Kate Townley pitches complete-game shutout as Calera posts 13 on Stanhope Elmore
Published 6:39 pm Wednesday, March 20, 2024
- The Calera Eagles cruised to an area win over Stanhope Elmore thanks to Kate Townley’s shutout in the circle and Kinley Rodgers leading a potent offense with a 5-5 day. (File)
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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor
MILLBROOK – The Calera Eagles had a field day in their mid-week matchup with the Stanhope Elmore Mustangs as they rolled to a 13-0 win on the road at Stanhope Elmore High School on Tuesday, March 19.
Much of the reason Calera kept Stanhope Elmore off the scoreboard was Kate Townley’s dominance in the pitching circle. She pitched a complete-game of seven innings while shutting out the Mustangs, taking eight strikeouts against no walks and working her way around five hits.
The Eagles wasted little time putting up runs on their area foe as the second batter on the game Mia Wade homered on the first pitch she saw to give her team a 1-0 lead.
They didn’t look back from there and added three more runs in the second. Wade hit an RBI single with two on and one out in the inning and Kinley Rodgers followed that up with a two-run single.
Calera used that 4-0 lead as a cushion during a scoreless third before loading up the bases in the top of the fourth thanks to a single, an intentional walk and a walk.
Isabella Overton then drove two runs home off an RBI single to increase the lead to six.
Rodgers added the seventh run of the game one inning later in a two-out spot as she hit an RBI single to bring Whitney Holtzapfel home from second.
With the game very much in hand despite a scoreless sixth, the Eagles piled on the runs in the top of the seventh to ensure they would return home with the win.
After a fly out to start the inning, Khloe Gothard and Holtzapfel hit singles off back-to-back pitches. That set up Wade to hit an RBI single to bring Gothard home.
On the next batter, Rodgers hit an RBI single of her own to make the score 9-0, and Townley gave herself even more of a cushion in the circle with a two-run double to put her team up 11.
Armiya Shamburger then reached off an error, putting runners on the corners for Bristol Rogers, who brought Alyssa Quintanilla home despite grounding out.
Overton then singled to right to bring the final run home and finish off the 13-0 win.
Rodgers finished the day 5-5 with four RBIs and two runs. Wade went 3-4 with three runs and three RBIs.
Holtzapfel had a 3-5 day with three runs and Gothard finished 3-4 with two runs in the win.
Calera will finish the week with an area matchup against Chilton County on Thursday, March 21 at 4:30 p.m.