Breedlove's walk-off home run sends Austin to area finals

May 2—Sometimes in sports, it pays to take risks. Other times, those risks backfire.

James Clemens took a huge risk on Friday in the Class 7A, Area 8 softball tournament when the Jets decided to pitch to Austin's Arden Breedlove with a one-run lead and a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh. That gamble didn't pay off as Breedlove blasted a walk-off, two-run home run to give the Black Bears a 6-5 win and a berth in the area championship.

"I was a little bit surprised they pitched to me, but I think in that situation they wanted to go at me," Breedlove said. "I'm really glad they did."

James Clemens had done a good job in Friday's game of pitching around Austin's star player, holding her to no hits going into the final inning. One slip up, however, was all it took for Breedlove to change the game.

"They didn't give me much to hit all game and that at-bat they started throwing me all outside," Breedlove said. "Coach (Blake) Gray told me to swing at it if it was there, and they ended up throwing me middle-in. That's my pitch."

Austin had to rally from the start in Friday's game as James Clemens took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Black Bears scored three runs in the third inning and then tied it 4-4 in the fourth. James Clemens took the lead back 5-4 in the top of the seventh before Breedlove finished the game a half-inning later.

"I'm super proud of our team as a whole because they battled back multiple times," Austin head coach Blake Gray said. "Arden's home run doesn't win us the game of it wasn't for our seventh grader Kyleigh Gamble getting a lead-off single."

Breedlove finished the game with a hit and three RBIs to lead Austin. Evelyn Lamb added two hits and an RBI and Marissa Adams had two hits.

With the win Austin advances to the Class 7A, Area 8 championship Saturday at 2 p.m. The Black Bears would have to lose twice to lose the championship, while needing only one win to win it.

"We're not done. We've got to finish it," Gray said. "We're going to take it one pitch at a time and just continue to do what we've been doing."

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Austin 14, Florence 8: Khalilah Mason drove in four runs on two hits, including a home run, as Austin cruised in the first game of the area tournament.

Marissa Adams and Liann Sanchez each added two hits and an RBI.

— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2