Lady Golden Tigers win three big games

By Josh Prewitt

For the FCT

Russellville nudged its season record over the .500 mark Friday with a pair of wins at Wilson Morgan Park, rolling to a 14-2 rout of Gadsden City and then beating Ardmore 6-2.
Russellville 14, Gadsden City 2
The Lady Golden Tigers (4-3) pounded out a season-high 17 hits against Gadsden City, using a spark of scoring nine runs in their final at bat to break open a 5-2 game. Kayla Cochran led the way at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Kalli Beth Daniel was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs, and Morgan George went 2-for-4 with a double and scored twice.
Sydney Burcham, Jakari Suggs and Lily Holt also had two hits apiece for Russellville. Holt drove in a run and scored another, and Suggs scored twice. Jess Guzman went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Megan Brockway capped off the nine-run rally in the fifth with a three-run double.
Cochran had two hits and scored twice in the fifth inning alone.
Suggs (2-2) pitched a complete game to earn the win, allowing just one earned run on four hits in five innings. She struck out three and did not issue a walk.
Russellville 6, Ardmore 2
In Friday’s second game, Russellville jumped on top of Ardmore with three runs in the top of the first and rode a strong pitching performance from Emma Whitfield to the win.
Whitfield (2-1) allowed just two earned runs in a four-inning complete game, striking out two and walking none. She gave up five hits and threw 40 of her 51 pitches for strikes.
Brockway delivered the big blow in the first inning, driving in Daniel and Cochran with a double to center. Holt followed with another double to make it 3-0.
Brockway later added an RBI single in the third and finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Cochran was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, and Daniel finished 1-for-2 with a walk and three runs. Holt, George and Brooke Borden each had one hit.
Russellville 6, West Limestone 0
Jakari Suggs pitched a one-hit shutout Saturday, and Jess Guzman’s two-run double sparked a big fourth inning as Russellville beat West Limestone 6-0 at Wilson Morgan Park in Decatur.
Suggs (3-2) struck out five and did not issue a walk in five innings. She hit a batter with one out in the bottom of the first before retiring the next ten hitters she faced. After allowing a two-out single in the fourth, Suggs struck out the next batter and then retired the Lady Wildcats in order in the bottom of the fifth.
Russellville (5-3) was leading just 1-0 before Kalli Beth Daniel led off the top of the fourth with a single. Suggs singled with two outs, and then Morgan George delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0. After Lily Holt was hit by a pitch, Guzman smacked a two-run double to left to make it 4-0.
Kayla Cochran had helped Russellville grab an early lead, doubling in the top of the second and then scoring on a single by Megan Brockway. Cochran finished 1-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base, and Brockway was 2-for-3 with a double.
Russellville Lady Golden Tigers head Coach John Smith said, “We did the big three well for most of our games this weekend. Pitchers – pitched well, hitting their spots. Defense played well, and we hit the ball. We had some big timely two-out hits. If we can continue to do this, we can compete.”