Demopolis softball wraps pool play with wins over 6A squads
Demopolis finished strong in pool play Tuesday with a pair of wins over Class 6A foes on day two of the Gulf Coast Classic.
Demopolis 2, Cullman 0
Kendall Hannah was scintillating in the circle for five innings in a 2-0 victory over Cullman. She needed only 75 pitches to scatter four hits for her second shutout of the tournament.
The teams were scoreless until the bottom of the third when Courtney Smith reached on a one-out single before scoring on Abbey Latham’s RBI line drive to left.
The Bearcats looked to battle back in the fourth with a pair of singles to open the inning. Hannah proceeded to slam the door with a strikeout, pop out and ground out. Hannah worked out of a jam again in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out, inducing a liner to left to nullify the threat.
Demopolis tacked on another run in the fifth as Smith singled ahead of a Latham single and Natalie Tatum’s hit-by-pitch. Hannah followed by taking a bean ball of her own to get the RBI the hard way and plate Smith from third. Time expired as the Tigers pushed the lead to 2-0.
Demopolis 11, Fort Payne 2
Demopolis followed the pitcher’s duel with an 11-2 mauling of Fort Payne. The Tigers jumped on top with three runs in the top of the first and never looked back, adding three in the second and fifth innings as well as two in the third.
Courtney Smith, Elly Brown and Abbey Latham singled to start the game. Latham’s hit plated both Smith and Brown for the 2-0 lead. Kendall Hannah then singled home Latham for the 3-0 advantage.
Smith hit a one-out single in the second to ignite another Tiger rally. Brown doubled her home for the 4-0 lead. After Latham singled, a passed ball allowed both Brown and Latham to score for the 6-0 advantage.
Kayla Montz doubled to open the third before scoring on Napoleon Roberson’s grounder to make it 7-0. Brown plated Roberson with a single to set it at 8-0.
After the Wildcats scratched out a pair of runs in the fourth, Demopolis tacked on more in the fifth, using two hits to score three times. Brown walked and Latham doubled before an error allowed both to score. Hannah then singled in Alex Abrams to set the final margin.
Natalie Tatum was strong in the circle, striking out three and scattering eight hits over five innings while giving up a pair of unearned runs for the win.
Demopolis (21-5) moves into single-elimination bracket play Wednesday.