After a mediocre regular season, by program standards, the Alabama Christian softball team has played its best ball of the year as they rolled through the 4A South Regional in Gulf Shores on Friday and Saturday. ACA is now 6-0 in the postseason with three game sweeps in the Area tournament last week and the Regionals this week. The Regional finish ensures an appearance in the State playoffs for the 24th time in 26 years (not including last year’s canceled season).
Izzy Warrick set the tone, in the first game of the tournament, as she set down St. Michaels, out of Mobile, in the top of the first on just seven pitches. Warrick then helped herself in the bottom half as she drove in Haley Ingram with a single to right for the first run of the game. The Eagles were not finished as Katie Chappell tripled to score Warrick and later scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 3-0. Hayley Cassidy scored the last run of the inning on an infield error by the Cardinal pitcher and ACA led 4-0 after one. Warrick struck out the side in the second after a leadoff single to keep St Michaels off the scoreboard. The first five Eagles reached safely in the bottom half as Warrick, Chappell and Rose Costanza each produced run-scoring hits to stretch the lead to 7-0. Alabama Christian added three more in the third as Ingram, Warrick and Costanza each drove in runs. St Michaels scored their only run of the game in the fourth to cut the lead to 10-1 and after the Eagles hit into a double play in the bottom of the fourth it looked like the game would move to the fifth inning. However, Ava Oates drew a walk to load the bases and the Lady Eagles connected on four of the next five pitches thrown and run-ruled the Cardinals 16-1. After a Warrick single, Chappell, Costanza and Maddie Traywick hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to end the game. Traywick’s hit was the first of her career for the Eagles.
Izzy Warrick earned the win in the circle with four innings pitched including eight strikeouts and added three hits with three runs scored as she drove in one run in each of her four at bats. Katie Chappell became the twelfth player in school history to have two triples in a game as she finished 3 for 4 with two triples, a double with three runs scored and four RBIs. Rose Costanza went 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and four runs driven in.
The Class of 2021 celebrates another Regional title.
In the second game of the day, ACA blew open a close game with four runs in the sixth inning for a 7-2 defeat of Ashford. The Eagles opened the game scoring a run without the benefit of a hit for an early 1-0 lead. Haley Ingram led off the game with a walk and stole second on the very next pitch. The senior leadoff hitter moved to third on an Izzy Warrick sacrifice and scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. In the fourth, Rose Costanza drove in the second run of the game with a double to left that scored Katie Chappell for the 2-0 advantage. In the circle, Costanza threw up zeroes for the first five innings as she limited the Jackets to five hits. ACA gave themselves some breathing room in the sixth with four runs and a six run lead. Ingram led off the inning with an infield single followed by Warrick and Chappell being hit by pitch to load the bases. Costanza promptly unloaded them on a 1-2 count with a double to right field and a 5-0 lead. Hayley Cassidy’s ground out scored courtesy runner Ava Oates for the sixth run of the game. Ashford scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, but Alabama Christian answered with one of their own in the seventh on a Warrick single to put the lead back to six runs as Ashford prepared for its last at bat. The Jackets scored once, but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles prevailed 7-2.
Rose Costanza picked up the victory as the defense behind her delivered a solid effort with no errors. The senior starter pitched seven innings with three strikeouts and produced two of the team’s five hits, both doubles, that drove in four runs. Katie Chappell and Haley Ingram both scored two runs apiece. The win put ACA in the winner bracket finals where they would face off against Geneva who upset LAMP on Friday.
Geneva jumped to a 2-0 lead as the Panthers scored two to start the game. ACA tied it up in the third when Izzy Warrick and Katie Chappell both knocked in runs. Geneva scored two in the next half inning to regain the lead 4-2. The Eagle bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth as ACA plated six runs for the 8-4 lead. After a strikeout to start the inning, eight straight Alabama Christian batters reached safely to help score the six runs. With one out, KG Taylor singled followed by Skylar Crews and Lawson Borland being hit by pitch to load the bases. Haley Ingram tripled to left to clear the bases and give ACA the lead for good at 5-4. An Izzy Warrick single along with a Katie Chappell double and a Rose Costanza single knocked in three more runs and the Lady Eagles led 8-4 after four innings. Coach Chris Goodman called on Warrick to relieve Costanza to start the fifth to give Geneva a different look. The strategy worked as Warrick set down the next six batters she faced and only gave up one run in the seventh frame. ACA tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth with some unselfish softball as batters gave themselves up to score runs. Haley Ingram and Warrick led things off with back-to-back singles to give the offense runners on second and third with no outs. On an 0-2 count, Chappell grounded out to second base to score Ingram and Costanza followed with a sacrifice to get Warrick home and give ACA a six run cushion heading to the seventh. Geneva tallied a single run in the seventh and the Lady Eagles were headed to Oxford with a 10-5 victory and the 4A South Region championship.
Rose Costanza got the win with four innings of work and five strikeouts while Izzy Warrick picked up the save with three innings of one-run pitching with five strikeouts. Haley Ingram paced the offense as she went 4 for 4 with a triple, three runs scored and three RBIs. Warrick finished 3 for 3 with a double, three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk. Hayley Cassidy and Katie Chappell each had two hits in four at bats while Chappell had a double and knocked in three runs.