North Alabama spring roundup: Sparkman’s Ella Boyd hurls perfect game
Sparkman senior Ella Boyd pitched her first perfect game as the Senators whipped Central-Florence 15-0 on Saturday in the Florence Invitational. Boyd struck out eight Wildcats in her perfect outing.
Sparkman went 5-1 to finish third in the tournament, behind Pell City and Athens.
In the win over Central, Cassie Reasner went 4-for-4 with a triple and a double and three stolen bases. Leah Haynes was 3-for-3 for the Senators.
Boyd also batted .333 in five games in the tournament, and she drove in five runs to lead the team. Taylor Gilreath also batted .333 with a double and three RBIs.
In other spring sports action from the weekend across North Alabama:
GIRLS
SOFTBALL
Brewer 8, Lawrence County 3: The Patriots capitalized on Keylyn Stapler’s two doubles and four Lawrence County errors on the way to the win on Friday.
Stapler was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Cheyenne Lucas went 2-for-2 with a double and three runs scored and drove in one run. Breia Rusk had a pair of RBIs.
Gracie Lawrence earned the win in a five-inning complete game, allowing three earned runs on eight hits.
The Red Devils out-hit Brewer 8-6 with Andee McKay going 3-for-3 with a double to lead ninth-ranked Class 5A Lawrence County. Addison Plaxco went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and McKenzie Hyche was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Adagrace Calhoun drove in two runs in the win.
Kaytie LouAllen was saddled with the loss, giving up five runs – three earned – on three hits. She had two strikeouts and a walk in four innings.
Lawrence County 3, Helena 2: The Red Devils scored a pair of runs in the first and one in the second and held off Helena on Friday. The visiting Huskies scored one in the top of the first and one in the top of the fifth and final inning.
Lara Anne Norwood doubled and drove in a run for Lawrence County. Andee McKay was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Ava Templeton was 1-for-2.
McKenzie Hyche got the win in the circle, allowing two runs – one earned – over five innings. She gave up five hits, struck out one and walked two.
Madison Academy 13, Pleasant Valley 7: The Mustangs improved to 14-3 with the win on Saturday. Cat Schreiber earned the win in the circle, striking out three in four innings.
Madeline Taylor went 1-for-3 with three RBIs in the win. Memphis Houston was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Emily Burgreen went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in. Schreiber drove in two runs, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Mya Western was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Rachael Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
In a 13-3 win over Piedmont on Saturday, Schreiber struck out six in five innings to get the win. She was 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate.
Abby Boyd went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Andrews was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Adair Allen went 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
The Mustangs also lost 10-1 to Sardis on Saturday. Andrews was the losing pitcher, striking out two in three innings. Boyd went 2-for-3 and Breelyn Kilpatrick went 1-for-2.
SOCCER
Huntsville 2, Florence 1: The Crimson Panthers (7-8-3, 4-1 in Class 7A Area 7) got the win on the road thanks to a Macy Baker goal in the 73rd minute. Baker’s goal came on a passing combination from Morgan Baty to Sydney Johnson to Baker.
Huntsville gave up a breakaway goal late in the first half to fall behind 1-0.
Junior Cecelia Smith chipped the Florence keeper in the 66th minute to knot the match. The assist came on a Johnson-to-Claire South combination.
Huntsville plays at Grissom on Tuesday for its final area match of the season.
BOYS
BASEBALL
Grissom 15-12, Albertville 3-0: The Tigers completed a three-game Class 7A, Area 7 sweep at home on Saturday with the double-header wins. Grissom is 19-11 on the year and 3-2 in area play. On Friday, Grissom beat the Aggies 7-1 on the road.
In Saturday’s Game 1, Ian Lee got the win for the Tigers with a four-hitter. He struck out four and walked one in 4.1 innings.
Josh Burrell went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for Grissom and Chris Lynum was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Ty Sanderson had a double and a triple in four at-bats in the win. Charlie Cassingham went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.
In the 12-0 win, Haiden Mai struck out 10 and allowed two hits to earn the victory. Sanderson was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.
On Friday, Cassingham gave up one run on two hits with six strikeouts in seven innings for Grissom. Lynum was 2-for-3 with a home run and a double. He drove in two runs. Lee was 3-for-4 and scored two runs.
James Clemens 10-12, Austin 4-2: The eighth-ranked Jets swept a pair of Class 7A Area 8 games at Austin on Saturday to win the three-game series. Austin topped James Clemens 4-2 in Madison on Friday. The Jets improved to 27-9 overall and 3-1 in area play.
In Saturday’s Game 1, starter Luke Davenport gave up one unearned run on three hits and struck out 13 Black Bears to earn the win. Davenport walked two in five innings. Hunter Harris gave up four runs – two earned – on just one hit in two innings of relief. He struck out four and walked two.
Aidan Cook drove in a run with a double in four at-bats for James Clemens. Francisco Ramirez went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Ty Marsh drove in two, going 1-for-3 with a run scored. Carson Loosier went 1-for-2 with three runs scored with an RBI.
Tyler Eady was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored for the Bears. Mac Etheredge went 1-for-2 with an RBI for Austin and Easton Palmer went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Bryant Jones took the loss, allowing five earned runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked three in five innings.
In Game 2, James Clemens scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to push past the Black Bears. Andrew Lawrence had a triple, a double and three RBIs for the winners. Marsh went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Ramirez was 1-for-3 with three runs scored. Satchel Wheeler went 1-for-1 with an RBI. Colten Payton was 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
Wheeler struck out four and allowed a pair of runs to pick up the win. He surrendered seven hits. Grant Gage struck out one and walked one in one inning of relief.
Easton Palmer took the loss, giving up nine runs – four earned – in 5.2 innings. He allowed nine hits, struck out four and walked five. Palmer was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a triple at the plate.
In Austin’s 4-2 win on Friday, Etheredge earned the victory with a six-hitter. He struck out six, walked one and allowed two earned runs in seven innings.
Cole Walker went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI with a run scored for the Bears. Garrett Hale went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Bryson Claiborne was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
Mason Busch took the loss for James Clemens, allowing four runs – three earned – on four hits with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
Ramirez led the Jets at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Payton was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
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