The 2017 softball season came to an end for Verbena, as the Red Devils failed to qualify for the playoffs after finished third in the Area 9-2A tournament on Monday.

The Red Devils made the trip over to Thorsby, who served as the tournament host and were eliminated after a pair of losses to Fayetteville High School.

Verbena lost 10-7 in the first game between the two teams, and followed it up with a 13-2 defeat in six innings which decided who played Thorsby for the area championship.

The bats came alive in the final three innings of the first game, as JaNiya White helped light a spark with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth inning and applied the pressure by stealing second.

Dona Grier, Candice Williams, Jenae Pierce and Makayla Mims each had base hits and continued the big inning, which resulted in three Red Devil runs.

“They have really tried to rally around their seniors and win games for them,” Verbena coach Krisi Parrish said.

White led Verbena at the plate in the outing, as she reached base every time with a double, two singles and a walk.

However, the offensive momentum did not carry over to the second matchup against Fayetteville later in the day.

The Red Devils managed only a pair of third inning runs and slowly saw Fayetteville open up a commanding double-digit lead.

“We came out and were just flat for some reason,” Parrish said. “We hit the ball much better in the first game.”

Pierce pitched both games and combined to strike out four Fayetteville batters over 13 innings.

Verbena finished the season with a record of 4-17 and showed glimpses, but battled with the inability to put complete games together.

“We’re graduating several people, and the younger ones realize that it will soon be their turn to step up and be a leader themselves,” Parrish said.