Sparkman wins chilly tourney

By Tom Peavy

Published: March 8, 2008

With bitter cold and early snow hitting the Auburn Softball Complex on Saturday, the Auburn Spring Invitational felt more like the Auburn Winter Invitational.

But despite the cold and a nearly two-hour delay, the tournament wrapped up with Sparkman claiming the title with a 4-0 win over Alabama Christian.

The rough weather and the delay forced four teams — Austin, Stanhope-Elmore, Dadeville and Charles Henderson — to withdraw before Saturday’s play got under way.
Central and Smiths Station were the last remaining local teams standing before both were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Smiths Station was eliminated by Eufaula, 3-0, and Central fell to Satsuma, 7-1.

But both had big wins early in the day to reach the quarters.

Smiths Station gave host Auburn an early exit, as the Panthers knocked off the Tigers, 3-0.

Megan Smith picked up the win for Smiths Station, allowing just two hits and striking out nine.

Smiths Station got a run in the second on a Brittany Forrest double and tacked on two more runs in the fourth.

Brittany Truitt and Kaitlin Weaver got Auburn’s only hits.

The Panthers advanced to the Auburn game with a 5-0 win over Elmore County in their opening game of the day.

Central reached the quarterfinals after eliminating Beauregard, 2-1.

Rachel Harp got the win for the Red Devils, pitching five innings and striking out 11 while allowing just five hits.

Kayla Colon was 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI for Central while Ann Marie Gentry was 1-for-2 with a run scored and Erin Tyson was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Peyton DeLong led Beauregard at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Kelsey Rushing was 1-for-2 with a run scored.

The Hornets, though, were hampered by stranding 10 runners against the Red Devils.

Opelika won its opener, 4-2, over Vernon (Fla.), but was eliminated in its next game by Class 4A powerhouse Alabama Christian, 1-0.

Against Vernon, Rebecca Lindsey got the win while Nicole Gortney got the save.

Hillary White had a triple in the win as the Bulldogs built an early 4-0 lead.

But the Bulldogs ran up against ACA and star pitcher Lauren Webster in their next contest.

Webster allowed just one hit, a bunt single by Bailey Stephens.

Beulah also had an early exit from tournament play, falling to UMS-Wright, 3-2.

The Bobcats played one of the day’s first games, finishing out Pool Play with a 5-6 loss to Elmore County before being eliminated by UMS-Wright.

Against UMS-Wright, Erica Nuncio, Jessica Monroe and Caressa Coulter were each 1-for-3.

Monroe had the team’s big hit, belting a two-run single.

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