Lady Bucs Drop Series to Calhoun

Decatur/Tuscaloosa- The Shelton State softball team saw their season come to a close after dropping 3 out of 4 games against the Calhoun Lady Warhawks (11-5, 5-6, 2-5, 0-2).

Game 1:

Victoria Hagemann was lights out in the circle as she led the Lady Bucs to a 11-5 win in game one.

Hagemann went the distance allowing 5 runs (2 earned) while striking out 10 batters. Hagemann's 10 punchouts were a season high and pushed her over the 100-career strikeout mark. The Lady Bucs now have two pitchers who have reached 100 strikeouts this season.

Hagemann struggled to get settled in, walking 3 of her first 4 batters with a triple in between to give the Lady Warhawks a 3-0 lead after 1 inning. 2 more walks and an error would lead to 2 more runs for the Lady Warhawks giving them a 5-run lead after 2 innings.

The Lady Buc bats would wake up in the 3^rd as Alana Spann would single to centerfield to lead off the innings before a Lauren Coker base hit and back-to-back doubles by Willeshia Lang and Harley Johnson would make the score 5-3.

Aspen Gerald would continue the streak as she blasted a solo home run in the top of the 4^th inning. Spann would add another single, followed by a Layla Bradshaw base hit, Lauren Coker walk and another Willesha Lang double, the Lady Bucs would take a 7-5 lead. A Calhoun error would push the lead to 8-5.

The Lady Bucs would tack onto the lead in the 6^th as Willeshia Lang added her 3^rd double of the game and Aspen Gerald and Alana Spann would add base hits to extend the lead to 11-5.

After a rocky start, Hagemann would allow just 4 hits over the final 4 innings.

Alana Spann and Willeshia Lang were the stars for the Lady Bucs. Lang went 4-5 with 3 doubles and drove in 4 runs. Spann added 4 hits in 5 trips to the plate adding 1 run scored and 1 RBI.

Game 2:

The Lady Bucs dropped an extra inning heartbreaker in game two as Calhoun scored 6-5 walk-off victory in the 9^th inning,

Lexi Darnell started the game for the Lady Bucs going 3 innings giving 5 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits. Mackenzie Harper went 5 and 1/3 innnings giving up 1 run on 5 hits striking out 6.

The Lady Bucs struck 1^st in the game as Lauren Coker and Harley Johnson had base hits and moved around on a pair of fielder's choices before Willeshia Lang scored on a Aspen Gerald ground out. Shelton would add a run in the 3^rd as Chloe Micthell would double and advance to 3^rd on a passed ball. Mitchell would score on a Layla Bradshaw sacrifice fly to right field.

Calhoun would cut the lead in half on a sacrifice fly in the 3^rd. The Lady Warhawks would score 4 runs in the 4^th in part to 4 singles, a hit by pitch, and error.

Back-to-back doubles by Micthell and Bradshaw in the 5^th would cut the Lady Warhawk lead to 5-3 and the Lady Bucs would need magic in the 7^th to tie the game.

Chloe Mitchell walked to lead off the 7^th inning and Layla Bradshaw would single to advance Mitchell to 3^rd base. Mitchell scored on a Willeshia Lang groundout and Bradshaw would advance to third. Bradshaw scored the game-tying run on a passed ball to take the game to the bottom of the 7^th.

After the late game heroics there would be 12 consecutive out recorded by both teams combined before Calhoun paired a single, sacrifice bunt, and double together in the bottom of the 9^th to walk-off the Lady Bucs.

Layla Bradshaw was the only Lady Buc to record multiple hits in the game (2) as well as multiple RBI's (2). Bradshaw also scored 3 of the 5 runs.

Game 3:

The Lady Bucs could overcome a slow start as they dropped game three 5-2.

Calhoun used 4 base hits and a walk to score 3 runs in the 1^st inning. The Lady Bucs cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the inning on a Harley Johnson out base hit that scored Chloe Mitchell and Layla Bradshaw was called out on a bang-bang play at the plate to end the inning.

Chloe Mitchell launched a solo home run in the 3^rd inning to bring the Lady Bucs within 1 run (3-2). Calhoun would add to the lead in the 6^th on a 2 RBI base hit.

Victoria Hagemann went 5 innings in the loss giving up 5 runs on 7 hits. Mackenzie Harper finished the game giving up 1 hit in 2 innings of work.

Chloe Mitchell was the only Lady Buc to record multiple hits (2) and was responsible for both of the Lady Buc runs.

Game 4:

The Lady Bucs were unable to get the bats going in 2-0 loss in a win or go home game to close the season.

Lexi Darnell went the full 7 innings in the circle giving up 2 runs on 8 hits.

The Lady Bucs threatened in the 4^th drawing back-to-back walks before Harley Johnson was called out on a controversial play after laying down a sacrifice bunt.

A true pitchers' duel saw the game head to the 7^th inning knotted at 0-0 before the Lady Warhawks broke through with 3 hits in the top half of the inning.

The Lady Bucs only had 2 hits in the contest (Alana Spann and Layla Bradshaw).