It wasn’t easy but the Ariton Lady Purple Cats (27-18-2) finished play in the Class 2A, Area 3 Tournament in Skipperville on Monday as Area Champions. 

Ariton opened up the double-elimination tournament with a resounding 17-0 win over Houston County in the first round. Lizzy Faircloth led AHS at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, five RBIs and two runs, while Brianna Achaua drove in three runs and both Maciliegh Bragg and Beth Dixon scored three runs. Nya Allen drove in two runs and scored three runs. Faircloth pitched three innings and struck out six batters, while giving up no hits or runs. 

In the second round, though, Ariton fell to host GW Long by a score of 9-8 in extra innings. Ariton took an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth but, with Long facing two outs, the Lady Rebels managed to score back-to-back runs to secure the win in walk-off fashion. 

Dixon led Ariton at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs, while Allen went 2-for-4 with two runs. Madolyn Hudson went 2-for-4 and drove in one run, while Molly Snell scored two runs. Dixon pitched all eight innings and fanned four batters, while giving up 13 hits and eight earned runs. 

A fired up Lady Cats team responded with a 17-0 shutout win over Abbeville in an elimination game next. Dixon went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs, while Achaua went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Hudson also hit a double, drove in two runs and scored two runs. Both Snell and Makinlynn Munn drove in two runs and scored two runs, while Natalee Beltran scored two runs. Faircloth pitched three innings and fanned five batters, while giving up one hit and no runs. 

Ariton moved into the Championship Round against Long next. Ariton would need to beat Long in back-to-back contests to win the area, while the Lady Rebels needed just one win to secure the title. 

Ariton took game one in dramatic fashion. With things tied up 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Hudson drilled a walk-off double that drove in Allen for the winning run 5-4 to force a deciding game. 

Dixon went 2-for-4 with a run, while Allen scored two runs and Bragg drove in two runs. Hudson pitched all seven innings and gave up five hits and no earned runs. 

In the Area Championship, though, it was all Lady Cats. Ariton went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning and never trailed, eventually taking the championship by a score of 4-1. 

Bragg went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, while Achaua went 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Allen scored two runs. Hudson again pitched a complete game, striking out three batters, while giving up 10 hits and just one earned run. 

Ariton now advances to the Regional Softball Tournament in Gulf Shores next week.