AHSAA 1A Softball Championship | Brantley wins their 5th softball title since 2014
By Josh Bean
Oxford, AL – The Brantley High School girls’ fast-pitch softball dynasty is alive and well. The Bulldogs defeated Skyline 11-3 in Wednesday’s Class 1A state tourney finals to claim the softball state title at Choccolocco Park’s softball stadium.
The championship game was highlighted by Sheonte Barginere, Kayden Dunn and Ainsley Watts hitting back-to-back-to-back solo homers in the fifth inning.
Brantley played for the 1A title for the seventh straight time and captured its fifth championship since 2014. The Bulldogs (32-12), coached by Cindy Hawthorne, steamrolled through the state tourney with four straight wins and put on a hitting clinic in the final.
Dunn hit two homers and finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored, while Ainsley Watts was 3-for-4 with a homer, four RBIs and two runs scored. Starting pitcher and tournament MVP Kaylee Navarre added two hits and an RBI, while also earning the win by allowing six hits and striking out seven for the complete-game win.
Brantley scored four in the first, three in the fifth and four more in the sixth.
Skyline (32-15-1), coached by Slade Bellomy, lost to Brantley on Tuesday and then clawed through the elimination bracket to finish runner-up.
Aiden Bellomy and Olivia Treece drove in runs for the Vikings in the final.
CLASS 1A ALL-STATE TOURNEY TEAM: Jayla Ross, Aiden Bellomy; Olivia Treece, Skyline; Kayden, Dunn; Ainsley Watts, Brantley; Kaylee Navarre, Brantley (MVP).
In other 1A action on Wednesday:
SKYLINE 13, APPALACHIAN 8: Skyline’s Jayla Rosswent 5-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs, as the Vikings rallied from an 8-2 deficit and scored the game’s final 11 runs. The win sent Skyline into the championship round against Brantley.
SKYLINE 9, SOUTH LAMAR 6: Skyline’s Olivia Treece struck out nine batters and added four hits and two RBIs at the plate to keep the Vikings alive and beat South Lamar for the second time in the last two days. South Lamar’s Nealy McManus had three hits and two RBIs, including an inside-the-park homer, as the season ended for the Stallions (28-20).
