BREMEN – Cold Springs became the first local softball team to qualify for the AHSAA regionals, thanks to a 5-4 victory over Falkville Tuesday afternoon in the 2A, Area 13 tournament.
The Lady Eagles waited on the winner in an elimination game between Falkville and Winston County later in the day, looking to take home the area title and prepare for the North Regional next weekend at the Kiwanis Sportsplex in Huntsville.
Falkville gained a 1-0 win during the late morning against Winston County in nine innings to set up a battle in the winner's bracket of the three-team area tournament.
The visitors from Morgan County grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third when Kameryn Scales walked, then moved to second on a single by Bailey Engle with nobody out. Sydnee Fitzgerald singled to center, but it was mishandled, leading to Scales scoring from second and a 1-0 advantage.
A second run came on a groundout with Falkville going to the bottom of the inning up 2-0 and keeping the Cold Springs batters in check until this portion of the game
A solid hit parade started when Hayden Goodwin singled, Drew Sanders doubled and a single by Anna Kate Voce scored Goodwin. Victoria Freeman followed and was hit by a pitch from Fitzgerald to load the bases for Crimson Gann.
Gann, a freshman, hit the ball deep to short to get the tying run home with a spirited Cold Springs dugout very much alive.
Kylon Hamby snapped the deadlock with a two-out double, sending home Voce and Freeman, securing a 4-2 lead for the home side.
In the Cold Springs fifth, Madison Holmes led off with a single and scored two batters later on a single to left by Sanders. Sanders was 2-for-3 on the afternoon to lead the Lady Eagles with an RBI and a run scored.
A big play for Cold Springs came in the top of the sixth. Makenzie Veal singled off the glove of Ember Sellers with the ball going into left field. Emily Williams got to the ball and threw to Holmes at second to tag out Veal, who was trying to stretch the hit into a double. Veal got her cleats hung up in the infield dirt near the bag and never made it to second.
Sanders set down the next two batters to end the inning and keep Cold Springs up by the score of 5-2.
Sanders struck out Maddie Holmes for the first out of the seventh, then allowed a single to Scales that created a change on the pitchers' circle.
Voce went from short to pitcher, allowed consecutive singles by Engle and Fitzgerald, along with a throwing error that enabled them to move into scoring position. Fitzgerald's single drove home Scales with a grounder to first by Audrianna Wilbanks bringing in Engle and making the score 5-4 with a runner at second and two out.
The final out came on a grounder to Holmes at second, who threw to Gann at first and end the contest at 1:35 p.m.
Cold Springs improved to 15-10-1 with their fifth victory in its last six games. The Lady Eagles are 5-0 against Area 13 opposition entering the championship game.
Image shows Hayden Goodwin of Cold Springs.
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