By Daniel Schmidt | For The Observer
MONTGOMERY — Their day began with a stunning defeat after going up a run in the top of the seventh inning. For nearly five hours that afternoon and evening, they waited to learn their fate in the elimination bracket finale. And by the time night fell, the Beauregard High School softball team had defeated a familiar foe for the second time in two days and claimed their place in the state championship tournament.
From the outside looking in, it looked as though the Hornets had snatched victory from the jaws of possible defeat. But internally, the end result was hardly a surprise according to BHS head softball coach Nathan Langley.
“The amount of character that it takes to go through a game like that where you don’t play your best game, and that was well known and we know that, but then sit there that long and clear your head, I’m so freaking proud they found a way to do it,” Langley said after the game.
In a long day filled with twists and turns, highs and lows and everything in between, the difference between sitting at home and fighting for a trophy came down to grit and the ability to overcome a change at catcher from Holtville High School.
“When you’re playing at this point against a team that’s already played well today, you’ve got to find a way after we’ve been sitting, and we did that, we found a way,” Langley said. “I’m proud of them, their character and how they played that game. That was a tough game, that was a very mentally tough game. Seven innings knowing you only have one run.”
After winning three games and dropping one, the Hornets enter the Alabama High School Athletic Association 5A state tournament with a 30-13 overall record.
Game One: Beauregard 5, Holtville 0
After defeating Sylacauga High School 6-2 earlier in the day, the Hornets looked to stay hot and continue their path through the winners bracket on May 5.
With HHS standing in their way at a shot at automatic qualification, it only took until the game’s very first pitch BHS long to stamp their mark. That came courtesy of Moulton, who launched a towering solo home run that easily cleared the center field fence.
That red-hot hitting performance continued into the second inning after the Hornets got two runners in scoring position. However, both were left stranded and the lead remained at one run.
Then, in the third inning, BHS managed to extend its lead after Raegan Brooks brought in Moulton from third base with a single that lofted over second base and just barely dropped into center field.
Having extended their lead, it was the defense’s turn to flex their muscles. Strategic thinking and technical proficiency from the infield on multiple ground balls allowed the Hornets to get out of a sticky situation that saw numerous HHS runners on base.
Following the defensive stand and going into the fourth inning, the Hornets gave themselves additional breathing room. That came in the form of Ellie Burroughs’ single, which brought Aubryn Sward home from second base. Then, with the bases loaded. Moulton maintained her excellent form with a sacrificial fly ball deep into center field, which brought Burroughs home from third base.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Shelby Craft added BHS’ fifth and final run after a wild throw-out attempt at second base by the HHS catcher allowed her to steal home plate.
Neither team was able to score in the seventh inning, which set the stage for an incredible, if not heartbreaking, winner’s bracket championship game against Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School.
Game Two: Brewbaker Tech 4, Beauregard 3
With their first two opponents dispatched by a combined score of 11-2, the Hornets found their resolve quickly tested and in a dogfight early on against BTMHS.
While BHS’ started off hot batting for a third straight game, it was the Rams that scored first in the bottom of the first inning. Those runs came courtesy of a two-run home run to center field after the Hornets initially recorded two quick outs.
BHS then spent the next two innings fruitlessly chasing its first run, up until when they tied the game in the top of the fourth inning.
It all began after Burroughs recorded a single before stealing second base. Facing two outs, Moulton managed to score Burroughs with a double and get the Hornets on the board. With another runner in scoring position, Lucy Vann tied the game with a single that brought Moulton home.
As the pivotal game progressed into the fifth and sixth inning, neither team was able to separate themselves from the other. Then, the game entered the seventh inning, and chaos ensued.
Initially, it appeared as though the Hornets would seal the deal and receive an automatic bid to the state tournament after a single from Burroughs sent Sward on a daring gallop home all the way from first base.
However, a series of missed chances from BHS allowed BTMHS to get two runners in scoring position with only one out, and a hit into right field brought both runners home for the 4-3 victory over the Hornets.
Game Three: Beauregard 1, Holtville 0
That defeat at the hands of the Rams then set the stage for a rematch against the Bulldogs after a lengthy rest period.
In similar fashion to the previous day’s game, BHS got off to a quick start offensively against HHS. It also ultimately turned out that would be all the Hornets needed to advance.
As the leadoff batter, Moulton got the action started with a double down the third base line into left field. With a runner in scoring position, Vann ensured Moulton progressed to third base with a bunt, followed by a sacrificial fly ball from Brooks that brought Moulton home.
Clinging to the slight lead, BHS went on an offensive drought that resulted in only two more hits the rest of the game. That was where Brooks completely took over the game, allowing only two hits and recording four strikeouts in seven complete innings.
With Brooks in complete command of the game, it appeared as though Moulton would double the Hornets’ lead in the sixth inning with a solo home run deep into center field. To Moulton’s bad luck, however, that hit fell mere short of the fence and resulted in a double that did not score.
That set the stage for a dramatic seventh inning. Despite being unable to conjure much offensively to that point, the Bulldogs managed to get two runners on base with only one out. Then, the Hornets’ infield recorded a second out at third base, and a ground out near Brooks and subsequent play at first base ended the game and put BHS in the 5A state tournament for the second-straight year.
What’s Next
With the four regional tournaments complete, the Hornets enter the AHSAA 5A state tournament as the No. 5 seed, and will face No. 4 seed Houston Academy. That game will be held on May 12 at 9 a.m. at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.
The Raiders are 27-4 overall and ranked No. 21 overall in Alabama according to MaxPreps. HA on average scores 7.4 runs per game and allows 0.8 runs per game.