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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

SYLACAUGA – Fresh off a blistering performance in tournament action over the weekend, the Briarwood Christian Lions wasted little time in making a statement to begin area play as they took a commanding victory over the Sylacauga Aggies.

Briarwood defeated Sylacauga 11-1 in six innings on Tuesday, March 4 in the opening game of Class 5A, Area 8 play.

The Lions went right to work as Scout Staggs got a triple on just the second pitch of the game. She came home off an RBI groundout shortly after to give Briarwood a lead it would not relinquish.

While the next batter struck out, back-to-back singles from Larsen Cummings and Ashley Heinemann put two in scoring position for MK Sweatt, who hit an RBI single to double up the lead. Peyton Davis then cleared the bases with an RBI double to take the lead to 4-0 at the end of the frame.

The Aggies hit a solo home run in their first at-bat of the bottom of the second, but that was all the offense that they could muster in the game.

After Cummings struck out the next three batters to end the inning, a Taylor Forrester single followed by an error put two on to start the third.

While Sylacauga’s infield worked to get a pair of outs at second base, the numerous base runners meant that the hosts couldn’t stop all of them from advancing. Forrester eventually came home off one of the fielder’s choice plays to increase the lead to 5-1.

Davis then followed the play up with a two-run single, growing the lead to 6-1 at the end of the third.

Three singles in three pitches in the top of the fourth led to a pair of runs as Staggs drove a run home off the throw before Coker got an RBI single of her own to make it an 8-1 game.

After Sweatt came home in the top of the fifth following her one-out single, the Lions finished off the win in the sixth. Abigail Coker and Forrester got one-out hits to put two on for Cummings, and she cleared the bases to take the lead to 10.

Cummings then finished the job in the circle by getting the final three batters off the game out in a row to seal the run-rule win.

Cummings racked up 12 strikeouts in the win while allowing just one run, five hits and a walk in six innings, and at the plate, she went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Davis was a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI.

Coker, Staggs, Forrester and Sweatt each went 2-for-4 as Coker had two RBI and a run, Staggs secured two runs and an RBI, Forrester earned two runs and Sweatt finished with three runs and two RBI.

Briarwood got above .500 with the win and is now 4-3-1 overall and 1-0 in area play. The Lions will be off until Monday, March 10 at 5 p.m. when they face the John Carroll Catholic Cavaliers on the road.