RCHS second baseman Khloe Yates went 7-for-8 and drove in eight runs as the team went 3-0 and won their area championship for the third straight season.
The Randolph County Lady Tigers won their third straight area championship with an 11-8 win over Weaver Saturday in Wedowee.
RCHS led the tournament championship game 6-1, but briefly fell behind as Weaver scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 7-6 lead. But RCHS responded immediately with four runs in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead, one they would not surrender again.
Gracie Huckeba led off the game with a solo home run, and started the four-run fourth inning with a base hit as she was integral to the team’s 3-game sweep of their area tournament games.
The Lady Tigers got big production from the bottom of their order as third baseman Kinsley Weathers and second baseman Khloe Yates were virtually unstoppable throughout the tournament.
Yates, who bats in the No. 8 spot in the lineup, whent 7-for-8 and drove in eight runs in the three tournament games, including a 3-for-3, 4 RBI performance in the championship game.
Weathers, batting one spot ahead of Yates, was 6-for-9 and scored seven runs while driving in two over the course of the tournament.
Huckeba, the only senior starter on the team, finished the tournametn 5-for-12 with five RBI, seven runs scored and four stolen bases out of the leadoff spot. Huckeba has signed to play at Southern Union next season.
Abi Waters came up clutch in the circle for the Lady Tigers. She pitched a complete-game in their 7-2 win over Weaver in the semi-final game Saturday, then pitched the final three innings of the championship game to close out that win. For the tournament she went 10 innings, gave up nine hits, and issued just one walk while striking out five.
RCHS won its tournament opener Friday, 15-0 against Saks in three innings. That got them to Saturday’s semi-final game. Yates pitched all three innings in that game and allowed just one hit.
The Tigers now set their sights on a return trip to the state tournament as they prepare for play in the Class 3A Northeast Regional in Alabaster next week.
RCHS made the state tournament for the first time in school history last season with a heart-pounding run in Alabaster after they lost their first game of the regional.
They will begin regional play Wednesday, May 13, at 9 a.m.
The 3A state tournament begins Thursday, May 21 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.
