Four local teams one day away from state softball tournament

May 12—FLORENCE — Four local teams are just one game away from the state tournament after the first day of regionals on Monday.

Hartselle, Athens, West Morgan and West Limestone will play in their regional final on Tuesday to decide the top qualifier in their classification going into the state tournament in Oxford next week.

Austin will play in the losers' bracket of the east regional after a loss to Thompson in the second round.

After two close wins over Hamilton and then Wilson, West Morgan will face Good Hope on Tuesday in the north regional final. A win would give the Rebels their first spot in the state tournament since 2014.

"This is so important to me," West Morgan senior Chasity Rikard said. "I'm honestly willing to miss my graduation if it means us going to state."

In class 6A, Hartselle and Athens will meet in the north regional final to decide who goes to state and who goes to the loser's bracket.

This will be the second straight year the two have met in the regional final. Last season Hartselle beat Athens 2-0.

"With Athens it's always going to be back and forth. It's never going to be a cakewalk," Hartselle head coach Anna Hall said. "It's always going to be tough because they keep fighting like we keep fighting."

West Limestone will see Plainview on Tuesday in the east regional final.

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Hartselle 10, Fort Payne 0: Aubree Peak and Addison Chudy combined to throw a five-inning no-hitter to open up regional play on Monday.

Katie Norgard was 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Amelia Fox knocked in three runs on a triple. Jesi Chittham had a two-run home run. Ryley Wolf and Hatsumi Peterson had an RBI each. Peak pitched three innings with five strikeouts. Chudy was perfect in her two innings pitched.

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Hartselle 10, Hazel Green 4: Bailey Lawrence dove over the left field wall and robbed what would have been the lead-taking home run in the bottom of the sixth as the Tigers beat Hazel Green in nine innings to make it to the regional final.

Katie Norgard was 2-for-5 with a three-run home run. Hatsumi Peterson hauled in three RBIs on a home run and a double. Aubrey Mize, Ryley Wolf, Amelia Fox and KJ Prater all knocked in a run each.

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West Morgan 4, Wilson 0: Chasity Rikard didn't allow a single run in a complete game with five strikeouts pitched as West Morgan won the second match of the day.

Maddie Letson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hatleigh White and Payson Terry knocked in a run each. Alyssa Cleveland was 2-for-3.

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West Morgan 2, Hamilton 1: Chasity Rikard pitched for nine strikeouts and four hits in a complete game in their first match of the day.

Tensley Suggs and Maddie Letson knocked in a run each. Adi Grace Rodgers and Hatleigh White were both 2-for-3.