Russellville girls get first win under Montgomery
By Brannon King for the FCT
Wilson 6, Russellville 5
The Russellville Lady Golden Tigers dropped their first game of the season at home against the Wilson Warriors March 2.
Wilson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning before Russellville evened the score in the bottom of the third with two runs of their own. The two teams battled close throughout the game as Wilson climbed ahead 4-2 in the fifth inning and RHS once again tied the game with two runs in the sixth. However, the seventh and final frame went the way of WHS as the Warriors scored two, while RHS could only score a single run.
The game was the first at RHS for new Head Coach Kathryn Montgomery, and her team showed good fight throughout the contest but just came up short. Delta State signee Kalli Beth Daniel had a big game for Russellville. The senior went 2-4 with a homerun, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. AJ Taylor went 2-3 with two RBIs while Alivia Clemmons and Madison Murray both had one hit each. Murray had one RBI while Clemmons scored a run.
Emma Whitfield started the game as pitcher for RHS, and she was relieved by Megan Warhurst. Both pitchers gave up four hits in the game.
Hazel Green 5, Russellville 1
Russellville traveled to Wilson Morgan Park March 3 to get play underway in a two-day event in Decatur. The Hazel Green Trojans scored four runs in the fifth to pull away from the Golden Tigers in the final inning.
The two teams both scored a single run in the second inning before Hazel Green grabbed the win late. HGHS had eight hits in the game, while Russellville only got three against McKenzie Newcomb, who pitched and batted the Trojans to the victory. She went 2-3 at the plate with a homerun and three RBIs.
Russellville got hits from Kayla Cochran, Karlie Moore and Emma Whitfield. Moore scored a run, and Whitfield had the lone RBI.
East Lawrence 3, Russellville 2
In the second game of the day for RHS in Decatur, the Lady Golden Tigers suffered a tough loss to the East Lawrence team. Russellville seemed to be cruising to the first win of the season until ELHS scored three runs in their last at-bat to grab the win.
The two teams played scoreless ball until the top of the fourth inning, when Alexis Taylor started things off with a triple into the corner and Karlie Moore followed with a double to score Taylor. Then RHS went up 2-0 as Moore scored on a close play at the plate later in the inning.
Warhurst started the game as pitcher for RHS and went 2.2 innings. She gave up three runs and three hits and struck out four.
“I’m really waiting for someone to step up as a leader – not only a physical leader but a vocal leader,” Montgomery said about her squad after the game. “They’re all giving it their best; we’re just not performing the way we should be performing.”
Russellville 13, Brewer 2
The Lady Golden Tigers got their first win of the season by exploding for 13 runs in the second inning in their first game of the day in Decatur March 4. The win was the first as head coach of RHS for Kathryn Montgomery.
The three-inning game saw the RHS bats come alive after struggling the night before. Karlie Moore hit her first home run of the season and had two RBIs. Madison Murray, Alivia Clemmons, Emma Whitfield and Kourtney Joyner all had two hits for Russellville. Kalli Beth Daniel, Kayla Cochran and Madison Lamon all had one hit apiece. Cochran had three RBIs in the game, while Murray added four stolen bases.
Megan Warhurst pitched all three innings for the win. She gave up three hits and struck out three Brewer batters.
Russellville 8, Decatur Heritage Christian Academy 0
Russellville kept their hot bats alive and took a shutout win over the Lady Eagles in their second game of the day in the Decatur tournament.
Kayla Cochran led the way for RHS by going 3-3 with one RBI and a run scored. Alivia Clemmons went 2-2, had an RBI and scored two runs. Taylor, Moore, Whitfield, Joyner and Lamon all had a hit in the game for RHS. Murray picked up two RBIs and scored a run.
Emma Whitfield pitched four innings for RHS. She gave up three hits and struck out one for the win. Russellville scored two runs in the second, five in the third and one in the last inning of play.
Priceville 5, Russellville 4
The Decatur tournament came to an end for Russellville with a walk-off win for the Priceville Lady Bulldogs March 4. Russellville managed to even the score at 4-4 in the top of the last inning, but PHS answered with a run of their own in the bottom half. Priceville had a big third inning by putting up four runs in the frame with the help of a three-run home run by Destinee Hargrove.
Kayla Cochran went 3-3 for RHS, while Taylor, Murray, Clemmons and Joyner all had one hit each.
The loss drops Russellville’s record to 2-4 on the season.
