The games were far from straightforward on Wednesday night.
The AHSAA North-South All-Star Game at Lagoon Park in Montgomery played out over nearly five hours, with the South team earning the bragging rights. The two teams tied in the first game, before the South team edged the North in the second contest.
Game one ended in a 13-13 tie that swung several times over seven innings. Trailing 5-2 in the fourth, the South scored four runs on a bases-clearing double by Baldwin County’s Brooke McGowin, which plated Gulf Shores' KK Jacks in the process to take a 6-5 lead. The South tacked on five more runs in the sixth on singles from Mallory Earp, Mylee Stagner and Kaitlyn Hudson, a groundout and a fielding error, and a two-run triple from Wetumpka's Lexie Smith, to push the lead to 11-6 heading into the seventh.
The North answered with seven runs in the top of the seventh, capped by a three-run homer from Hackleburg’s Braylynn Pope that put the North in front 13-11. Fairhope’s Briley Bolden had the last word, though, launching a two-run homer of her own in the bottom of the seventh to even the score at 13-13, where it stood when the inning ended.
The second game turned into a mirror image of the first. The South scored eight runs in the opening inning, keyed by RBI hits from Khloe Broadwater and McGowin and a two-run single from Ava Milton, and led 11-6 entering the seventh. The North wasn’t finished, though, scoring four runs in the final frame on a two-run triple from Spain Park’s Abby King and a run-scoring single from Hayden’s Halie Pavolini. The North had the potential tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second when the final out was recorded to end it, 11-10.
McGowin was named the South’s Most Valuable Player after going 4-for-9 with four RBIs across both games. She got plenty of help, as Bolden finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Faith Academy’s Mylee Stagner had three hits and scored four runs, and Milton added two hits, three RBIs and four runs scored.
Pope earned North MVP honors with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. Cullman’s Hattie Graham chipped in two hits and two RBIs, Hanna Kimbrell finished with two hits and three runs scored, and Pavolini added three hits and two RBIs of her own.
A few other players factored into the scoring as well. Pike Road's Addison Belyeu doubled in a run during the South's second-inning rally in game one. Tuscaloosa County's Kensley Spann had two hits and an RBI in the opener, then added a go-ahead RBI double in the nightcap. Mars Hill’s Molly Wright singled and scored in game one before collecting two more hits, including a triple, in game two. Saraland's Kyla Reed reached base multiple times in the opener and scored twice, then added an RBI single in the second game. Kennedy Hockman drew two walks and made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch as well.
Leroy's Liz Baugh added a single in the opener, and St. Clair County's Demeria Dean scored twice in the nightcap. Etowah's Kylee Wilder drove in a run with a single in game one, then led off the North's third inning of game two with a single before scoring on a Pavolini double; New Hope's Ella Baswell followed with an RBI single of her own to cap that rally.
In the circle, the North used five pitchers across the two games: Thompson's Autumn Ingle, Boaz's Grier Maples, Colbert Heights' Addison Holcomb, Pope and Sand Rock's Emma Sipsy. The South leaned on two, with Wetumpka's Lalah Culpepper and Newman splitting the pitching duties in both games.
Madison Smith of Baker also represented the South team.
The North still leads the all-time series 29-28-2. Springville’s John Paul Taruc and Boaz’s Chad Hall coached the North squad, while Satsuma’s Lauren Etheridge and Horseshoe Bend’s Hagen Whiteard led the South.
PHOTOS: All the photos from the North-South Game can be found at this link.
Author’s note: The photos are made available at no charge. If you enjoy coverage of softball in Alabama, please consider subscribing to 4 Corners. Those tanks of gas add up. And say hi next time you see me (Kyle) at the ballpark!