Tigers best Maplesville in final for county softball crown
Published 12:36 pm Sunday, March 12, 2023
Chilton County High School took home the 2023 Chilton County Softball Tournament title. (KACIE ADAMS | CONTRIBUTED)
Maplesville High School finished second in the 2023 Chilton County Softball Tournament. (BRINLEY CARTER | CONTRIBUTED)
Members of the Chilton County Softball All-Tournament Team. (KACIE ADAMS | CONTRIBUTED)
Maplesville High School’s Hayden Carter takes a lead at second base as Chilton County High School’s Macey Pierce looks on in the final. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
Chilton County High School’s Ava Baugh threw a complete game for the Tigers in the semifinals against Isabella High School. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
Maplesville High School’s Lexi Smith struck out 10 hitters in the semifinal game against Verbena High School. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer
Chilton County High School won three games on March 11 to take home the 2023 Chilton County Softball Tournament title at Isabella High School. The Tigers took down Maplesville High School in the final 13-4. The Tigers piled up 11 hits in the final, and tournament MVP Macey Pierce hit two home runs to boost CCHS to the win.
“It is a lot of pressure, and a lot of people say we should win it,” CCHS coach Ashlie Harrison said. “I was proud of our girls for coming out today and doing what needed to be done to take care of business.”
Pierce broke open the scoring in the first inning, launching her first long ball to make it 1-0, and the Tigers added another first inning run to go up 2-0. Maplesville got a run back in the second inning before CCHS scored five runs in the third and fourth innings to stretch its lead back out to 7-1.
Mallie Harrison got the start in the circle for CCHS and threw a complete seven innings giving up six hits, four runs (two earned) and struck out three hitters. Mallie Harrison collected an RBI at the plate.
“(Mallie) did great,” Ashlie Harrison said. “She did exactly what we needed her to do to get the win on the mound. They put the ball in play, but the defense stepped up behind her.”
Down 7-1 entering the sixth inning, Maplesville put together some offense and scored three runs in the inning to cut the lead in half at 7-4. Laci Cook led the way at the plate for the Red Devils going 3-for-4 with a double, the only Maplesville hitter with multiple hits.
“I thought the whole team did a great job,” Maplesville coach Clark Watley said. “They competed hard in every game and supported each other. Togetherness will be the key moving forward into the (rest of the) season. I am really proud of every team member and everyone that supports our program.”
CCHS, however, responded in the top half of the seventh inning scoring six runs to put the game out of reach. Pierce and Anna Cate Burnett each had three hits, and Pierce had six RBIs. Lily Benson was 2-for-5 for the Tigers.
“We want to take this momentum and run with it,” Ashlie Harrison said. “We play a pretty tough schedule … So, coming out here and doing this, we hope to take that momentum into Tuesday.”
Semifinal: Maplesville High School vs. Verbena High School
Maplesville punched their ticket to the county championship game taking down Verbena High School 4-1 in the semifinals. Lexi Smith stifled the Verbena offense going a full seven innings surrendering just six hits and one run while striking out 10 Verbena hitters.
A two-run double by Jaden McGee gave Maplesville a 2-0 in the first inning, and McGee scored later in the inning to make it 3-0. Verbena got on the board in the fourth inning with a Jasmin Moates RBI single. Moates was 2-for-3. Jaycee Quinn was 3-for-4 with a double and started the game in the circle for Verbena where she struck out seven Maplesville hitters.
Maplesville added an insurance run later in the game which was enough to advance them into the final. Kamylia Talley and Cook each had two hits for Maplesville including a triple for Talley and a double for Cook.
Semifinal: Chilton County High School vs. Isabella High School
CCHS bested Isabella High School in the first semifinal game 8-2. The Tigers Ava Baugh got the start in the circle and went the full seven innings surrendering 12 hits and four runs (three earned).
The Tigers scored three runs in the third inning to open the scoring, punctuated by a two-RBI double by Burnett. Burnett had another double in the fifth inning, and Baugh drove in Burnett later in the inning to make it 4-1. Burnett was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Isabella threatened in the sixth inning loading the bases twice. The Mustangs scored two runs on an error and a wild pitch in the inning to cut the lead down to 4-2 going into the last inning.
CCHS tacked on four runs in the top half of the seventh inning to put the game away.
Anna Johnson was 4-for-4 for the Mustangs with an RBI, and Morgan Short was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
First Round: Chilton County High School vs. Thorsby High School
CCHS took down Thorsby High School in their first-round matchup 5-2 to start the day. Mallie Harrison threw a complete seven innings giving up four hits, two runs (both unearned) and struck out four Thorsby hitters. Pierce was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, double and two RBIs to lead the Tigers past the Rebels.
Thorsby was led by Makinley Turner going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double. The junior also started in the circle for the Rebels and struck out 14 batters.
First Round: Verbena High School vs. Jemison High School
Verbena took down Jemison High School in the second first-round game 8-3. Verbena jumped ahead with six runs in the second inning, a lead Jemison could not overcome.
Quinn started in the circle for the Red Devils and went the full seven innings giving up five hits, three runs (two earned) and struck out four Jemison hitters. Quinn went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and two RBIs. Meagan Shiver had a home run for Verbena as well.
Jemison’s Trinity Bean led the way for the Panthers going 2-for-4, and Kinsley Martin had a home run.
2023 Chilton County Softball All-Tournament Team
Macey Pierce, Chilton County High School (MVP)
Mallie Harrison, Chilton County High School
Anna Cate Burnett, Chilton County High School
Emma Penley, Chilton County High School
Lily Benson, Chilton County High School
Chloe Shiers, Chilton County High School
Laci Cook, Maplesville High School
Lexi Smith, Maplesville High School
Hayden Carter, Maplesville High School
Karlee Cummings, Maplesville High School
Jaycee Quinn, Verbena High School
Meagan Shiver, Verbena High School
Kiara Ray, Verbena High School
Kelsey Cox, Isabella High School
Auburn Bassett, Isabella High School
Makinley Turner, Thorsby High School
Kinsley Martin, Jemison High School
