Lady Jags walk off to state
Spain Park fought through challenges to make a sweep of the North Central Regional a reality, with wins over Hoover and Vestavia Hills.
The Lady Jags’ initial game against Hoover on Friday started over two hours later than scheduled, a game Spain Park won 10-2.
The winner’s bracket game was to be played against Vestavia Hills later that evening, but the teams only played a few minutes past midnight before they were forced to halt the action, leaving the game standing at a 2-0 lead for the Lady Jags after four innings.
Play resumed at 9 a.m. Saturday, and Spain Park lost all its momentum from the night before. Vestavia Hills took the lead in the first inning of the day – the fifth inning in the game – with a four-run frame.
“I knew they were ready to play. I knew that their batters have seen our pitching and our defense five times (this season) and we knew we were going to have to fight and hit with them, and continue to make plays,” Spain Park head coach C.J. Hawkins said of the Lady Rebels.
Kynadi Tipler came up with the clutch hit for the Lady Jags, smacking an extra base hit to score a run. She came home later in the inning on a ground ball to tie the game at 4-4 after six innings.
Casey Kizer was the walk-off hero in the seventh inning, as her hustle on a ground ball forced a wild throw to first, allowing the winning run to score. The big win gave Spain Park the first regional qualifier slot for the state tournament next week.
“Words can’t describe how I feel,” Hawkins said. “These girls have worked so hard, overcome so much adversity this year, and they deserve every bit of this.”
The feat marks the first time in program history that the Lady Jags have claimed the area championship and the first regional qualifier slot in the same season.
In the win over Hoover, the Lady Jags took hold of an early lead on Destini England’s two-run triple. Mary Katherine Tedder and Jenna Olszewski also drove in runs, as they cruised to victory.
Seventh-grader Annabelle Widra pitched every inning in each of the two games, continuing to pass tests at the varsity level with flying colors.
The state tournament will take place in Montgomery next week, beginning on Friday. Staying the course is the best thing the Lady Jags can do at this stage.
“They just have to keep doing the fundamentals correctly. Sticking together, understanding the process, and keep working hard,” Hawkins said.