By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
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Girls Softball
The 2024 Prattville Lions Classic featured 17 softball teams from around the state, to include local teams such as Prattville, Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Prattville Christian Academy, and Tallassee, along with teams from outside the area that made deep runs in the 2023 state softball tournament, to include Opp in Class 3A and Spanish Fort in Class 6A. The initial day of competition included pool play in five different groups of either three or four teams.
Prattville Softball Head Coach Brian Pittman has hosted this tournament for six years, for three years at Prattville and three years prior at Brew Tech. “It’s always fun to kick off the season with our tournament. It always has great teams and competition and gives everyone a chance to get the season off to a great start.”
Prattville won both games in pool play on Friday over Brookwood 3-2, and Rogers High School 3-2, while Wetumpka won their pool play games over Calera 6-0, and Catholic 13-0.
Competition on Saturday advanced to single elimination tournament play, and the Lions fell to Smiths Station, while Wetumpka, the defending Class 6A state champions, showed why they are considered favorites to repeat, running through a gauntlet of strong teams. The Indians defeated Pleasant Grove 6-0, Saraland 2-1, Spanish Fort 6-1, and Calera 2-1.
Wetumpka senior Mya Holt, who was named Gatorade Alabama Softball Player of the Year last season, was a standout once again. The Troy commit pitched shutouts against Calera in pool play, and against Saraland in the single elimination. Holt struck out 16 batters over 13 innings.
Ella Watson went 4-0, to include a win over Calera in the championship game, only giving up 2 earned runs over 18 innings while recording 26 strikeouts.
From the plate, Holt went 8-16 and had 5 RBIs, while Lily Davenport, who was named 1st Team All State in Class 6A last year as a designated hitter, had 5 hits and knocked in 6 RBIs.
“I’m very proud of our team for playing really solid softball all weekend in very tough weather conditions,” Wetumpka Head Coach Daryl Otwell explained. “Showed a lot of toughness and grit all weekend. Big credit to Mya and Ella for a solid weekend in the pitching circle.”
Boys Baseball
After dropping the opening game of the season on the road against Prattville Christian Academy, the Stanhope Elmore baseball team bounced back with wins over Trinity Presbyterian and Dothan on Saturday.
In the first game against Trinity, the #5 ranked team in Class 4A, the Mustangs fell behind 3-0 in the 2nd inning, but followed that up with four runs in the bottom of the 2nd. When the Wildcats tied the game in the top half of the 4th, the Mustangs again answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-4 lead. However, the Wildcats plated four runs in the top of the 5th, and for the first time, the Mustangs failed to respond. Trailing 8-6 in the bottom of the 6th inning, the Wildcats walked the bases loaded, but had two outs. Mustangs Sophomore Grayson Jones walked, cutting the Trinity lead to 8-7, and putting the go-ahead run on 2nd base.
Facing two outs, SEHS Sophomore Jordan Jones came up with a clutch hit, bringing home two runs to take a 9-8 lead. “It was a fastball,” Jones said of the pitch that he faced. “I was expecting it because it was a 3-2 count and he couldn’t locate his off-speed during the game.”
The Mustangs held off the Wildcats in the 7th to seal the victory.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Mustangs beat Dothan 8-6. After getting the big hit against Trinity, Jordan Jones got the win on the mound against Dothan, giving up 0 earned runs with 5 strikeouts over four innings. With several of the Mustangs’ top pitchers sidelined early in the season with injury, new faces have had to step up. “I’m happy to provide for my team and come through when we needed it,” Jordan Jones said.
Leading 1-0 in the bottom half of the 2nd inning, two Mustangs walked, and Hayden Anderson followed with a double and Ethan Walls had a single to move ahead 4-0. After Dylan Dent reached base on an error, Tate Glover brought home two runs on a triple to move the lead to 6-0. The next batter, Grayson Jones, flied out to left field, bringing home a runner that tagged up from 3rd base. The Mustangs led 7-0 at the end of two innings and held on for an 8-6 victory.
The Mustangs return to action Tuesday against Oak Mountain, who is ranked #8 in Class 7A.
