BY SCOTT NICKERSON
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Facing a win or go home scenario against Chilton County in the Class 6A Area 5 softball tournament, Stanhope Elmore Head Softball Coach Keith Jones decided to start off playing small ball with the first two Mustangs batters. Khloe Jones got things going with a bunt single, and she moved into scoring position with a bunt by Shak Washington. Jones scored moments later on a single by Jada Mcleod. From there, the Mustangs were off to the races. 10 hits and 10 runs later, Stanhope Elmore held a commanding 11-0 lead over Chilton County in the 1st inning.
In the decisive 1st inning, Jones and Mcleod both had two hits, and Abby Miller had a bases loaded double. But the performance of the night, according to Coach Jones, was the dominating pitching performance by Savannah Wyatt. She threw a 5-inning shutout, allowing only two hits and one walk.
For the game, Khloe Jones went 2-4, with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Mcleod went 2-3, scored 3 runs and had 1 RBI. Alysia Luckie went 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Madison Brown went 2-2 with 2 RBIs. As a team, the Mustangs had 14 hits.
With the top two teams in the area advancing to the regionals, the win clinched the Lady Mustangs’ first trip to the Class 6A Regionals in three years. Although the Mustangs dropped the Area Final to Calera, moving on to the Regionals was one of the Mustangs top goals this season. “It’s huge for the program,” Jones said. “Anytime you can achieve some success it helps build confidence in our players and puts the Stanhope Elmore name out there for our softball program.”
While the goal was always to advance to the Class 6A Regionals, the Mustangs went into a mid-season slump as a team after promising early season victories over powerful and established programs like PCA and Elmore County.
“We had a few quality wins early and in the middle of the year against some great opponents,” Jones said. “We had several losses that could have gone the other way, but we won more than we did last year. We talked about winning the area. Coming in second wasn’t a bad way to finish. And making it to regionals with the big win against Chilton County was huge.”
The Mustangs will play the first game of the Class 6A Central Regional at Lagoon Park on Wednesday against Brookwood.
