Belgreen, Phillips game makes record books
J.R. Tidwell/FCT
Belgreen’s Shellie Barber fouls one off against the Phillips She-Bears in a game played earlier this season.
The Belgreen Lady Bulldogs fell just short of making the regional tournament this season after being defeated by Hackleburg in the losers’ bracket of the Class 1A Area 11 contest at Tharptown Tuesday.
The Lady Bulldogs ended the season with a record of 14-12, which is not bad considering the young age of the players and the level of competition found in the area.
However, the season will likely be remembered for a few different reasons, and they all have to do with the state high school softball record books.
Catcher Abby Hester, just a seventh grader at Belgreen, will soon be tied for 28th for the most stolen bases in a season at 57.
This is just one of the records set by Belgreen (with a little help) this season, and the remaining marks all came about in a single game against the Phillips She-Bears in Bear Creek.
The final score of 26-19 set the AHSAA state softball record for most combined points in a game at 45.
The previous record was 43 in a game between Edward Bell and Verbena in 2011.
It was the She-Bears that set the next record against Belgreen in the game.
Phillips had seven doubles in the game, which set the standard for a new category in the books.
Phillips also became tied for second place in triples in a game with three.
The next mark was set by the Lady Bulldogs, as their 20 drawn walks in the game was good enough for second place.
The record is 24 drawn by Elba in a game against Red Level in 2012.
The remaining new entries into the state record books are all individual marks for a game.
Courtny Williams found herself named twice in the records section of fast-pitch softball on AHSAA.com.
The first is a second-place mark in doubles in a game with three. The state record is four by a player from Mortimer Jordan in 2002.
Williams is now also tied for eighth in most RBIs in a game with seven.
A Central-Florence player set the top mark at 11 in 2011.
Allyson Bragwell is now in second place for most runs scored in a single game with five, narrowly missing out on the top mark of six set in the Elba game against red Level mentioned above.
Belgreen took first and third place in the record book for the category of drawn walks in a game by a player.
Shellie Barber set the state record by drawing six walks in the game, and Skyler Nelson is now tied for third with four drawn walks in a game.
All told the Lady Bulldogs found themselves entered into the state record books nine times for that single game against area opponent Phillips.
The mark will be raised to 10 when the stolen bases in a season mark is added for Hester.
