Lady Tigers cruise early before stumbling against Hatton, Ider
Red Bay’s Micala Dulaney fouls off a pitch against Hatton Saturday. The Lady Tigers lost to the Lady Hornets 6-0 to fall to the Losers’ Bracket of the North Regional Softball Tournament. | Scot Beard/FCT
HUNTSVILLE — For the second year in a row the Red Bay softball team had two opportunities to clinch a spot in the state tournament but came up short both times.
The Lady Tigers knocked off a pair of ranked teams at the North Region Softball Tournament Friday to earn a spot in the Winners’ Bracket Final against Hatton, where the teams played for a berth in the state tournament.
Red Bay lost that game and had to face Ider in the Losers’ Bracket final, with the other berth to the state tourney on the line. The Lady Tigers lost that also.
Red Bay finished third in the region, repeating the fate of last year’s team that got off to a good start before losing two in a row to be eliminated.
Red Bay 1, Lexington 0
Lauren Pacetti scored in the first inning as Red Bay knocked off a ranked Lexington team to reach the Winners’ Bracket final.
Holly Hammock and Mariah Horton each singled twice for Red Bay while Pacetti, Whitney Sharp, Hannah Sharp, Micala Dulaney and Monique Dulaney each singled once.
Lexington had many chances to tie the game.
It’s best chance was during the sixth inning, but Red Bay turned a double play to get out of the jam.
Lexington had a runner on second when the batter singled to center. Hammock threw the baserunner out at home before catcher Hannah Sharp fired to third to retire the batter.
Hatton 6, Red Bay 0
The Lady Tigers played the second-ranked Lady Hornets tough through four innings, but in the fifth Hatton was able to score three runs to push a 2-0 lead into a five-run advantage before adding another run in the sixth.
Emily Cox, Monique Dulaney and Horton all singled for Red Bay.
Ider 7, Red Bay 1
Ider broke open a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, but Red Bay answered with a solo home run by Whitney Sharp to pull within a run.
Ider added two more runs in the sixth inning and three in the seventh to earn the win.
Whitney Sharp led the Lady Tigers with the homer and a single while Pacetti singled twice.
Micala Dulaney and Horton had one single each.
