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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

CALERA – In a dominant stretch of softball, the Calera Eagles left no doubt on their path to claiming the 2023 Class 6A, Area 5 Championship at this year’s area tournament May 2-3.

Hosting the tournament after claiming the regular-season title, the Eagles didn’t just win this year’s tournament title, they did so with a destructive path, beating their three opponents by a combined 32-0, locking up a spot in the regional round of the playoffs as well.

Calera scored 10 or more runs in every game and posted three consecutive shutouts against Carver, Chilton County and Stanhope Elmore to claim the title and regional spot, while the Eagles extended their current win streak to 13 in a row heading into the postseason.

In game one of the tournament, the Eagles racked up 17 runs in a dominant shutout effort against Carver to advance in the winner’s bracket.

Building off of that confident win, Calera picked up where it left off in the second game of the tournament, scoring 15 more runs to quickly jolt past Chilton County in a 15-0 win that earned the team a spot at regionals and in the area championship game.

Then, in the area title matchup against Stanhope Elmore, the Eagles were able to put together another shortened win.

Following a scoreless opening inning, Calera scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take control of the game in the early going.

After another scoreless inning in the third, the Eagles put together the difference-making inning in the bottom of the fourth with seven runs.

That put them in front 10-0 through four innings of play, and when the Mustangs failed to score in the top of the fifth, it gave the team a 10-run rule win in five innings of play.

Megan Overton led Calera in the championship win with a 2-for-2 game featuring a double, a triple and two RBIs. Keara Hall also finished 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Kate Townley totaled two RBIs on a double.

Kinley Rogers added two hits and an RBI in the win, while Lily Townsend finished with a hit and an RBI. Tyresia Williams, Bristol Rogers and Mia Wade each added one hit.

In the circle, Townley pitched a complete game and had an impressive 10 strikeouts, while she gave up three hits and no walks or runs to earn the championship win.