ACA was playing in the State playoffs for the 23rd time in program history, but felt a little out of water as they had to travel to another city for the first time. In past years, the Eagles were accustomed to warming up on their own field and making the five minute drive to Lagoon Park to compete for State championships, but this year they made the three hour trek to Oxford.
Alabama Christian's day began against Etowah. Pitching dominated the game and the Lady Devils did just enough hitting to beat ACA 3-0. Etowah decided to pitch around Haley Ingram and went after the rest of the lineup and their strategy worked as the Eagle bats were silent. The game was scoreless over the first three innings when starter Rose Costanza worked out of a second inning jam as Etowah wasted a leadoff triple and looked like she was about to do it again in the fourth. Once again, Etowah led off with a triple followed by a walk, but a line drive, double play to Izzy Warrick at short erased the runner on third. However, the next batter launched the very next pitch over the right field fence for the 2-0 lead. Etowah added a run in the sixth to stretch the lead to 3-0.
ACA's only serious threat to score came in the bottom of the sixth as Skylar Crews and Lawson Borland opened the frame with back-to-back walks. With runners on, Etowah had to pitch to Ingram who delivered one of only two Eagle hits of the contest to load the bases with no outs. The next two batters struck out to become the eleventh and twelfth victims of the Etowah starter and the inning ended with a pop out to second base. With the loss, Alabama Christian dropped to the loser's bracket and would have to go the long way to defend its title.
The second game of the day was the exact opposite of the previous contest. ACA and Haleyville combined for twenty-four runs and scored in every half-inning except the top of the first. Starter Izzy Warrick pitched a one-two-three first inning to get the Alabama Christian offense to the plate. Warrick would single in the bottom half and later score on a Rose Costanza ground out for the 1-0 lead. Haleyville evened the score in their half of the second on the first of five Eagle errors. Haley Oswald gave the lead right back to ACA as she singled in Lawson Borland and the Eagles led 2-1 after two.
The Lions scored three runs in the third on three hits and another ACA error. Trailing 4-2, the Lady Eagles exploded for nine runs in the at bat to take a commanding 11-4 lead. After the first batter was retired, eight consecutive batters reached safely. Rose Costanza started the streak with a single to left followed by Hayley Cassidy reaching on an infield error. Annabelle Pugh doubled in Costanza and KG Taylor singled to center scoring Cassidy and Pugh for the 5-4 lead. After Skylar Crews was hit by a pitch, Haley Oswald, Haley Ingram and Izzy Warrick produced three straight hits to stretch the lead to 9-4. The last two runs of the inning were products of a Costanza double and a Cassidy single which gave Alabama Christian a seven run cushion.
After Haleyville scored one run in the top of the fourth, Rose Costanza relieved Izzy Warrick and allowed just one more for an 11-6 lead heading to the home half of the fourth. Haley Ingram got the two back with a double to center that scored KG Taylor and Skylar Crews for a 13-6 advantage. The Lions scored one in their next at bat, but ACA ended it with four runs in the fifth for the run-rule win. Annabelle Pugh and Taylor both drove in single runs and Ingram sent Haleyville home with a two-run single and the 17-7 triumph.
Haley Ingram finished 3 for 5 with a double and five RBIs while Haley Oswald was 3 for 3 with two runs driven in. Annabelle Pugh and KG Taylor were each 3 for 4 with four runs scored and five driven in between the duo. Izzy Warrick picked up the win and Rose Costanza was solid in relief as she fanned four of the five outs in her 1 2/3 inning stint.
The final game of the day was against a familiar opponent as the Lady Eagles battled with the Golden Tigers of LAMP. ACA couldn’t beat LAMP in the regular season, but were looking for their third consecutive postseason victory over the Area foe on Wednesday. Alabama Christian sent LAMP home for the summer with a 2-1 win and advanced to day two of the playoffs with only four teams remaining.
The match up figured to be a tight, low scoring affair with pitching and defense dominating play. After Rose Costanza faced the minimum number of batters in the first, Coach Goodman pulled the starter after the first two Golden Tigers reached base in the second and handed the ball to Izzy Warrick. LAMP would score one run in the inning off an error, but would not score again. Neither offense could get anything going until ACA came to bat in the top of the fifth. With one out, KG Taylor singled to left and was replaced with courtesy runner, Ava Oates. Oates moved to third on a ground out and scored when Haley Oswald singled to right to tie the game, 1-1. The Eagles scored the go ahead run in the sixth when Izzy Warrick led off with a knock to left and then stole second. Warrick advanced to third on a Katie Chappell ground out and scored when Rose Costanza singled on the infield for the 2-1 lead. Warrick made it stand, but not without some seventh inning drama. LAMP loaded the bases with two singles and a two-out intentional walk, but flew out to Ingram in center to end the game
Izzy Warrick earned the victory with six innings of relief work and scoring the game winning run. Seniors Rose Costanza and Haley Oswald each finished 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the offense. The Lady Eagles start right back where they started on Wednesday with a 9:00am game against Etowah on Thursday.