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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

The Calera Eagles recovered from a tournament-opening loss to Hueytown to win four straight games in the McAdory Tournament on Saturday, March 9 before defeating the McAdory Yellow Jackets themselves on Monday, March 11 at Calera High School.

Calera took down the Briarwood Christian Lions, John Carroll Catholic Cavaliers, Pelham Panthers and McAdory during the weekend tournament.

To earn the win over the Lions in the second game of the tournament, however, the Eagles had to come from behind.

Larson Cummings hit a solo home run in the top of the first with two outs to start the scoring for Briarwood. In the next inning, Merideth Kellum and Ashley Heinemann launched back-to-back solo home runs to increase the lead to 3-0.

However, Calera responded from there and rallied for the win.

After a pair of singles to start the inning and a fielder’s choice that loaded up the bases, Whitney Holtzapfel hit an RBI single to put the Eagles on the board and make the score 3-1.

Mia Wade then cut the deficit to just one with an RBI single of her own. While the Eagles suffered their first out trying to get another runner home, Kinley Rodgers hit into a groundout that allowed Holtzapfel to tie the game at 3-3.

Then, with a runner on and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, an error allowed Megan Overton to score and give Calera the go-ahead run to win 4-3.

Kate Townley earned the win with a five-inning complete game, earning five strikeouts against three runs, three hits and one walk.

The Eagles then followed that up with a five-run win over John Carroll as they earned a more comfortable win in their third game of the tournament.

With two runners on in the bottom of the first, a groundout by Armiya Shamburger allowed Wade to score the first run of the game.

The Cavaliers tied the game up 1-1 in the top of the second after capitalizing on an error, but that would be their lone run of the game.

Isabella Overton led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to retake a 2-1 lead. After a Megan Overton single and a hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly by Lily Townsend allowed the third run of the game to score.

Two batters later, Calera added another pair of runs off a passed ball and wild pitch in the same at-bat, making the score 5-1.

The Eagles finished off the scoring in the bottom of the third with a groundout that allowed Shamburger to score and close out the 6-1 win.

Townley took the win with a four-inning complete game, earning four strikeouts against no earned runs, two hits and one walk.

From there, Calera cruised to an 8-0 win over the hosts McAdory.

A Wade RBI single and a groundout by Rodgers in the top of the first plated the first two runs of the game and opened up a 2-0 lead.

After a scoreless second inning, a sacrifice bunt by Wade allowed Holtzapfel to score from third following a leadoff double.

That opened the floodgates for two singles and a hit by pitch to load the bases, and an RBI single by Isabella Overton and a two-run single by Megan Overton took the lead to 6-0.

Holtzapfel kicked off the fourth inning with a solo home run, and two batters later, Rodgers hit an RBI double to put the final touches on the 8-0 win.

Townley took the win with a four-inning complete game, taking three strikeouts, allowing no runs or walks and giving up five hits.

Calera then had to come from behind once again in its final game of the tournament, a county battle with Pelham.

The first two innings were a defensive battle, but a McKenzie Little single set up the Panthers offense in the top of the third. Two batters later, Shelby Grace Bailey hit an RBI double to score Little from second and open up a 1-0 lead.

Calera couldn’t respond until its last chance in the bottom of the sixth when it made its move to earn the win.

Shamburger hit a solo home run with one out to tie the game. Bristol Rogers then drew a walk and advanced to second before Pelham reduced the Eagles to two outs.

Then, Megan Overton stepped up in a clutch situation and delivered, hitting an RBI single to score Rogers and earn the 2-1 walk-off win.

Townley took another win with a six-inning complete game, taking three strikeouts against one run, four hits and no walks.

Calera returned home two days later to face McAdory once again, and much like their meeting on Saturday, the Eagles bats kicked into overdrive.

However, it took until the bottom of the third inning for the runs to start. Calera loaded up the bases with a pair of walks and a Holtzapfel double, and a groundout by Rodgers let her team take a 1-0 lead.

A Rogers single and Isabella Overton double to start the bottom of the fourth opened the floodgates for the Eagles. Rogers scored on a wild pitch to kick off the scoring in the inning.

Two batters later, Townsend hit an RBI double to increase the lead to three. Then, Holtzapfel hit an RBI triple to make the score 4-0.

The baserunners just kept coming as Wade drew a walk, setting up Rodgers to hit an RBI single on the next at-bat and increase the lead to five.

Calera scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to an error, taking the lead to 6-0.

However, the Yellow Jackets strung together a series of RBI singles in the top of the seventh and nearly tied up the game, but the Eagles caught a runner stealing to get out of the jam and take the 6-5 win.

Calera will hit the road for its next game against Carver-Montgomery on Thursday, March 14 at 4 p.m.