vs. Montgomery Catholic, 2013 (state tournament); Candace Arreola, Central-Florence, 2011 (North Regional); Danyelle Martin, Springville vs. St. Clair County, 2011; Sarah Hilton, Enterprise vs. Charles Henderson, 2008.
Grand slams in a season – 3. Record shared with Alanna Aiken, Montgomery Catholic, 2021.
Home runs in an inning – 2. Record shared with 18 others.
RBIs in an inning – 8. Old record was 7, by Reagan Walter, Priceville vs. DAR, 2001; Madison Wright, Douglas vs. Clay-Chalkville, 2020. [*** read more]
Source: AHSAA record book
