Staff Reports
GERALDINE – The Collinsville Lady Panthers rallied from an early five-run deficit, capped off with Gabriella Whitmore’s game-winning RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh inning, in a 6-5 victory to earn the Class 3A, Area 13 softball title over Fyffe at Geraldine on Tuesday.
Fyffe took a 5-0 lead with a five-run top of the third inning.
Collinsville battled back to tie it in the bottom of the sixth and won it in the bottom of the seventh on Whitmore’s clutch hit. It was her only hit of the game. She finished 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
Jemma Smith led the Lady Panthers by going 2-for-3 with double, a walk and a RBI. Maelee Barkley went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.
Carlee Davis, Bella Wills and Karlee Middlebrooks were each 1-for-4. Middlebrooks scored a run.
Aubrey Reeves walked twice and drove in a run. Lexii Burt scored a run.
Smith tossed two innings and gave up five earned runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Barkley earned the win after working five innings of one-hit ball with three walks and four strikeouts.
Both Collinsville and Fyffe advance to the East Regional at Albertville’s Sand Mountain Park on Monday. Collinsville will play against Area 9 runner-up Weaver at 10:45 a.m.
