The 03 Birmingham Giants turned a magical 10 game tournament run in the USSSA state tournament, that lasted 3 days and 6 elimination games, finishing with an 8-2 record, 37-19 on the season and 4th in the USSSA state out of 34 teams.
In game 1 of pool play, the Giants were paired with Nightmare fast pitch for the first time this season. Jumping out to an early 4-2 lead, the Giants tacked on 3 more in the 2nd inning, leading to a 7-2 win. Julia Petty went the distance in the circle, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3, raising her season total to 101, becoming the first Giant pitcher to reach 100 strike outs in a season. At the plate an 8 hit attack led to the Giants 7 runs and the win. Chy Barnhill (2, 1 3b), Ali King (1), Lauren Dill (1,2b), Kailey Hicks (2), Abbie Warnick (1,2b), and Julia Petty (1) all recorded hits for the Giants.
In Game 2 of pool play, the Giants faced off with Xpress for the first time this season. The Giants struck first for 2 runs, and those were all the runs they would need as Julia Petty notched her 17th win of the season, tossing the clubs 20th no hitter of all time, pitching all 4 innings, striking out 5 in the 4-1 win. Offensively the Giants launched an 11 hit attack, with hits from Chy Barnhill (1), Reese Lowery (2), Ali King (1), Kailey Hicks (2), Abbie Warnick (1), Krista Glaze (1), Julia Petty (1), Kadence Ward (1), and Taylor Simpkins (1). The Giants clinched the top seed in their pool heading into their first bracket game on Saturday.
The first seed in pool play, matched the Giants against Cold Springs, and scoring 12 runs in the first 2 innings ended the game essentially after the 2nd inning. Chy Barnhill pitched all 4 innings in the circle, scattering 2 hits, while striking out 2 in the 12-1 win. A club record 13 hits in a single game led the Giants, with hits from Chy Barnhill (1), Reese Lowery (1), Ali King (3), Lauren Dill (2, 1 2b), Kailey Hicks (1, 3b), Abbie Warnick (2), Krista Glaze (1), Julia Petty (1), and Kadence Ward (1). The win moved the Giants to the second round of bracket play.
In the second round the Giants met a familiar foe, the Jags. Despite out hitting the Jags, the giants stranded 8 runners and fell 3-0, to a very excited jags team. Julia Petty went the distance in the circle, striking out 4. At the plate hits from Chy Barnhill (1), Reese Lowery (1), Ali King (1), and Krista Glaze (1) were not enough as the giants lost 3-0.
The loss sent the Giants to the losers bracket where they would make the type of run legends are made of. The Giants were set to face the Diamond Devils in their first elimination game. 3 Runs in the first and 4 more in the second led to a 7-3 win. Kadence Ward started the game, picking up the win, pitching 2 innings, striking out 1, and was releaved by Chy Barnhill, who worked a scoreless 3rd, and Julia Petty who struck out 2 in her scoreless 4th. Chy Barnhill (1), Reese Lowery (1,2b), Lauren Dill (1), Kailey Hicks (1), and Abbie Warnick paced the Giants offense in the win. The win allowed the Giants to move on to the next elimination game, it also set a new record for most wins by a Giant team in a season with 33.
The Giants met up with Alabama Elite, a team they had beaten 11-2 last time they met. The outcome was not much different this time as the Giants cruised to a 7-2 win. Chy Barnhill started the game in the circle, striking out 2 in 2 innings of work, and Julia Petty picked up her 18th win of the season in relief, striking out 2 more in 2 innings of work. Offensively the Giants hits came from, Chy Barnhill (1), Reese Lowery (2), Lauren Dill (2), Kailey Hicks (1), Krista Glaze (2), Julia Petty (1, 2b), and Taylor Simpkins (1, 2b). The win moved the Giants on to yet another elimination game.
This time the Giants faced off with Nightmare fast pitch, a team they had beaten earlier in the tournament. With the score tied at 3 after 3 innings, the Giants pushed 4 runs across in the 3rd to secure the win, 7-3. Julia Petty got the win in the circle, her 19th, striking out 5 in 3 innings of work, and hits from Ali King (1), Lauren Dill (2), Kailey Hicks (2), Abbie Warnick (1), and Krista Glaze (1) allowed the Giants to advance again, this time to face the rattlers.
Chy Barnhill started the game picking up the win, working 3 hitless innings, and Julia Petty closed out the final 2 innings, striking out 3 more hitters, her 22,23,and 24 in the tournament, leaving her 19 short of the softball club record of 141 all time. 7 first inning runs and 2 more in the 2nd, put the Giants in Cruise mode in the win. 14 Giant hits over powered the Rattlers, Chy Barnhill (2), Ali King (3), Lauren Dill (1), Kailey Hicks (1, 2b), Abbie Warnick (1), Krista Glaze (3, 1 2b), Julia Petty (2) and Kadence Ward (1). The Giants survived again, and moved on to play Riptide.
5 innings were not enough to settle the 5-5 tie, so in an extra innings elimination game the Giants hit first, scoring 5 more runs and Julia Petty closed out the final inning, picking up her 20th win of the season. Chy Barnhill started the game in the circle, going 4 innings, allowing just 3 hits, while striking out 3. A 16 hit attack, every hitter in the Giants lineup registered a hit, Chy Barnhill (2), Reese Lowery (3, 1 2b), Ali King (1, 2b), Lauren Dill (2, 1 3b), Kailey Hicks (2), Abbie Warnick (1), Krista Glaze (2), Julia Petty (1), Kadence Ward (1), and Taylor Simpkins (1). This was the 8th win (club record) of the tournament, and 37th of the season, and move them on to face Kraze in their 6th straight win or go home game.
In what turned out to be their final game of the tournament, a 2-2 game after 2, got away from the exhausted Giants in the 3rd when Kraze scored 4 runs and 3 more in the 4th, sealing the Giants fate and finishing 4th overall. The Giants turned in 7 hits, Ali King (2, 1 2b), Lauren Dill (2), Krista Glaze (1), and Julia Petty (2).
In a tournament where they reached several club marks, Ali King Also set the club record for most hits in a tournament with 15 total, and Kailey Hicks and Krista Glaze are second all time with 12. The 03 Giants will play again on July 11th.
