By DREW GRANTHUM/Sports Writer

BIRMINGHAM—When the Briarwood Christian School Lions took to the field April 15, not only did they find themselves squaring off with the John Carroll Cavaliers, but also battling Mother Nature.

With the temperatures at first pitch hovering in the low 50s, and a 20-plus mile-an-hour winds blowing in from the outfield, conditions were less than ideal for hitting. Despite battling the elements, the Lions took a 10-0 win in the contest.

The Lions’ offense got started early, as both Morgan Reed and Rachel Walz came across to give Briarwood a 2-0 lead to start the game.

Linley Splawn took to the mound for Briarwood, and proceeded to retire the Cavaliers in order to end the first.

The Lions started the second strong, as Amelia Moore and Natalie Kidd reached base to begin the inning. Both scored, as did Dee Simon, who reached on a double. It was all the scoring the Lions could muster, and they took a 5-0 lead after two.

Splawn stayed in control on the mound, allowing just one baserunner in the second. Neither team scored again until Simon scored after singling to start the fourth.

Briarwood was able to retire the side in order in the bottom of the fourth as well as the fifth.

Briarwood tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth, as Reed hit a ground-rule double and then scored on a triple by Walz. Walz then scored on an Ashlyn Boyd single to put the Lions up, 8-0.

Reed took over on the mound, and proceeded to retire the Cavalier side in order in the bottom of the sixth. Anna Donohue and Hannah Hall both reached base in the top of the seventh, with each scoring to make it 10-0 in favor of Briarwood.

Reed pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to ensure the 10-0 win.
Head coach Suzanne Serrano said

“We made the plays we needed to make,” she said. “It prepares us to set up for our area tournament, and gets us a better seed.”

The Lions will face Pleasant Grove on Senior Night April 29.