By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
Etowah had to weather a late rally attempt before securing a 1-0 win over Class 5A, Area 13 rival Guntersville on Tuesday (Apr. 7) in Attalla.
With the Lady Blue Devils (22-7) nursing a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning, three straight hits by loaded the bases with no outs.
All three baserunners were stranded, however, as starting pitcher Madison Grant induced Lauren Quigley to pop up to second, Meagan Schwieterman to fly out to centerfield and Kaitlyn Wood to ground out to second to end the game.
Grant received all the support she would need by way of Brooke Perry’s third-inning home run.
In seven innings, Grant pitched gave up six hits and three walks while striking out 11.
“I had at least four heart attacks in the last inning,” said EHS head coach Stephen Coggins. “Maddy Grant is one of the best pitchers in the county. We only had three hits but one of them was the difference.”
The first few innings was a pitcher’s duel between Grant and Schwieterman, with neither team getting a hit.
But Perry led off the bottom of the third with a towering home run to left-centerfield to give the Lady Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.
Perry was the game’s leading hitter, going 2 for 2 with a home run and a single. Amner Jones had the other Etowah hit.
Erin Lee had a pair of hits for the Lady Wildcats.
In six innings, Schwieterman allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five.