The Birmingham Giants 02 softball team continued its winning ways, winning their 6th trophy and 5th first place trophy on saturday in gadsden, finishing with a 4-0 record, posting 3 straight shutouts and allowing no earned runs all day. In thier 16 tournaments through 2014, the 02 Lady Giants have finished 3rd or above 11 times, and have amassed a 43-30 record over that time (11-5 in the fall).
In Game 1, the Giants faced off with a familliar foe, the Venom team that they hold a 6-1 record against all time. Blakley Burr (3-3) started on the mound, going 5 strong innings, allowing just 2 Hits and no earned runs, in the 4-3 voctory. The 3 runs scored by venom were the only 3 runs allowed by the Giants all day, and all 3 were unearned. The Giants pounded out 7 hits, including 2 from Elizabeth Wheat on their way to the 4-3 win. The other 5 hits for the Giants came from Chy Barnhill (1), Lauren Cabiness (1), Kim Livingston (1), Kinly Hall (1, 2b) and Olivia Renta (1).
In Game 2, the Giants played a very good Mountain Valley team from Rainsville, Alabama. Olivia “Bob” Renta (7-1) took the mound and continued her winning ways going 3 innings of 1 hit ball, striking out 6 and walking none in the 1-0 victory. Hits from Lauren Cabiness (1), Elissa Galze (1), and Blakley Burr(1) were all the Giants needed in the victiory.
Desapite a 5 team tounament, the Giants again faced Venom in their first bracket play game, this time with a slightly different result. Blakely Burr again started on the mound, tossing 3 shutout innings, allowing just 1 hit, and Chy Barnhill, closed out the game a perfect 
inning, but the Giants pounded out 10 hits and 10 runs and cruised to a 10-0 victory. Offensively, the Giants had hits from Chy Barnhill (2), Lauren Cabiness (1), Elissa Glaze (2, 1 2b), Ka’Mya Hampton (1 3b), Kim Livingston (1), Kinley Hall (1), and Olivia Renta (1).
The real story of Game 3 was again the Giants defense. A tremendous defensive effort, the Giants turned a 5 (Livingston)-4 (Mollie Freeman)-3 (Kinley Hall) around the horn double play, and received 5 assists from Mollie Freeman, and 2 more from Chy Barnhill, and the Giants moved t0 the championship game, where they hold a team record of 5-1 all time.
In the Championship, the Giants again faced a very tough defensive team in Mountain Valley, and again shut them out. Olivia Renta again went 5 shutout innings on the mound, striking out 6, walking non and allowing just 1 lead off hit on route to the victory. Offensively the Giants managed only 3 hits, (Elissa Glaze (1), Kim Livinston (1), Kinley Hall (1)) but it was enough for the Giants to eake out a 1-0 victory and another championship. When Olivia Renta wasnt striking out Mountain valley (6 of 12 outs) Mollie freeman was robbing their hits, recording 2 assists and 2 put outs, grabbing a line drive on a spectacular catch to end an inning.
The success over the past year for the 02 Lady Giants has continued to mount for a simple reason, the team has embraced their style of play. Each one of the 02 girls have jumped in with both feet, and have worked to improve their game, while learning play together as a team inside and outside the fence. The Lady Giants 02 next play October 4th in Millbrook.
