Rehobeth swept out of state tournament

MONTGOMERY — Second-ranked Rehobeth’s bid for a Class 5A softball state title ended earlier than expected.

Hartselle beat the Rebels 7-6 in a thriller, and Moody eliminated them with a 10-1 blowout late Friday night at Lagoon Park.

In the elimination game, the Blue Devils pounded out 14 hits. A big blow came early. Caroline Clark had three hits, including a two-run homer in the first that seemed to set the tone.

“I think it kind of took the breath out of us,” Rehobeth coach Summer Chandler said. “We’re not used to getting hit like that. It didn’t matter who we pitched. They knew what they were doing.

“Before today, we’d only given up two home runs all season. We gave up two today. That kind of knocks the breath out you.”

Rehobeth center fielder Ariel Shaw, who had two hits herself, threw out a runner at the plate to complete a double play and end the top of the first inning.

“Moody killed the ball,” Chandler said. “I told the girls, if we’re to going to get beat, we need to get beat by a better team. Tonight, they were a better team than
we were.”

Moody scored five runs in the third inning to open a 7-0 lead as Jordyn Taylor relieved starter Spencer Adkinson.

“The girls fought. I’m proud of them,” Chandler said. “They came back against Hartselle and even tried to get back in it tonight. We didn’t lose for lack of trying.”

Adkinson’s double with two outs in the fifth inning was Rehobeth’s first hit. Amber Greathouse and Shaw each had infield singles that brought Adkinson home
for the Rebels’ only run.

Rehobeth (44-12) also got a hit by Shea Williams in the sixth.

Meagan Young pitched the first three innings for Moody. Jessica Stone worked the final four.

No. 3 Hartselle 7, No. 2 Rehobeth 6: Katie Gentle hit a grand slam in the fourth inning and drove in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to erase a dramatic Rebels comeback and send Rehobeth to the losers’ bracket.

Gentle was 3-for-4 with five RBIs for Hartselle (45-15). Her grand slam to left highlighted a five-run fourth inning that erased Rehobeth’s 2-0 lead.
The Rebels trailed 6-2 before they rallied in the top of the sixth. Mallory Waller hit a two-run homer to center.  Adkinson drew a walk and eventually scored on Bailyn Stewart’s two-out single to center to make it 6-5.

Adkinson retired Hartselle in order in the sixth, giving Rehobeth a chance to rally in the seventh.

Courtney Cherry bombed a long home run to left-center to start the inning and tie the game. It was her ninth of the year. Carly Parker and Waller both drew walks. With one out, Adkinson lined into a double play to shortstop that ended the threat.

Adkinson retired the first two Hartselle batters. But the Tigers loaded the bases on two singles sandwiched around a walk. Gentle then delivered a sharp chopper back up the middle for a walkoff single.

Rehobeth was led by Stewart’s two hits and the homers by Cherry and Waller. Other hits were by Williams, Taylor, Adkinson and Shaw.
Rehobeth’s scouting report on Hartselle did not disappoint.

“We knew they could hit,” Chandler said. “It was just a matter of time. I think Spencer did a good job. They were going to hit. To hold them to six runs was a pretty good fete. And to hold them as long as we did was a good fete.”

Rather than Hartselle’s 12 hits, what bothered Chandler was the Rebels’ failure to capitalize on several opportunities.

“We had some situations we had baserunners on and didn’t execute,” Chandler said. “That kills you, especially against a team like that. You’ve got to get runs when you can.”

Particularly painful was loading the bases with nobody out in the top of the third without being able to score.

“Last year we beat them 7-0. We jumped way ahead,” she recalled. “That’s one of those things if you get a couple early, maybe they think about giving up.”

Her team never quit.

“I can’t complain about that,” she agreed. “Even when we were down 6-2, I wasn’t worried. I just wish that we would have executed in some situation when we had runners on.”