Demopolis dispatches Central to wrap Area 7 play

Demopolis wrapped up Class 5A, Area 7 play with an unbeaten record Thursday as it demolished Central-Tuscaloosa 24-0. The Tigers saw their first two batters of the game fly out before embarking on a 17-run rally. The Tigers sent 20 batters to the plate, notched eight hits and scored 17 runs in the inning before forcing the third out by intentionally leaving base early.

Abbey Latham opened the scoring on a wild pitch. Bria Brown doubled in Kendall Hannah and Kayla Montz before scoring on a passed ball to make the lead 4-0. Lane Braeden Burbage scored on Abby Grace Cameron’s RBI single. Cameron then scored on Elly Brown’s bases-loaded walk. Latham singled to plate Alex Abrams and Courtney Smith, moving the advantage to 8-0. Montz singled home Elly Brown and Latham to put the lead in double digits but the Tigers were far from done in the frame.

Bria Brown drove in Hannah with a single. Burbage hit an infield single to score Montz. Abrams drew a bases-loaded walk to score Bria Brown. Burbage touched home on a wild pitch. Smith singled in Cameron and Abrams, moving the lead to 16-0. Elly Brown then tripled to plate Smith and later walked off third base early to end the inning.

The second was more of the same as Latham stroked a solo homer to open the inning, stretching the lead to 18-0. Hannah moved the lead to 19-0 when she scored on Burbage’s bases-loaded walk. Cameron picked up her second varsity RBI with a single to plate Montz. Abrams drew a walk to drive in Bria Brown. Smith singled in Burbage. Latham singled in Abrams. Hannah singled to drive in Elly Brown, setting the final margin.

Montz held it down in the pitcher’s circle, facing the minimum over three innings and striking out seven for the win. Demopolis honored Smith and Latham as part of its Senior Night festivities following the game.

“They’re huge staples in our program. They’re both starters and they play key positions. They’re great. They’re very coachable kids. They’re great at helping the younger kids,” Demopolis coach Brittany Dunson said of the senior tandem, who are four-year starters at the varsity level.

Demopolis (27-8, 4-0) hosts the the Class 5A, Area 7 tournament May 2 beginning at 1 p.m. The Tigers hit the road this weekend to play in a tournament in Hueytown.

“I think facing these better teams and the better pitching that we’re going to see, the better defensive teams and the better hitting teams, I think it’s going to prepare us really well for regionals,” Dunson said. We’ve got to face these better opponents in order to be successful.”