The Troy Angels used heart, hard work, determination and well-played softball to win the Sub-District 1 softball tournament in Luverne on Monday night.

After starting the tournament 2-0, the Angels entered Monday’s game with a chance to clinch the championship. It wasn’t that easy for head coach Terry Garrett and the Angels, as they dropped their first game on Monday night to Luverne 12-4. That forced a deciding game in the championship, and the Angels flipped the tables on Luverne, winning 14-4.

In game one, walks plagued the Angels from the first pitch to the last. In all, the Angels walked 18 Luverne hitters, which set them up for big innings.

“We struggled in our first game against Luverne last night. Our pitching staff just would not throw strikes,” Garrett said. “We walked 18 batters and gave up 12 runs. We lost the game because of one thing, that was walks. I pitched three different pitchers. It wasn’t just one girl it was all three of them.

Game two for the Angels was a night and day difference against Luverne. The Angels capitalized on walks by Luverne by loading the bases and getting big key hits. The Angels scored their 14 runs in the first two innings of the game. Luverne failed to score in the third inning, giving the Angels the 10-run rule victory after three innings.

“They came out in the second game, and we only batted in two innings, scoring the 14 runs,” Garrett said. “We hit the ball real well, and they struggled with their pitching staff a little bit as well. They had run out of pitching in that second game.”

Ally Rushing pitched all three innings for the Angels in the second game, picking up the win for Troy.

Dakota Berry led the way in hitting finishing the game batting 2-2. Berry and May both had big hits in the second inning, both scoring runs.

The Angels finished the Sub-District tournament with a 3-1 record.

“The girls are doing leaps and bounds above what most of us expected of them,” Garrett said. “They have come so far, and they have worked so hard during practice. We stress playing as team, but we have also stressed doing the situational stuff. I can’t believe how well they have increased their abilities in a two week period.”

The Angels will now set their sites on next weekend’s district tournament.

“I am excited about district,” Garrett said. “I think we have a very good opportunity to go into district and hopefully finish in the top two and advance to the state tournament.”

The advancement to district brings tougher competition.

“We know a little about our competition at district,” Garrett said. “We have been following what has been going on in the other tournaments. We have already played Dothan National. We lost but it was 5-4. Our biggest thing is the girls are going to have to go into it loose, and we can’t have all these walks.”

First pitch is 7:30 p.m. Friday in Greenville.