Panthers advance to area title game

Published 11:04 am Saturday, May 5, 2012

By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

The Pelham High School softball team defeated Hoover 6-0 in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A, Area 10 tournament May 4 to advance to the area tournament championship game.

The Panthers will await the winner between Hoover and Oak Mountain in the area title game May 5.

Erin Whitman led Pelham offensively in the win over Hoover as she finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a solo homer.

Kristian Foster, who drove in one run and scored two runs, went 2-for-4 at the plate. Mary Morgan Dramer finished 2-for-3 at the plate and scored one run.

Caitlyn Sapp, who drove in two runs and scored one run, went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double. Whitney Gillespie finished 1-for-4 at the plate and drove in two runs.

Emily Spain, who scored one run, earned the win in the circle after giving up just four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Gillespie closed out the game with three strikeouts and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.

The Panthers defeated Oak Mountain 2-1 in their Class 6A, Area 10 tournament opener May 4.

Foster led Pelham offensively as she finished 3-for-3 at the plate and scored one run in the victory.

Spain went 2-for-2 at the plate. Dramer finished 1-for-4 at the plate and drove in one run. Whitman went 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run. Madi Walker finished 1-for-3 at the plate.

Gillespie earned the win in the circle after giving up just one earned run on eight hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in a complete game.

Hannah Griffin led Oak Mountain offensively as she finished 3-for-3 at the plate and scored one run.

Leah Reeve finished 1-for-2 at the plate. Maddie Ridgway and Katherine Kimble each finished 1-for-3 at the plate. Caroline Seitz went 1-for-4 at the plate and drove in one run, while Kailey Boone finished 1-for-4 at the plate.

Anne Thomaston took the loss after giving up one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 2 1/3 innings in relief.

Reeve allowed just one unearned run on four hits with two strikeouts in four innings.

The Eagles defeated Thompson 8-5 in eight innings in their second game in the Class 6A, Area 10 tournament.

Seitz led the Eagles as she finished 2-for-5 at the plate with a homer. Seitz drove in four runs in the victory.

Boone went 2-for-5 at the plate with a double and scored two runs. Ridgway, who drove in one run and scored two runs, finished 2-for-5 at the plate.

Chloe Yeager earned the win in relief after giving up just one hit and striking out one batter in two innings.

Thomaston allowed five earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk in six innings.

Taylor Powell led the Warriors offensively as she finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a homer. Powell drove in three runs and scored two runs.

Powell also took the loss in the circle after giving up eight runs, including five earned runs, on 11 hits with five strikeouts in an eight-inning complete game.

The Warriors opened the Class 6A, Area 10 tournament with a 6-1 loss to Hoover.

Rachel Rigney led Thompson offensively as she finished 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run.

Rigney also took the loss in the circle after giving up six runs, including five earned runs, on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk in a complete game.