Alabama Christian qualified for Regional play for the 25th consecutive time with two wins to open the Area tournament. There was a sense of deja vu for ACA as they struggled during the regular season against local Area competition, but turned the tables in the postseason. Last year, the Lady Eagles lost all five contests to LAMP and St James, but beat the two teams in all four postseason meetings. This year, ACA went 1-3 in the regular season against the two in-town Area rivals, but beat each team once to advance to the Area finals and secure a spot in the Regional tournament.
The Eagles jumped on St James early in the tournament opener with two first-inning runs on just one hit. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases with one out. Diana Blackburn hit a grounder to second to drive in the first run and Annabelle Pugh singled in the second run for the 2-0 lead. ACA scored two more in the second as Anna Williams drove in both runs for a commanding 4-0 lead. Izzy Warrick took it from there and scattered six hits over seven innings to earn the win. The freshman struck out four and dealt with base runners in five of the seven innings, but held the Trojans to a single run. Campbell Hammett and Annabelle Pugh collected the team’s only two hits in the 4-1 triumph.
Alabama Christian faced the host school, LAMP, in the winner bracket finals and defeated the Golden Tigers, 2-1. ACA struck first again as Izzy Warrick scored on an Anna Williams sacrifice aided by an infield error. Annabelle Pugh knocked in the second run with a fourth-inning single that scored Williams. LAMP scored its only run in the bottom half but could manage no more. Warrick was spectacular in the circle again with nine strikeouts and no walks over seven innings. Warrick, Pugh and Maddie Traywick had the hits for the victors.
Despite only five hits in the first two games, Alabama Christian sits alone as the only undefeated team in the tournament. The defense which struggled with errors all year committed only one in the first two games in support of Warrick.