By Stan Veitch
Sports Correspondent
Coosa Christian senior softball catcher Alaina Hampton played in Tuesday’s (July 19) AHSAA North-South All-Star softball game, and in the process, put her stamp on the doubleheader at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park.
“There were two catchers and we split innings,” Hampton said. “I got to play in both games.”
In the opener, Hampton went 1-for-2 with a strikeout. On the hit, she advanced to second on a bunt, then went to third on a Destinee Cole single. Hampton didn’t score, however, as the pitchers ruled in an eventual 4-1 North victory.
In the nightcap, Hampton again went 1-for-2 and hit an RBI double. She drove in another run with a fielders’ choice.
The North pounded out 19 hits to win, 12-4.
“Being around that many great players humbled me,” Hampton said. “But hopefully I learned something that will help me at Coosa.”
The teams got to spend one night in college dorms, and Hampton really liked that.
“It gave me a taste of what college will be like,” she said. “For a little while, I felt like I was in college already.”
The UAH commit wasn’t a complete stranger to some of her teammates. Briana Chappell of Tuscaloosa County has also committed to play for UAH, as has Layton Murphy, who pitched for the South.
Murphy and one other girl play on Hampton’s travel ball team – the Birmingham Mustangs.
“Being already acquainted with a couple of the girls really helped me settle down,” Hampton said.
Hampton was named to the Class 1A All-State first team this past season after finishing with a .421 batting average, 40 hits, 49 runs, 41 RBI, 10 home runs, 10 doubles, 23 steals, a .513 on-base percentage and a .905 slugging percentage.