Red Bay fights off elimination four times to capture county softball championship

By Staff
Scot Beard
PHIL CAMPBELL – The county tournament could have ended early for the Red Bay girls softball team Saturday as the Lady Tigers fell to the loser's bracket early in the day.
The team battled back and put together a four-game winning streak to win the title.
The Lady Tigers opened the tournament with an 11-0 win against Belgreen but lost to Tharptown 9-3 in their second game.
Red Bay then knocked Belgreen out of the double-elimination tournament with a 4-2 victory against the Lady Bulldogs before earning revenge against Tharptown by eliminating the Lady Wildcats 4-1 to advance to the finals to face Phil Campbell.
The Lady Tigers defeated Phil Campbell 8-6 in eight innings to force a winner-take-all game.
Red Bay struck first, scoring one run in the top of the second inning. The Lady Bobcats answered in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.
Red Bay regained the lead in the third when Sierra Hubbard reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice by Holly Hammock and scored on a double by Taylor Hester.
Tiffany Miller tied the game for Phil Campbell in the fifth when she singled, stole second and third and scored on a single by Whitley Yocum.
Red Bay regained control of the game by scoring two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead, but the Lady Bobcats would not go down without a fight.
Miller led off the seventh by drawing a walk and advancing to second base on a passed ball. The next two batters grounded out, but the plays did allow Miller to score.
Sheala Pace followed with a single. She moved to second before Jessica Holcombe doubled to drive in the run. Amber Chaney then singled to drive home Holcombe to tie the game and force the extra inning.
During extra innings, teams place a runner on second base to start each inning.
Red Bay's first batter grounded out to allow the runner at second, Hannah Sharp, to move to third. Sharp later scored on a passed ball.
Hubbard then reached base after being struck by a pitch and scored on a triple by Hammock, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Whitney Sharp.
Sarah Hester started the bottom of the inning on second for Phil Campbell and scored on a single by Amber Hutcheson, but it was the only run the Lady Bobcats would get in the inning.
Red Bay kept its momentum going in the second game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Emily Cox opened the inning with a single and advanced to third as Lauren Williams reached second on an error. Cox tried to score on a hit by Lauren Pacetti, but was thrown out at the plate.
Hubbard then reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Williams scored on a sacrifice fly by Hannah Sharp. Phil Campbell appealed the play, but the umpires ruled she had tagged up and the run counted to tie the 1-1.
Hammock doubled to drive in two more runs. She also stole third and scored on a passed ball.
The Lady Tigers increased their lead with one run in the third and added six runs in the fifth to put the game away.
During the two championship games, Williams led the Lady Tigers with two doubles and two singles while Cox had a double and four singles. Kirstin Sharp added a double and three singles while Hannah Sharp and Hester had a double and two singles each.
Hammock hit a triple and a double, Pacetti hit two singles and Whitney Sharp and Hubbard had one single each.
Hutcheson led Phil Campbell with four singles while Holcombe doubled and singled. Chaney, Miller and Yocum had two singles each and Pace had one single.