Sports Editor

Struggling or not, the Charles Henderson Lady Trojans’ softball team has a game tonight in the first round of the Class 5A Section 2 Tournament with the Greenville Lady Tigers.

Opening pitch will be thrown out at 6:30 p.m. at the Troy Sportsplex.

CHHS moved to 16-15 on the season with a win over Northview on Tuesday, but it was only the Lady Trojans’ fourth win in the last 11 outings.

"That was a big win for us over Northview because we’ve been struggling so much," said CHHS head coach Steve Haug. "We’ve been playing great defense, but we haven’t been able to hit the ball in a game. We gave up four runs in the first two innings, but in the fifth we tied it up and then the girls were ready. They were fired up and ready to play."

Haug said even though there are eight seniors on this year’s team, just four of those players saw extensive playing time last season, while the others have had to come "in and find their own."

"I told them after the Northview game that this was what it was all about. We need to build on this," said Haug. "And they’ve come out in the last two practices and been fired up about playing. Hopefully, we’ll go into this sectional and play well."

The Lady Trojans blanked Greenville 14-0 in the first meeting between the two schools and 7-2 in the follow-up game at the Sportsplex.

"They’re (GHS) playing better then they were when the season began," said Haug. "It just depends. If we come out here and play like we’re capable of playing we should be okay."

The six-team tournament is double elimination and win over Greenville tonight will set up a match-up between CHHS and Valley High School on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Valley and Eufaula received

opening round byes in this year’s tournament. Russell County and Carroll will play the other first round contest at 8 p.m., with the winner there playing Eufaula.

The Lady Tigers of Eufaula have had CHHS’s number this season, winning three straight by a grand total of three runs.

"I think if we play are game we can win the first two ball games," said Haug. "And if we get lucky enough to get a few hits we can beat Eufaula. The only reason we’ve lost by one run three times to Eufaula is because we weren’t hitting the ball."