The road to Oxford got tougher for the Wetumpka softball team on Wednesday.
Wetumpka, playing in the AHSAA Class 6A South Regional in Gulf Shores, dropped its opening game of the tournament to Baldwin County, 3-0, to get placed in the loser’s bracket.
The Indians’ second game of the day went much better as they run-ruled Theodore, 10-0, to advance to Thursday’s portion of the tournament. The Indians open Thursday with an elimination game against Saraland at 10:45 a.m.
Wetumpka must win three games in a row on Thursday to earn a spot in the State Tournament next week in Oxford.
PHOTOS: Wetumpka run-rules Theodore, 10-0
“If we show up and swing the bat and score double-digit runs, we’re going to have a chance to come back through the bottom of this bracket,” head coach Daryl Otwell said. “We have to score to win. With the pitching and the depth we have, we’re very capable of winning three games tomorrow.”
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The bats weren’t there in the opener against Baldwin County. The Indians were shutout for only the second time this season and were held to only one hit, which came from leadoff hitter Ashlynn Campbell in the first inning.
The Indians struck out 17 times in the opener, and only put the ball into play five times. Four of those five resulted in outs and three were pop flys for easy outs.
“We knew coming in that Baldwin County had a really good pitcher and it was a good ballgame,” Otwell said. “We struck out like 17 or 18 times and I thought we expanded the zone and started pressing at the plate. We were trying to do too much.”
In the 10-0 win against Theodore, Wetumpka’s offense looked like its normal self. Mya Holt started the game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, and she added another home run in the third inning to put Wetumpka up, 4-0.
Holt added a triple later in the game while Mari Beth Parette added three RBIs, Lily Davenport had three hits with a double, and Chloe Taylor added a double.
With an early lead, pitcher Ella Watson was lights out as she allowed only four hits and struck out six batters.
