The 03 Birmingham Giants played very good ball on saturday, dropping 2 close games to finish 5th at the state tournament in trussville. During the tournament the Giants picked up their 29th victory of the season, equaling the 2nd highest season win total in club history , tying them with the 2011 boys team.
In the first game of bracket play, the Giants faced off with the pacers, Julia petty (15-10) pitched all 4 innings in the circle allowing just 1 hit and striking out 4, as the Giants led most of the game 2-1. In the 4th innings after a lengthy 2 hour rain delay, much like the rain, the strike zone disappeared and the pacers were able to push across 5 runs on a single hit and 5 walks to the inexplicably shrunken strike zone. Offensively the Giants were led by Ali King’s Double, Chy Barnhills 2 Hits, Lauren Dills Single, Abbie Warnick’s Single, and a Single from Kailey Hicks, the final score ended at 6-3.
Falling to the losers bracket, the Giants 03 faced of with the Renegades from North Port Alabama. Chy Barnhill(11-5) started the game in the circle going all 4 innings, just a single hit in the final inning, while striking out 5 and walking only 1 and allowing just a single earned run. A 7 hit, 5 walk attack lead the Giants offense to a 5-1 victory. Hits from Chy Barnhill (1), Reese Lowery (1), Ali King (1), Kailey Hicks (1), Abbie Warnick (2, 1 2b), Piper Lowery (1,3b), and Kadence Ward (1) paced the Giants to the win, and moved them on to face the top seeded TKO team from Loxly.
The game started with 2 scoreless inning before the Giants broke through with the first run of the game on a single from Julia Petty. TKO battled back in the 4th inning with 3 runs to take a 3-1 lead in to the top of the 5th inning.With 1 out in the top of the 5th, Julia Petty singled , followed by a single from Krista Glaze putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, but the Giants were unable to drive in the tying run and the Giants fell 3-1. The Giants got hits Ali King (1), Krista Glaze (1), and Julia Petty (2). Julia Petty pitched all 5 innings allowing just 3 hits while striking out 3, raising her season total and single season Giants record to 98 on the season.
The 03 Birmingham Giants now play in the State Tournament for USSSA in Culman on friday.
