Russellville beat Brooks on Friday night and Tharptown on Saturday morning to advance to the championship game of the Russellville Invitational, but the Lady Golden Tigers fell just short of the tournament title with an 8-6 loss to Wilson in the final.
Russellville (5-3) jumped out to an early lead against Wilson in the top of the first when Sydney Burcham reached on an error, stole a base and scored on a double by Krista Sikes. The Lady Warriors (14-1) answered with a four-run rally in the bottom of the first highlighted by Karlee Liverett’s three-run double.
The Lady Golden Tigers came right back with five runs in the top of the second to reclaim the lead. Megan Warhurst started the inning with a single, and Makala O’Neal drew a walk. One out later, Burcham blasted her second home run of the season, a three-run shot to right that tied the game 4-4.
The rally continued when Sikes reached on an error and Alivia Clemmons singled. Sikes scored the go-ahead run on a sac fly by A.J. Taylor, and then Autumn Logan’s RBI triple capped the inning and made it 6-4.
Wilson rallied again with four more runs in the bottom of the second to take an 8-6 lead and then kept Russellville off the board in the top of the third to hold on for the win.
Burcham finished 1-for-2 with the three-run homer, a walk and a stolen base. Sikes was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run, and Clemmons went 1-for-2 and scored a run. O’Neal was 1-for-1 with a run and a stolen base, and Warhurst and Logan each had one hit.
Taylor Brown pitched all three innings to earn the win for Wilson. Warhurst (2-1) took the loss for Russellville.
In previous action:
Russellville 5 Tharptown 3
A.J. Taylor homered and scored twice to back up a solid outing in the circle by Emma Whitfield as Russellville edged Tharptown on Saturday morning.
The Lady Wildcats grabbed the early lead, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Taylor Cameron and Brooke Daily both singled, and Cameron scored when Ameliah Dawson reached on an error with two outs. Catie Dawson followed with an RBI single to center to bring home Daily and make it 2-0.
Taylor led off the bottom of the first with her second home run of the season to get Russellville on the board. The Lady Golden Tigers tied the game 2-2 when Alivia Clemmons reached on an error and then came home on a groundout by Autumn Logan.
Tharptown took advantage of two Russellville errors and a bunt hit by Shaylee Wieting to score a run in the top of the second and take a 3-2 lead. The Lady Golden Tigers tied the game again in the bottom half when Karlie Moore doubled to center, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Makala O’Neal’s sacrifice fly.
After Whitfield put up a zero in the top of the third, Russellville took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Taylor sparked the rally with a single and then stole second and third. She scored the go-ahead run on a bunt hit by Lauren Rogers. Logan later added an RBI single to make it 5-3.
Whitfield (3-0) finished off the win with a scoreless top of the fourth. She pitched a complete game, allowing three runs (none earned) on four hits. Cameron took the loss in the circle for Tharptown.
Russellville 12 Brooks 3
Autumn Logan and Alivia Clemmons combined to go 5-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBIs, and the Lady Golden Tigers put away Brooks on Friday night with an eight-run fourth inning.
Russellville jumped in front early on a solo home run by Clemmons with two outs in the bottom of the first. Brooks answered with a three-run homer in the top of the second to take the lead. The Lady Golden Tigers trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the second when Karlie Moore singled and eventually scored on an error.
Emma Whitfield worked a one-two-three top of the third, striking out two, and then Russellville went back in front with two runs in the bottom of the inning. A.J. Taylor reached on an error and stole second. Lauren Rogers drew a walk, and then a double-steal put runners at second and third. Taylor scored on a bunt hit by Clemmons, and Rogers scored the go-ahead run to make it 4-3.
Russellville broke the game wide open with an eight-run fourth highlighted by Logan’s grand slam. Johnna Oliver started things by reaching on an error, and Jasmine Galloway followed with an RBI single. Taylor singled, and Rogers bunted for a hit to load the bases. After Clemmons was hit by a pitch to force home a run, Logan cleared the bases with her first home run of the season to make it 10-3.
Krista Sikes and Moore kept the rally going with singles, and Sikes scored when O’Neal reached on an error. Oliver capped the inning with a sac fly to make it 12-3.
Whitfield earned the win with a complete game, allowing three earned runs on five hits in five innings. She struck out four and walked none.
Logan went 3-for-3 with the grand slam and two doubles, and Clemmons was 2-for-2 with a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored. Moore was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Taylor stole two bases and scored twice.