CCHS earns win in softball home opener
Published 3:26 pm Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Chilton County High School celebrates Gracie Brewer’s home run at home plate. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
Jemison High School’s Jaclyn Lowery started the game in the circle for the Panthers. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
The Tigers’ Mallie Harrison gave up just two hits in the win over Jemison. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
Trinity Bean prepares before a pitch at shortstop for Jemison. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
Maecie Driskell went 3-for-3 for CCHS in the win over Jemison. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer
Chilton County High School claimed an 11-1 win over Jemison High School on Feb. 28 in the Tigers home softball opener for the 2023 season.
Five different Tiger hitters had multi-hit games including Maecie Driskell who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and scored two runs. Mallie Harrison controlled the circle for the Tigers throwing all five innings surrendering two hits, one earned run and three walks. Harrison had five strikeouts as well.
Macey Pierce got CCHS on the board in the first inning with an RBI double to left field. Jemison’s Braelyn Bradford launched a home run over the center field wall in the second inning to tie the game.
However, the Panthers would get just one hit the remainder of the game.
“After the second inning and they started hitting the ball well, I was really proud of that,” CCHS coach Ashlie Harrison said. “We started out a little slow, but once the bats got going, they did a really good job of stringing together some hits and doing what needed to be done the rest of the game.”
Gracie Brewer smacked the Tigers’ second home run in as many innings with a two-run shot to left field. Driskell stretched the CCHS lead to 4-1 in the third inning with an RBI single while Mallie Harrison continued to stifle Jemison at the plate.
Harrison has pitched 25 of the 26 innings CCHS has played so far this season.
“I am excited about her consistency and her ability to throw strikes and let the defense play behind her,” Ashlie Harrison said. “She is not a strikeout pitcher, and other teams are going to put the ball in play. It says a lot about having the confidence in your defense behind you to throw the type of pitches you need to throw, and know if they do put it in play your defense behind is going to do well.”
The Tigers came to bat in the fourth inning needing seven runs to end things early but got two outs in four batters to start the inning. Then, an Emma Penley RBI single and a Pierce three-run home run gave CCHS four of those seven runs. Penley and Pierce went 2-for-3, and Pierce recorded four RBIs.
RBI singles by Kelsie Goggins and Driskell and an RBI double by Mallie Harrison pushed CCHS to an 11-1 lead after four innings. Harrison was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Anna Burnett was the other CCHS hitter with a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Jemison came to bat in the fifth inning needing a run to keep the game going, but Harrison made quick work getting three outs in four batters.
“We are young, so a lot of these girls have not had the opportunity to get into the lineup consistently yet, and this is their first year to do that,” Ashlie Harrison said. “We knew the talent was there, and we knew they had the ability, but could they do it consistently. We are very hopeful for that, and they have done a good job early on in the season of getting the hits that they need.”
CCHS will travel to Wetumpka for a tournament there from March 3-4 in their next games. Jemison travels to Maplesville High School on March 2 for an intercounty clash in their matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
