Area tournament pressure on for local softball teams

Published 1:55 pm Thursday, April 25, 2024

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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Postseason time has come for Chilton County area high schools as teams take the diamond for their respective area tournaments on April 26-29 with regional tournament spots on the line. Maplesville and Thorsby high schools host their respective tournaments, while the other five area high schools hit the road to keep their state tournament aspirations alive.

 

AHSAA Class 1A Area 6 Tournament at Maplesville High School

The Red Devils took the first seed in the area to clinch home-field advantage for the tournament from April 26-27 that features three teams from the area. Maplesville will get the tournament underway at 1:30 p.m. on April 26 facing the fourth seed Autaugaville High School. The second and third seeds, Verbena and Billingsley high schools, respectively, will follow after at 3 p.m. The winners from games one and two will advance to the 6:30 p.m. to the winner’s bracket final to determine who will advance to the tournament final on April 27. The losers from games one and two will square off at 5 p.m. to determine who stays alive in the tournament.

On April 27, the winner from the 5 p.m. game and the loser of the 6:30 p.m. games from the day before will start play at 11 a.m. The winner will advance to the championship game at 1 p.m., and the team from the loser’s bracket has to win twice to win the tournament title. If a second championship game is needed, it will be held at 3 p.m.

 

AHSAA Class 2A Area 6 Tournament at Thorsby High School

Thorsby earned home-field advantage by gliding through its regular season area slate without a loss, and it will kick off the tournament on April 26 at noon facing the fourth seed B.B. Comer High School. Isabella High School finished runners-up in the area during the regular season. The Mustangs get their tournament started at 2 p.m. facing Fayetteville High School. The losers from games one and two will move to the loser’s bracket, and their game to stay alive in the tournament will be at 4 p.m. on April 26, the last game of the opening day of the tournament.

The winners of games one and two will advance to the winner’s bracket final on April 29 at 2 p.m. that will start day two of the tournament and decide who advances to the final. The winner of the third game on April 26, and the loser of the first game on April 29 will play at 4 p.m. to determine who advances to the tournament final, and the regional tournament.

The championship game will be held at 6 p.m. on April 29, and the team from the loser’s bracket has to win twice in the championship to win the tournament. If an extra game is needed, it will begin at 8 p.m.

 

AHSAA Class 5A Area 7 Tournament at Sylacauga High School

With only three teams in its area, Jemison High School will complete its area tournament in one day, hoping two wins can catapult them into the regional tournament. The Panthers face Shelby County High School in the opening game of the tournament at 10 a.m. on April 29 with the winner advancing to face Sylacauga High School in the winner’s bracket final later that day at noon. The winner of the noon game will advance to the tournament final at 4 p.m. and lock itself into the regional tournament.

The losing team from game one, and the losing team from game two, will decide who advances to the regional tournament with a game between the winner’s bracket final and championship game. If a second game in the final is needed, it will begin at 6 p.m.

 

AHSAA Class 6A Area 5 Tournament at Calera High School

The Tigers played in an extremely competitive area this season sweeping one team, getting swept by one team and splitting with one team in the regular season. Calera High School, the first seed in the tournament, faces the fourth seed Carver High School at 11 a.m. in game one of the tournament on April 26. CCHS follows right after with its first-round game against Stanhope Elmore High School at 1 p.m., the team the Tigers split with in the regular season. The winners from games one and two advance to the winner’s bracket final at 5 p.m. The losers from games one and two will play at 3 p.m. to see who is the first team eliminated.

The loser of the winner’s bracket final, and the winner of the loser’s bracket game will face off in the first game on April 29 at 2 p.m. to set the championship game at 4 p.m. that day. The team from the loser’s bracket has to win twice in the championship game to win the title, and if a second game is needed, it will be held at 6 p.m.