Photo: Hokes Bluff’s Ryan Lumpkin slides into home plate as Gadsden City’s Raina Underwood awaits the throw during the Lady Eagles’ 14-7 victory in high school softball on Feb. 23 at GCHS. (Courtesy of Alex Chaney)
Hokes Bluff rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Gadsden City, 14-7, in girls softball on Feb. 23 at GCHS.
After the Lady Titans took an early 1-0 lead, the visitors went ahead 2-1 in the top of the third via a home run by Abby Payne and a score off an error by Ryan Lumpkin.
The hosts answered in the bottom of the inning. Chasity Autrey and Raina Underwood went yard in consecutive at-bats and Memphis Myers singled and scored to provide Gadsden City with a 4-2 advantage.
The Lady Titans padded their lead to five runs in the top of the fourth on Underwood’s three-run dinger.
The Lady Eagles were down but far from out, as Hokes Bluff plated four runs in the fifth and eight more in the sixth to win going away. Kadyn Howell’s two-run double, Sophia Jackson’s score off an error and Lacey Hall’s RBI groundout drew the Lady Eagles within 7-6.
Makenna Bennich’s homer on the second pitch of the top of the sixth tied the game at 7, and Lumpkin scored off an error later in the inning to provid Hokes Bluff the lead for good.
Chloe Dodd then singled in Jackson, Addison Simmons and Peyton Ward scored off an error, Dodd came home on a sacrifice fly, and Howell and Payne scored on errors to complete the comeback.
For Hokes Bluff, Bennich went 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored; Payne went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored; Lumpkin went 1-for-3 with two runs scored; Dodd had a hit, an RBI and a run scored; and Jackson, Ward and Howell each had two runs scored.
For Gadsden City, Underwood went 2-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored; while Autrey had a hit, an RBI and a run scored.
Hall earned the win, allowing two earned runs, two walks and six hits while striking out 14. Bella Gray fanned eight for the Lady Titans.