Russellville girls win over Haleyville
By Brannon King / For the FCT
The Russellville Lady Golden Tigers took to the softball field and played a couple of varsity games before rainy weather caused a cancellation of a scheduled weekend tournament.
Russellville hosted the East Limestone Indians April 3, with a chance to take control of the Class 5A, Area 16 standings. However, RHS was not able to make a 4-3 lead after five innings and fell to East by a 5-4 final score.
East Limestone jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead that was capped by a two-run home run over the fence on a windy day at RHS.
A pair of seventh-graders got things going for Russellville in the second inning. Chalea Clemmons picked up a hit that ended up scoring a run, and Jenna Whitfield followed with an RBI single of her own to bring RHS to within a run of the Indians.
Russellville took the lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. AJ Taylor and Krista Sikes both had RBI singles to make the score 4-3, but RHS couldn’t hold the lead.
East Limestone plated what turned out to be the winning run with a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth.
Emma Whitfield got the start in the circle for RHS and pitched 5.1 innings. She allowed five runs with three being earned and struck out two.
Sikes pitched the game’s final 1.2 innings and gave up a hit and two walks.
Russellville got hits from nine batters, with Lauren Rogers and Alivia Clemmons leading the way with two hits each. Sydney Burcham, Autumn Logan, AJ Taylor, Sikes, Karlie Moore, Clemmons and Jenna Whitfield also had hits for RHS, while Jasmine Galloway pitched in with a run scored.
Russellville (14-9-1, 3-2) came back with an 11-6 win Thursday at Haleyville. RHS outhit the Lions 13-8 and won despite committing dive errors.
Clemmons went four-for-five with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored for Russellville.
Sikes had five RBIs and went two-for-four with a double. She scored a run and walked once.
Burcham had a three-for-four performance at the plate and also had a double and two runs scored.
Taylor had two hits, including an extra-base hit, and Makala O’Neal joined her teammates with a double of her own.
Logan had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored. Russellville was quick on the bases by stealing four times. Moore had two steals, while O’Neal and Sikes also stole successfully.
Doing the pitching for Russellville was the duo of Emma Whitfield and Sikes.
Emma Whitfield got the start in the circle, and she pitched the game’s first three innings. The senior right-hander gave up an unearned run, three hits and a walk. She threw 47 pitches and struck out three Lady Lions.
Sikes came on to finish the win with four innings of work. =She allowed five unearned runs and five hits, struck out one and walked two.
