The Alexander City Outlook

Lady Wildcats get home area win over Auburn

Clair Thomas struck out 11 batters and the Benjamin Russell softball team overcame a slow start on Tuesday to defeat Auburn 8-4 in a soggy game in Alexander City.

The Lady Tigers struck for three runs in the first inning, but head coach Pam Robinson inserted Thomas to pitch and the senior shut down Auburn the rest of the way. She allowed just two hits and one run in six-plus innings of work.

BRHS quickly erased its deficit in the bottom of the first. Lysa Haynie started the hit parade with a triple, and after Shae Whetstone walked, Tori Lashley brought both runners home with a single. Thomas later hit a fly ball that was dropped by Auburn’s left fielder, allowing Lashley to score, and the Lady Tigers threw the ball away on the same play, giving Thomas home plate and BRHS a 4-3 advantage.

Leslie Langford walked in the second inning, and her courtesy runner Kaylen Given scored when Whetstone reached on an error two batters later.

Auburn loaded the bases with one out in the third inning, but Thomas got out of the jam with only one run scoring, so BRHS led 5-4 after three.

The Lady Cats added three more insurance runs in their half of the third. Thomas doubled and scored on a wild pitch, and Deandra Ransaw crossed home on a Langford sac fly. Hillary Strickland scored the final run on a passed ball.

The Lady Tigers threatened one more time in the fifth, putting two runners on base, but Thomas recorded a strikeout and Tatum Gandy made a nice running catch to end the threat.

Haynie finished 2-for-3 with a walk and Langford and Ransaw both had singles.

The game was played in a steady drizzle and was briefly delayed in the fifth inning.

BRHS improved to 13-4 overall and 1-0 in the area. The Lady Wildcats lost to Smiths Station, Sparkman and Hoover in Auburn’s tournament over the weekend. They did get a 12-4 win over Beauregard, who they host on Friday, along with Oxford.