Softball regionals: Handley eliminated in 4A, Woodland moves on in 1A

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

Woodland’s path through the 2026 softball regional is shaping up to be very similar to the path they took in 2025.

Just like a year ago, the Lady Bobcats won their first game in the Class 1A Central Regional in convincing, run-rule fashion. And just like last year they fell in the second game to Maplesville – and by almost the exact same score. Maplesville won last year’s game 6-2, and the Red Devils won Tuesday 6-1.

Now Woodland is hoping everything else from last year’s regional stays the same as well. The Lady Cats will have to win three games on Wednesday in order to reach the state tournament for the second year in a row, a feat they pulled off a year ago on their way to a final four finish at state.

Woodland started the day Tuesday with a 13-3 win over Keith in six innings. Woodland built a 12-0 lead through four innings and began to substitute heavily to rest some their starters. But Keith scored three runs in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 12-3 and extend the game another inning before Woodland put its starters back in and walked it off in the bottom of the sixth. Lucy Phillips’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth brought home the deciding run and ended the game with the 10-run mercy rule.

Woodland had eight hits, and Keith committed 12 errors in the contest.

Allie Puckett pitched a complete game and gave up six hits, a walk and two earned runs while striking out 12. And her ability to pitch the entire game takes some of the workload off of No. 1 pitcher Railey Williams, who will be needed throughout the day on Wednesday if Woodland is going to achieve its goal of making it back to the state tournament.

Williams pitched the entire game and drove home Woodland’s only run in the loss to Maplesville. Woodland managed just four hits against the Maplesville pitching tandem of Kennedy Reed and Mollie Kayte Smith. Maplesville led 3-1 in the fifth when Woodland got runners to second and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning with a chance to tie the game. But the Lady Cats were unable to get those runs home, and Maplesville scored three times in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Williams had two of Woodland’s four hits. Kinsley McDaniel and Phillips had the other two Woodland safeties.

Woodland will continue play in the regional in Montgomery Wednesday afternoon at 12:15 against University Charter.

Handley

The Handley Lady Tigers were eliminated from the Class 4A Central Regional in a 10-4 loss to Oak Grove in Tuesday morning’s first elimination game. The loss puts an end to Handley’s season.

It was a 5-4 game in Oak Grove’s favor heading to the seventh inning, but Oak Grove scored five times in the top of the seventh and Handley was unable to rally in the bottom half.

Brynnley Lane went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI, and Breydan Watkins went 1-for-3 with a double and one driven in as Handley managed six hits in the game.

Seventh grade pitcher Ava Christopher helped keep Handley in the game. She pitched three scoreless innings in the third, fourth and fifth as Handley cut what was a 5-2 deficit to 5-4.

Handley finishes the season with a record of 13-21.