By Staff
Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
No three-peat for the Lady Tigers. The top ranked 5A-softball team in the state will not be going to Montgomery to defend their state title. The Hartselle Lady Tigers quest for a third-straight state championship came to an end Saturday.
The Huntsville Lady Panthers, behind the pitching of Kristen Beddingfield, sweep the best two-of-three series with two 1-0 shutouts at on the Lady Tigers home field.
Huntsville 1, Hartselle 0
Beddingfield fired a three-hitter at the Lady Tigers to improve to 28-8 on the season.
Huntsville scored the game's lone run in the fourth inning. Emily Roach singled and moved to third on an error. Roach came home when Audrey Hoyle singled to left. Sabrina Roberts took the loss for Hartselle.
Huntsville 1, Hartselle 0
The Lady Panthers broke the scoreless tie when they scored in the fourth inning. After a walk pinch-runner Roach moved to third on a Lady Tiger error and would score two batters latter on a single.
Hartselle threatened in the sixth inning when Sabrina Roberts singled to lead off the inning.
Roberts was replaced for pinch-runner Jessica Barbrey. Barbrey moved to third on a fielder's choice by JJ Lawrimore.
Barbrey would remain at third as Beddingfield struck out Sarah McNutt and got Shan Jones to fly out to center.
JJ Lawrimore took the loss for Hartselle.
The Lady Tigers ended the season with a 37-17 record.
Seven seniors ended their careers with the losses. Rachel Davidson, Holly Hampton, Anna Byrd, JJ Lawrimore, Rachel Carden, Sabrina Roberts and Ashley Wiseheart all played their last game for the Lady Tigers.