Lady Wildcats beat Belgreen 5-2 to claim first area championship
The Tharptown varsity girls softball team celebrates the program’s first ever area title. Team members include, front row from left, Lori Metcalf, Tosha George, Heather Hatton, Brittany Allen, coach Susie Sellers, Chelsea McCluskey, Casey Mitchell and Kayla Herring; second row, Logan Tverberg, Kalen Smith, Joshlyn Rhea, Braeden Sellers, Abby Allen, Haley Hatton, Elly Valdez, Chloe Lane, Kassy Baker, Shelby Palmer and Ashley Nickleson; third row, coaches Sander Tverberg and Matt Sellers. | Scot Beard/FCT
BELGREEN — Another chapter can be added to the growing rivalry between Belgreen and Tharptown as the Lady Wildcats softball team clinched the program’s first area championship with a 5-2 victory on the Lady Bulldogs’ field Tuesday.
Both teams will advance to next week’s regional softball tournament in Huntsville.
“I’m very excited for the girls,” Tharptown coach Susie Sellers said. “We knew we were the underdog coming in. The girls set a goal to win it all. They didn’t want to go to Huntsville as the second seed.”
Belgreen grabbed the early lead when Katelin Barber scored on a pass ball in the top of the second inning.
Chloe Lane and Ashley Nickelson scored in the bottom of the second to give the Lady Wildcats the lead 2-1.
Belgreen tied the game briefly in the third when Erica Smith scored.
Chelsea McCluskey regained the lead for Tharptown when she tripled then scored on a sacrifice by Nickelson.
Kayla Herring and McCluskey added insurance runs in the fifth to push the Lady Wildcat’s lead to 5-2.
Belgreen turned two double plays during the game.
Katy Britton doubled for Belgreen while Brittany Greenhill and Laken Beasley had one single each.
McCluskey led Tharptown with a pair of triples while Herring singled twice. Braeden Sellers, Heather Hatton, Lane and Nickelson hit one single each.
Belgreen 10, Vina 0
Jessica Welton hit a pair of doubles while Britton and Greenhill hit two singles each to lead Belgreen past Vina 10-0 and secure a berth in the regional softball tournament.
Bridgett Thompson scored a pair of runs while Amber Smith and Loren McVicker both singled and scored one run.
Barber and Beasley added the other runs for Belgreen. Barber hit a triple and Beasley reached on a dropped third strike.
Bradi White, Hashua Watson, Devyn Childers and Brandy Brooks all singled for Vina.
Vina 9, Phillips 4
The Lady Red Devils scored three runs in the third inning to take control of the game and eliminate Phillips from the Class 1A, Area 15 Tournament.
The She Bears closed the gap to 5-3 by the end of the fourth inning, but Vina added three more runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Chelsea Darracot singled twice and scored two runs while Claudia Townsend singled and scored twice.
Victoria Cochran added two singles and a run while Casey McKinney and White both tripled and scored one run each.
Childers singled and scored and Brooks added a run for Vina.
