for right to host Sub-State

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

In a true endurance test under the hot May sun, the Charles Henderson High School softball team was able to play four games on Saturday and win them when they counted most to be named Section 2 Champions.

Their fourth and deciding game of the day came against tourney-host Eufaula, who they were forced to beat twice in a row after being put in the loser’s bracket earlier in the day, and did so in convincing fashion in an 11-6 win in which they never trailed.

The Lady Trojans (32-11) lost their first game against Eufaula Saturday 4-3 after EHS scored two runs in the bottom half of the final inning. That meant it was going to be a long day for CHHS if they hoped to repeat as Section Champions.

"I think losing woke them up," CHHS head coach Steve Haug said. "After that I heard them all say this isn’t over and that they were going to finish this thing.

"It was so hot out there by the end of that last game I was having to talk some of them into do it, and they did," he continued. "They hung in and they did it and it was great all around."

The last game was played to decide the winner of the tournament and who would get the right to host their Sub-State game. The loser would have to take to the road.

As for the Lady Trojans, they came into the game with both guns blazing, something that seemed to carry over from the game before in which they beat Eufaula 6-2.

CHHS scored five big runs in the first inning on bunt single by Emily Christian, single by Betsy White and a two-RBI single by Elizabeth Roundtree to get things started.

"I think the big key was getting those runs early," Haug said. "We scored six runs in the first three innings against Eufaula in that first game and it just carried over into the last one."

The Lady Trojans went on to put up three more runs in both the fourth and the third innings and although Eufaula was able to plate two in the bottom of the seventh, held on for the big win.

Charles Henderson was led by White (29-9) who pitched the entire seven innings striking out eight and walking only one while hitting the 600 strike out mark for her career in the tournament.

Roundtree led the way at the plate with a 3-for-4 night with three RBI’s while Christian had a 3-for-5 showing with a double.

Now CHHS has earned the right to host the Sub-State best of three series against Citronelle today at 1 p.m. It’s the first step back to the State Tournament in Montgomery this weekend.