WEST POINT, Ala. – Another county softball tournament has come and gone and for the eighth consecutive year, the West Point Lady Warriors are county champions. West Point dominated all of its tournament matchups throughout the week, winning three games by a combined score of 43-1. The Lady Warriors capped off their dominant week with a 15-0 win over Holly Pond in Friday night’s county championship game. Carlie Wilkins got the start and tossed two scoreless innings against the Lady Broncos, allowing one hit and striking out six batters. Braelee Quinn pitched the final two innings, allowing zero hits and collecting a strikeout to secure the win.
West Point Head Coach Steven Harbison is proud of the way the veterans on this year’s team have taken a big leadership role and had themselves ready to play well in this year’s county tournament.
“They’ve been doing it all season long. A lot of these girls in this group have been playing varsity for a long time and they kind of know what to and they’re prepared,” Harbison said. “It’s nothing that the coaches have done, they get themselves ready at this point. We always get up for the county tournament. It’s a big deal for us but we’ve got bigger things coming too.”
With the postseason approaching, Harbison likes the way the Lady Warriors are swinging the bats right now and hopes they can stay hot for the most important stretch of the season.
“We’re hitting the ball a little better right now. We got hot in this tournament hitting the ball, and I hope that continues,” Harbison said. “We’ve gotten solid pitching and Carlie (Wilkins) is always solid on the mound but if we continue to hit the ball the way we have been the last week or two I think we can do some good things in the postseason.”
Bethany Minck was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the first and a single from Macayla Wilkins put a pair of runners on the bases for Carlie Wilkins. She swung at the first pitch she saw and drove a 3-run bomb over the right field wall to give West Point an early lead going into the second inning.
Wilkins struck out all three batters she faced in the top of the second and the Lady Warriors added to their lead in the bottom half of the inning. Ella Minck and Nikki Tyree led off with a single and a double to put runners in scoring position and Minck scored on a fielder’s choice to make it a 4-0 game. Carlie Wilkins ripped an RBI single into right field to stretch the lead to 5-0 and Sidney Burks squared up a 2-run single to make it 7-0 going into the third.
Alexis Kimbril led off the bottom half of the third with a triple and Tyree punched a single to left field to bring her across the plate and give West Point an 8-0 lead. Carlie Wilkins added to the lead with a 2-run double to center field and one pitch later, Burks blasted a 2-run shot over the batter’s eye to put the Lady Warriors in front 12-0 going into the fourth.
Tyree lifted a 2-run homer out of center field to extend the lead to 14-0 in the bottom of the fourth and Carlie Wilkins ended the game early with an RBI single up the middle, securing a 15-0 victory for West Point.
Carlie Wilkins finished the night 4-for-4 and racked up seven RBIs. Burks went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and Tyree posted a 3-for-3 night as well, driving in a pair of runs for the Lady Warriors. Macayla Wilkins (one RBI) and Ella Minck each posted a pair of hits in the win. Samantha Giles recorded the only hit of the night for the Lady Broncos.
2022 Cullman All-County Tournament Team
Jaycee Aleman, Fairview
Emma Black, Cold Springs
Addyson Burgess, Good Hope
Sidney Burks, West Point
Ciara Calvert, Cold Springs
Abby Cody, Vinemont
Mattie Earl, Holly Pond
Bailey Keef, Good Hope
Campbell Koch, Good Hope
Bethany Minck, West Point
Ayda Payne, Fairview
Braelee Quinn, West Point
Emmaray Spitzer, Holly Pond
Kaylee Stallings, Holly Pond
Jayda White, Hanceville
Bai Widner, Holly Pond
Carlie Wilkins, West Point
Macayla Wilkins, West Point
2022 Cullman All-County Team
Kaitlyn Benson, Fairview
Emma Black, Cold Springs
Ciara Calvert, Cold Springs
Mattie Earl, Holly Pond
Katelyn Evans, Vinemont
Samantha Giles, Holly Pond
Bethany Minck, West Point
Ayda Payne, Fairview
Brindlee Phillips, West Point
Braelee Quinn, West Point
Madyson Rickman, Holly Pond
Kaylee Stallings, Holly Pond
Jayda White, Hanceville
Carlie Wilkins, West Point
Macayla Wilkins, West Point
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