By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
Fort Payne appeared to have their Class 5A, Area 13 softball game with Etowah well in hand on Wednesday.
Then a change in the weather arrived in Attalla.
The Lady Wildcats had built an early 4-0 lead when a cool, steady drizzle took over.
That moisture soon turned into a tornado named Madison Grant.
The freshman pitcher held the visitors in check during the remainder of the game, giving up only two hits and one earned run.
Grant helped her cause by leading off the fifth and sixth innings with hits. She also scored both Etowah’s first run of the game and delivered the go-ahead run the next inning as Etowah pulled out a 9-5 victory.
Etowah head coach B.J. Jones was well pleased with the way his team battled back after being down by four runs early in the game.
“This is a big win, because we’re now 3-0 in area play. We came from behind with some big hits.”
The Lady Wildcats scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Baylee Eason’s two-RBI single gave the visitors an early 2-0 lead.
Fort Payne increased its lead to 4-0 an inning later with two more runs.
The Lady Blue Devils (12-11, 3-0) finally got their offense on track in the fourth inning.
Grant led off with a double, and then scored on a wild pitch. Cailee Chaffin walked, Paden Allen singled and Aimee Fancher reached on an error.
Bree Vasser then reached base on an error, plating two runs, while Allen scored on a wild pitch.
The bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the beginning of the end for the DeKalb County squad.
Grant led off with a base hit, followed by respective singles by Brooke Perry and Madison Bishop to load the bases with no outs.
Chaffin followed with a single to drive in Etowah’s first two runs of the inning.
Vasser then brought home two more runs with a two-out single making the score 8-4.
Each team added a run in the sixth inning.
Etowah travels Springville on Monday (Apr. 8 ) and hosts area rival Southside on Tuesday (Apr. 9).