In their first ever trip away from the state of Alabama, the Birmingham Giants 02 competed in the Cam Sports Super NIT on Saturday and Sunday. It was a tournament where they faced off with the Georgia USFA B champion and USFA A 4th place finisher, competed at Olympic Stadium, where the 1996 Olympic softball games were played, the Birmingham Giants finished 4th of the 18 teams.
In Game one of the tournament, the Giants faced off with the Georgia Rampage. After leading for most of the game 2-1, the Giants surrendered 2 runs, and played to a 3-3 tie. Blakely Burr started the game in the circle, pitching all 4 innings, allowing just 1 hit and 1 earned run. At the plate the Giants were paced by Lauren Cabiness (1), Elissa Glaze (1), Ka’Mya Hampton (1), and Kinley Hall, who had 2 hits .
In Game 2 of the tournament, the Giants were scheduled to play the PTC Poison.
The Giants jumped out to an early 3-2 lead and never looked back, as Elissa Glaze drove in the 2 winning runs in the last inning of the 5-3 win. Ka’Mya Hampton(11-2) earned her 11th win of the season, pitching all 4 innings, striking out 8 and scattering 2 hits in the win. Hits for the Giants came from Hadley Andrews (1, 2b), Elissa Glaze (2), Ka’Mya Hampton (1), and Kim Livingston (1, 2b).
In the 3rd game of the day, the Giants matched up with the Georgia USFA B champions the Dacula Lady Falcons. In the Circle Blakely Burr pitched all 5 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs, while allowing just 3 hits to the champions from Daccula. In a game that was 2-0 for most of the innings, the final ended at 3-0. The Giants managed just 3 hits, 2 from Kinley Hall and 1 from Mollie Freeman.
In Game 4 of the day, the Giants played at Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1996 Olympic softball, where they faced the Lookouts. In a game where the Giants moved players around, and pitched all 3 pitchers, they came up on the short end of a 6-3 score. Alli Parker started the game, pitching 2 innings, allowing just 1 hit and 1 run, leaving the game in a 1-1 tie. Blakely Burr took over in the circle, pitching the 3rd inning, allowing just 1 earned run on 1 hit and Ka’Mya Hampton closed game out again allowing just a single hit and 1 earned run. At the Plate the Giants received hits from Elissa Glaze (1), Ka’Mya Hampton (1, 3B), Kim Livingston (1), Mollie Freeman (1), and Kylie Cordell (1).
In their 5th game of the Day, the opponent this time was the Storm. After leading 3-0 most of the way, the Giants sureendered 4 runs in the bottom of the last inning to fall 4-3. Alli Parker started the game in the circle, lasting to the last 3 hitters, allowing just a single hit, and was releaved by Ka’Mya Hampton. Lauren Cabiness (1), Elissa Glaze (1, 2b), Kinley Hall (1), and Kim Livingston (2) all had hits for the Giants.
Moving into their first game on Sunday, the Giants faced off with a team who had pounded their pitching early on in the spring of 2014 for 8 hits and 6 runs, the Columbus Peaches. This time Giant pitcher Blakely Burr (9-7), making her first start against the peaches shut them down. Allowing just 1 hit over 3 innings and no runs, Burr picked up her 9th win of the season. A 9 hit, 11 run attack paced the Giants to the 11-0 win. Hadley Andrews (1,2b), Elissa Glaze (1, 2b), Ka’Mya Hampton (2), Kinley Hall (1), Mollie Freeman (2), Alli Parker (1), and Kylie Cordell (1) led the way for the Giants.
Bracket play began with the 7th game, and the Giants faced off with the Georgia USFA A class 4th place team, the Georgia Fire. In a game that remained scoreless for 5 innings, and included a bases load 1-2-3 double play (2nd in as many weeks)the Giants forced the fire to extra innings, tied at 0-0, where they would eventually surrender 4 unearned in the 6th to loose 4-0. Ka’Mya Hampton allowed just 5 hits over the 6 innings. Hits were hard to come by for either team, the Giants only hit was from Kim Livingston.
The 02 Lady Giants will now prepare for their showcase double header at Birmingham Southern College on the 11th of July.
