No. 1 Hartselle, West Morgan win regional championships

May 13—FLORENCE — Hartselle and West Morgan both came away from the North Regional softball tournament as champions on Tuesday.

Hartselle, the No. 1 team in Class 6A, won the regional by defeating Athens 9-3. The Tigers are now headed to the state tournament for the third consecutive year.

"Anytime you can get to the state tournament; it's exciting," Hartselle head coach Anna Hanners said. "It's not easy to do, and it's not something we take for granted."

West Morgan won the Class 4A North Regional by defeating Good Hope 5-2 in a rematch of the Class 4A, Area 13 championship. The win sends the Rebels to the state softball tournament for the first time since 2014.

"This doesn't even feel real right now. It's like a dream," said West Morgan senior Chasity Rikard.

—

Class 6A

—

Hartselle 9, Athens 3: Hartselle didn't just win the Class 6A North Regional; it dominated

The Tigers went 3-0 at the tournament, winning all three games by an average of seven runs.

"Our team chemistry is just out of this world right now, and that's why we keep winning," said Hartselle senior RC Wolf. "Having talent isn't enough. You have to want to play hard for each other."

Wolf led the Tigers with two home runs and four RBIs in Tuesday's game. Aubrey Mize added a hit and two RBIs, and Rayne Brewer led Athens with a hit and two RBIs

—

Athens 3, Hazel Green 1: Athens knocked off the Trojans to secure the second state qualifier spot from the Class 6A North Regional.

Caitlyn Tedford led the Golden Eagles with three hits and an RBI. Jaicey Harty got the win in the circle, allowing four hits and a run with eight strikeouts in seven innings.

—

Class 4A

—

West Morgan 5, Good Hope 2: West Morgan head coach Morgan Weatherwax had a special birthday on Tuesday as her Rebels punched their ticket to the state tournament for the first time in 12 years.

"I've never been to the state tournament, played in it or coached in it, so this has been the best birthday ever," Weatherwax said.

West Morgan and Good Hope were deadlocked at 2-2 in the sixth inning when Tensley Suggs hit an RBI double to score the go-ahead run. The Rebels added two runs an inning later to seal the win.

Payson Terry led West Morgan with three hits and an RBI, while Maddie Letson added two hits and an RBI.

After a 1-10 start to the season, West Morgan has hit its stride, winning 12 of its last 14 games.

"We went through the dumps and the slumps, losing a lot of close games to some of the best teams in the state," Weatherwax said. "Our coaches kept telling the girls they could do it, and they finally started seeing: We can play. It's just been about trusting the process ever since."