through losers bracket

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

EUFAULA – They had to take the long way, but the Charles Henderson High School softball team pushed the Eufaula Lady Tigers into a final and deciding game Saturday in the Section 2 softball tournament.

With a 6-2 win in which pitcher Betsy White came only two outs away from notching her second perfect game of the tourney, the Lady Trojans fought there way through the losers bracket playing a total of four games Saturday.

Simply being in the Championship game gives CHHS a berth in the upcoming Sub-State series. The winner and runner-up from each section moves on to the State Playoffs.

After winning their opening game Friday against Russell County in a 10-0 shutout, the Lady Trojans fell in their first game on Saturday in a tough 4-3 loss to hosting Eufaula.

The Lady Tigers came from one down to score the tying and go-ahead run in the bottom of the final inning giving them the rest of the day off while CHHS had drop to the loser’s bracket.

They did their job by easily dismissing Carroll of Ozark 17-1 in four innings then coming in on fire against Eufaula taking a 6-0 lead into the final inning of the "Championship Game."

Eufaula was able to break up White’s perfect game with two singles in the inning, eventually scoring both runners, but it wasn’t enough as CHHS held on.

White and Nicki Wingard led the Lady Trojans with 2-for-4 nights with White notching a double. Emily Watkins had two hits and an RBI in the game while Elizabeth Roundtree had a triple and Emily Christian finished with a single and two runs scored.

**Results from the fifth and final championship game weren’t available at press time**

GAME 1

CHHS 10, Russell County 0

The Lady Trojans started things out with a bang as White pitched a perfect game to begin the tournament.

Behind 15 strikeouts by White, CHHS ousted Russell County 10-0 in only six innings facing the minimum of 18 batters and only throwing 74 pitches.

Seven different Lady Trojans had hits in the game as CHHS scored two runs in the first three innings, three in the fourth, then one in the sixth to end the game.

Kelly Miller, White, Ashley Faust and Pruitt all had multiple hits in the game with Pruitt notching a triple.

GAME 2

Eufaula 4, CHHS 3

The Tournament’s host team struck a hard blow to the Lady Trojans in their first game Saturday coming from behind late to win 4-3.

Going into the seventh inning CHHS was behind by one, 2-1, and was able to score two runs in the top of the seventh to take a one-point lead.

Eufaula then got a lead-off walk and put together back-to-back hits in a triple by Poarche Hicks to tie the game and a single by Meredith McKenzie that was the game winner.

GAME 3

CHHS 17, Carroll 1

In an attempt to save strength for the games upcoming, the Lady Trojans piled on the runs early against Carroll of Ozark looking to end it by the 15-run rule after three innings.

CHHS held a 15-0 advantage going into the bottom of the third, but Carroll was able to plate a run in the inning to spoil the shutout.

The Lady Trojans did put Carroll away in the fourth, however, scoring two runs and bringing Faust to the mound to get the save.

White had a 2-run home run in the first inning and Faust went 3-for-3 with a double.