Trojans advance to title game
Published 11:21 pm Friday, May 6, 2016
The Meadowview Christian Trojans’ softball team is one game away from an Alabama Christian Athletic Association state championship.
Meadowview beat Tabernacle Christian 6-5 and New Life Christian 3-2 Friday at New Life Christian in Millbrook to advance to the state championship game.
The championship game will be played Saturday at noon, and Meadowview will face the winner of Tabernacle and New Life, who play in the loser’s bracket Saturday at 10 a.m.
Meadowview made it to the state tournament by beating Brooklane at home Wednesday in the sub-state round.
In order for either Tabernacle or New Life to beat Meadowview, they would have to beat the Trojans twice. Since Meadowview has already beat both teams, the Trojans only need one more win to hoist the state championship trophy.
“They got hits when it really counted, and they handled the other teams really well,” said Meadowview head coach Cherie Grimes.
The Trojans scored three runs in the first inning of their first game against Tabernacle, as Kalee Jones, Maggie Tipton and Shelby Boswell all crossed home plate. Tipton scored again in the third inning to give Meadowview a 4-3 lead. Tipton added the winning run in the eighth inning to lead the Trojans to the next round.
In the second game against New Life, Mallory Freine scored the first run for Meadowview in the third inning to tie the game 1-1.
The Trojans went scoreless over the next three innings as New Life took a 2-1 lead. In the seventh inning, Tayler Roberts and Kameren Burton each scored to give New Life a 3-2 advantage. New Life was unable to make up the difference.
“Not letting New Life score more than two points was a big deal,” Grimes said. “They’re a really talented hitting team.”
If Meadowview loses its first game against either New Life or Tabernacle Saturday at New Life, another game will be played directly afterward and it will be a winner-take-all scenario.