By TREY HICKMAN/For the Reporter

WEST BLOCTON — On May 2 — and the second day of the Class 4A Area 7 softball tournament — Calera fell 12-4 to tournament host and now-champion West Blocton, but not before securing a place in the playoffs with an 11-3 win against Bibb County.

Behind the bat of Charley Clark and a combined pitching effort from Katie Eiland and Somer Roberson, the Eagles ended Bibb County’s season.

In the top of the first, Roberson retired three straight Choctaws after Bibb County’s first two batters reached, and Eiland singled in Skyler Laird and Shelby Clark in the bottom of the inning to put the Eagles up 2-0.

Roberson ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the third, allowing a run before walking two consecutive batters to load the bases with two outs. Eiland then relieved Calera’s starter and ended the threat.

“Somer, she had walked back-to-back batters when she came out,” said Calera coach Chris McCrackin. “It was one of those situations where it was still, I think it was (2-0 or 3-0) at that point and I didn’t want to let it slip away. I just wanted to make sure we stayed on top.”

Calera responded to Bibb County’s run by scoring three in the home half of the third, keyed by Charley Clark’s two-RBI double that plated Laird and Kenyah Speigner.

Up 7-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles added insult to injury during their at-bat, putting up four more runs, highlighted by Speigner’s RBI double.

“I had a bunch of eighth-graders, seventh-graders playing today, and I told them before the game to play like it’s your last game,” McCrackin said. “Play like you would want your underclassmen to play and I think they responded well. We hit the ball well.”

Eiland took the win in the circle, tossing 4 1/3 innings of no-hit ball and giving up two runs (one earned) while walking three and striking out one.

Charley Clark powered the Eagles’ offense, going 1-for-2 with a double and three RBI while Eiland added a 1-for-2, two-RBI effort and Speigner doubled in a run as part of her 1-for-2 performance.

Laird went 2-for-3, Nicole Harrelson had an RBI and Shelby Clark was 1-for-2.

Calera will start its postseason run in Troy on May 9.