SOFTBALL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP

Published 4:22 pm Monday, April 24, 2023

Bre Ruffin (8) runs to first base when Southeast Lauderdale played West Marion at home on Saturday.

Two Lauderdale County softball teams entered the first round of the playoffs, but just one remains.

Southeast Lauderdale (14-12) is out after the Tigers fell to West Marion in two straight games on Thursday and Saturday. West Marion batted in 13 total innings during the series, and the Trojans scored at least one run in 11 of those innings.

“We left too many people in scoring position, and we didn’t really have good at-bats,” Southeast Lauderdale coach Chris Harper said. “Missed spots pitching, but that’s the game. We just chose the wrong time to do those things.”

The Tigers fell 9-3 at West Marion on Thursday before returning home on Saturday to try to even the series up. They rallied late on Saturday, but West Marion’s offense was too strong, and the Trojans took game two 15-7.

“We just didn’t play very well Thursday night, and we didn’t play well today,” Harper said after game two. “Our kids played hard, but I didn’t have them ready to play, but hats off to West Marion.”

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West Lauderdale (21-7) advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a two-game sweep of Caledonia. The Cavaliers were only able to score one run in the series against a stingy West Lauderdale defense.

Pitcher Breelyn Cain and the Knights’ defense held off Caledonia long enough for Carsyn Mott to score on a fly ball by Raegan Brady in the eighth inning, which gave West Lauderdale a 1-0 game one victory.

Caledonia took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two, but pitcher Mabry Eason did not give up another hit through the final six innings. The Knights took game two 10-1 to secure the series after scoring seven runs in the final inning.