BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
BEAUREGARD — With the winningest senior class in school history at the helm, Beauregard High School hoped to make a deep run in the 5A state softball tournament.
However, the Lady Hornets (28-19) dropped back-to-back heartbreakers on May 19 at Choccolocco Park, falling 3-1 to eventual state champion No. 4 Lawrence County (46-10-1) and 5-4 to No. 8 Faith Academy (28-17-1) to close out the season.
It was the third time BHS had made the state tournament in as many years.
Although the Lady Hornets’ season ended with a disappointing finish, BHS head coach Nathan Langley said his team displayed its trademark grit by taking two of the final four 5A teams to the final out.
“When you don’t have your best stuff and you see them continuing to fight, finding a way and doing everything they can, that’s all you can ask for,” Langley said. “It’s unfortunate because we had a great group. As I told them, you’ll never have the same team twice, and that’s the most unfortunate thing. But what this team accomplished this year, it won’t go unnoticed.”
Lindsey Moulton paced the Lady Hornets’ offense from the leadoff spot, going a combined 4-for-7 across the two games with a home run, a triple, three runs scored, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base.
It was just another day in the office for Moulton despite the ending to an illustrious high school career according to Langley.
“Once she’s on first, we know we’re about to score, because it’s going to be hard to stop her on the bases,” Langley said. “Lindsey kept us in [both games]. She gave us the spark we needed to start that second game off, and that’s what she’s been doing all year.”
At second base McKenzie Handley finished the tournament 1-for-7 with a run scored and an RBI. Both came during the late rally in the afternoon elimination game against the Lady Rams.
In the circle, Raegan Brooks shouldered nearly the entire workload, logging 11 of the team’s 12 innings pitched.
The right-hander allowed 14 hits and eight runs — seven earned — walked nine and struck out two.
Langley said Brooks’ request to take complete responsibility led him to start the senior ace in both games.
“She wants it at all times,” Langley said. “Even when she doesn’t have her best stuff, she’s going to figure out within the game what she can do to help us be successful. You can’t ask for any more from her.”
Game 1: Lawrence County 3, Beauregard 1
In the opener against LCHS, both teams were strong in the circle, but the Lady Devils were just a bit stronger at the plate.
Most of LCHS’s damage came in the first two innings, when Bella Cross doubled home a run in the first inning and RBI singles from Lara Anne Norwood and Cross in the second stretched the Lady Devils’ lead to 3-0.
Facing a manageable deficit entering the top of the fourth, Ellie Burroughs drove in the Lady Hornets’ lone run, lining a single into left field to score Moulton from third.
In that game, Brooks went the distance for BHS, giving up six hits and three runs — two earned — while striking out two and walking four.
Cross matched her in the circle and allowed four hits, gave up one earned run, walked three and struck out four.
Game 2: Faith Academy 5, Beauregard 4
In the elimination game against FA, Moulton wasted no time, sending a leadoff solo home run to center field on the game’s first frame.
However, the Lady Rams answered in the bottom of what ultimately proved to be a back-breaking fourth inning.
Kiersten Parker-Nelson singled down the right-field line and Elizabeth Hinton doubled down the left-field line, each driving in two runs and putting Faith Academy ahead 4-1.
FA added its fifth run in the next frame, when Zoe Miller drove a fly ball into right field for an RBI single.
Facing a 5-1 deficit with six outs between elimination and playing another game, BHS chipped away in the sixth.
Handley reached on an error in center to score Moulton from third, and Avery Parmer grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring Handley home.
Handley then struck again in the seventh, lining a single to right that scored Shelby Craft from second, but the comeback fell one run short with Moulton left stranded on third base.
Brooks took the loss in the circle, going five innings and allowing eight hits and five runs, walking five.
Larkyn Anthony went the distance for Faith Academy, surrendering five hits and four runs (two earned) over seven innings.
After the final out, Langley gathered his team for one last talk.
“There’s never good words when you get to a moment like this, because if you don’t make it this far, it might not sting as much, and when you make it this far, it hurts,” Langley said. “The first thing I said was thank you to every single one of them. I didn’t bring up anything from those two games. It was all about what they’ve done all year.”
