Softball season ends for Lady Golden Tigers at area tourney
The 2023 Russellville varsity softball season wrapped up at the AHSAA Class 5A Area 16 tournament held at Ardmore High School.
The Lady Golden Tigers opened the three-team double-elimination tourney by getting a 12-5 win over Lawrence County. RHS then fell to eventual area champion Ardmore in game two of the day by a 10-0 final score.
With the season on the line for both teams, Lawrence County defeated Russellville 10-3 on day two to eliminate the Lady Golden Tigers and set-up the area title matchup that Ardmore won 12-2 over the Lady Red Devils. The area tournament winner and runner-up advance to the regional.
RHS improved to 3-0 on the season in contests versus Lawrence County with the victory in game one of the tournament. Russellville eighth-grader Addison Holcomb had three hits including two home runs and a double. She also drove-in five runs. Getting two hits each for RHS were Summer Butler, Jacey Moore, Jenna Whitfield and Emma Campbell. The other Russellville hit was off the bat of Brooklyn Butler. Campbell had two RBIs while Moore, Whitfield and Haylee Rikard had one each.
Paislee James got the start in the pitching circle and went six innings for the win. Moore pitched the final frame and allowed no runs.
Six errors hurt Russellville’s chances versus a talented Ardmore squad. Only two of the AHS runs were earned in the six-inning contest. Singletary got the win for Ardmore while Moore did the pitching for Russellville. The Lady Golden Tigers got four hits and they were by Summer Butler, Whitfield, Holcomb and Campbell.
In the final game of the year for RHS, the Lady Golden Tigers had a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the third inning but the Lady Devils answered with six runs in the frame to take command. Jaiden Calvert and Brooklyn Butler led Russellville with two hits each.
Jacey Moore added a double for the other RHS hit and Calvert had the lone RBI for the Lady Golden Tigers. Moore did the pitching and the junior struck out 10 and allowed two earned runs. Russellville ended the season with a record of 21-25.
