Softball Varsity Girls
Opp 7, Brantley 5

Last Monday Opp (9-16) traveled to Brantley to play the Lady Bulldogs for the third time this season. The Lady Bobcats were looking to sweep all three games from Brantley this season. Neither team would score in the first inning as Opp got runners to second and third and did not score and Brantley went down in order. The Lady Bobcats would strike first in the top of the second when Katelyn Mikel would score on an Andrea Edwards gound ball to give Opp a 1-0 lead after two innings. The game would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the third when Brantley would strike for three runs off of two base hits and a walk and a hit batter to take a 3-1 lead after three innings. Opp would respond in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs and nobody on Katelyn Mikel hit a triple to right center field.

Alli Colquett would drive her in with a single cutting the Lady Bulldog lead to 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth. Brantley would add the run back in the bottom of the fourth with a single to start the inning and a double with two outs putting them back out in front by two runs 4-2 after four innings. Opp responded in the top of the fifth again with two outs. Sydney Jones walked with two outs and nobody on and would come around to score on an Adrianne Ellison single to center field cutting the Brantley lead back to one at 4-3 after five innings. With one out in the top of the sixth opp got the play it needed to get back in the game. Alli Colquett slammed a drive to deep right field all the way to the fence for her third inside the park homerun of the year tying the ball game at 4-4 with only one inning left to play. The inside the park homer by Colquett also marked her second one against Brantley this year with the other one coming as part of a 10-9 win by Opp in the Straughn tournament earlier this year. With the momentum of Colquett's homer in the sixth Opp took over the game in the seventh. Sydney Jones got the Lady Bobcats started with a walk to lead off the inning. Sierra Thorn singled to left field putting two aboard with no outs.

Adrianne Ellison gave Opp the lead with a double to center field. Katelyn Mikel would follow with a single to to put Opp ahead 7-4 in the top of the seventh inning. With only three outs to work with Brantley attempted to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh. They would get one run in on an Opp error but that would be all as the Lady Bobcats held on to win the game 7-5. The Lady Bobcats were led by Katelyn Mikel who went 3 for 4 at the plate with a double, 2 singles, 2 stolen bases, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Alli Colquett went 2 for 3 with an inside the park homerun, a single, a hit by pitch, 2 RBI, and a run scored. Sierra Thorn and Adrianne Ellison each had two hits along with a run scored for both as well. Eillison also had 2 RBIs. On the mound Sydney Jones went the distance giving up 5 runs on 4 hits with 4 walks, a hit batter, and 2 strikeouts.

Softball Varsity Girls
Kinston 9 Opp 0

With most of their injured players back the 2007 1A state champion Kinston Lady Bulldogs hosted the Opp Lady Bobcats (8-16) last Tuesday afternoon. Opp would try to get a rally going with two out in the top of the first inning. Sierra Thorn was hit by a pitch and would be stranded at first base as Kinston got the next out to end the inning. From the bottom of the first inning on it was all Lady Bulldogs. Kinston went to work quickly in the bottom of the first inning sending ten batters to the plate and scoring five of the first six batters to take a 5-0 lead after just one inning of play.

Kinston would add another run in the bottom of the second inning with a single followed by a two out double to put the Lady Bulldogs up 6-0 after two innings. Kinston got another run in the third inning as the Lady Bobcats committed two errors resulting in a triple and a 7-0 lead for the Lady Bulldogs. Both teams would go down 1 2 3 in the fourth and Kinston would add another run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Two singles to lead off the inning along with a passed ball would give Kinston an 8-0 lead after five innings. The Lady Bulldogs got their ninth and final run of the game with a walk and a triple with two outs giving them a 9-0 lead and full control of the game. The Lady Bobcats went 1 2 3 in the top of the seventh to end the game with the Lady Bulldogs winning 9-0. The Lady Bobcats were held hitless by the Lady Bulldogs with only Sierra Thorn reaching base in the top of the first inning for Opp's only base runner of the game. On the mound Sydney Jones went the distance giving up 9 runs on 5 hits with 3 walks, 3 hit batters, and a strikeout.

Softball Varsity Girls
Opp 8 Luverne 4

After an 0-3 performance in games over the weekend, Opp (8-15) looked to bounce back into the win column Monday against Luverne. Joi Rhymes would lead off the game with a walk and would wind up at third base with two outs.

 She would be left stranded though as Luverne got the third out to end the Opp threat. Luverne would go quietly in the bottom of the first and neither team would threaten in the second inning. Opp would break the scoreless tie and get on the board in the top of third inning. Three walks to lead off the inning would turn into three runs. A Joi Rhymes sacrifice and two passed balls later Opp had built a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Tigers would respond in the bottom of the third with two walks to lead off the inning followed by a passed ball and a sacrifice as Luverne cut the the Opp lead to one at 3-2. Adrianne Ellison led off the Bobcat fourth with a single and she would come around to score on a walk with the bases loaded to give Opp a 4-2 lead. Andrea Edwards also came in to score on a bases loaded walk as Luverne gave Opp four walks in the inning leading to two runs as Opp went on top 5-2.

Opp added another run in the top of the fifth when Sierra Thorn reached on an error and would come home to score on another walk with the bases loaded. The final two Opp runs came in the top of the seventh inning when Katelyn Mikel and Andrea Edwards both reached base on errors. Both would score on passed balls as Opp extended its lead to 8-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning. Pitcher Sydney Jones had kept Luverne at bay for most of the game but would be tested in the last inning. A hit batter, a walk, and a single on the first three batters of the inning for Luverne loaded the bases with the top of the Lady Tiger lineup coming to bat.

Luverne would manage to bring two runners home on a sacrifice and a passed ball but would fall short of a comeback as Opp got three outs in a row to end the game and pick up the win 8-5. The Lady Bobcats were led by Adrianne Ellison who went 2 for 4 at the plate with Opp's only 2 base hits of the game both singles. Ellison also had 2 stolen bases and a run scored. On the mound Sydney Jones went the distance giving up 4 runs on 4 hits with 6 walks, 4 strikeouts and a hit batter.


Opp 8 Luverne 4

After an 0-3 performance in games over the weekend, Opp (8-15) looked to bounce back into the win column Monday against Luverne. Joi Rhymes would lead off the game with a walk and would wind up at third base with two outs.

 She would be left stranded though as Luverne got the third out to end the Opp threat. Luverne would go quietly in the bottom of the first and neither team would threaten in the second inning. Opp would break the scoreless tie and get on the board in the top of third inning. Three walks to lead off the inning would turn into three runs. A Joi Rhymes sacrifice and two passed balls later Opp had built a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Tigers would respond in the bottom of the third with two walks to lead off the inning followed by a passed ball and a sacrifice as Luverne cut the the Opp lead to one at 3-2. Adrianne Ellison led off the Bobcat fourth with a single and she would come around to score on a walk with the bases loaded to give Opp a 4-2 lead. Andrea Edwards also came in to score on a bases loaded walk as Luverne gave Opp four walks in the inning leading to two runs as Opp went on top 5-2.

Opp added another run in the top of the fifth when Sierra Thorn reached on an error and would come home to score on another walk with the bases loaded. The final two Opp runs came in the top of the seventh inning when Katelyn Mikel and Andrea Edwards both reached base on errors. Both would score on passed balls as Opp extended its lead to 8-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning. Pitcher Sydney Jones had kept Luverne at bay for most of the game but would be tested in the last inning. A hit batter, a walk, and a single on the first three batters of the inning for Luverne loaded the bases with the top of the Lady Tiger lineup coming to bat.

Luverne would manage to bring two runners home on a sacrifice and a passed ball but would fall short of a comeback as Opp got three outs in a row to end the game and pick up the win 8-5. The Lady Bobcats were led by Adrianne Ellison who went 2 for 4 at the plate with Opp's only 2 base hits of the game both singles. Ellison also had 2 stolen bases and a run scored. On the mound Sydney Jones went the distance giving up 4 runs on 4 hits with 6 walks, 4 strikeouts and a hit batter.


Softball Varsity Girls
New Brockton 3 Opp 0


After splitting two games Opp (7-12) traveled to New Brockton for the rubber game of the season.  Both teams won their game with a shutout with Opp winning the first game 6-0 and New Brockton winning the second game 4-0. 

Joi Rhymes and Adrianne Ellison both got singles for Opp in the top of the first inning as Opp had runners on second and third with just one out.  The Lady Bobcats would fail to score when a passed ball bounced right back to the New Brockton catcher enabling the Lady Gamecock to get the third out at home ending the Lady Bobcat threat. 


After getting one runner aboard via an Opp error Newe Brockton would not threaten in the bottom of the first inning.  Andrea Edwards would lead off the top of the second inning with a single but would be left stranded at second base.  New Brockton would strike out the next three Opp batters to end the inning.  In the bottom of the second inning the Lady Gamecocks got on the board with a lead off single followed by a bloop single with two outs to take a 1-0 lead after two innings.  Defense would be the key in innings three and four with just the Lady Bobcats getting a runner aboard in the third via a hit by pitch.  In the bottom of the fifth inning the Lady Gamecocks would capitalize on a Lady Bobcat error to start the inning. 


Turning the error into a run New Brockton extended their lead to 2-0 after five innings of play.  Deja vu occurred for Opp in the sixth innings when the lead off batter for New Brockton reached on an error for the second inning in a row.  After a walk to the next batter New Brockton would score their final run of the game on a single to right center field.  With the Lady Gamecocks up 3-0 Opp looked to make a comeback in the top of the 7th.  Katelyn Mikel got the rally started with one out hitting a double to center field.  Hannah Cooke moved her over to third base and Courtney Mobley got a walk with two outs. 

With the tying run at the plate New Brockton would close the game as Joi Rhymes popped up to left field for the final out giving the Lady Gamecocks the win 3-0.  The Lady Bobcats had five hits in the game with Joi Rhymes, Adrianne Ellison, Andrea Edwards, Alli Colquett, and Katelyn Mikel all registering a base hit each.  Alli Colquett and Katelyn Mikel each had a double, and Colquett also stole two bases.  On the mound Sydney Jones went the distance giving up 3 runs on 4 hits with just 1 walk, 2 hit batters, and 4 strikeouts.
 

 
Softball JV Girls
Opp 11 New Brockton 11 (6 innings)
 
In their final game of the season the Opp (11-2-1) JV softball team looked to end the season on a positive note.  The Lady Bobcats got things started in the top of the first inning.  Bailey Croft scored with two outs on a walk, two stolen bases, and a passed ball giving Opp a 1-0 lead.  New Brockton responded in the bottom of the first inning with two hits and an Opp error to tie the game at 1-1 after one inning of play.  In the bottom of the second inning the Lady Gamecocks scored four runs all of whom reached base on walks to take a 5-1 lead in the game.  New Brockton sent up ten batters in the inning and only had just two hits in all ten at bats.  Bailey Croft was hit a a pitch to start the top of the third inning when Opp would be the victim of another controversal call in the field.  Beth Anne Spurlin hit a ground ball to the Lady Gamecock second baseman.  With Croft racing towards second the New Brockton shortstop caught the relay from the second baseman and without even touching second base hurled a throw towards first that was dropped by the Lady Gamecock first baseman.  However instead of both girls being safe the umpire in the field claimed Croft interfered with the throw to first base and called both girls out on the play.  Instead of that play hindering Opp for the rest of the game it would spark Opp's offense in the top of the fourth inning.  New Brockton would walk the first six batters of the inning as Opp scored two runs on two walks with the bases loaded.  Beth Anne Spurlin hit a single out to right center field scoring two more runs as Opp would score seven runs in the inning turning a 5-1 deficit into an 8-5 lead.  New Brockton would recover in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of hits and an walk to score three runs to tie the game a 8-8 heading into the fifth inning.  Opp would go down in order in the fifth as New Brockton looked to win the game in the bottom half of the inning.  With two outs and runners on first and second New Brockton hit a sharp ground ball in between shortstop and second base.  With the game on the line New Brockton sent the runner from third home but she would be gunned down by Savannah Gerber for the third out of the inning keeping the game tied at 8-8.  The game would go into extra innings and in the top of the sixth Opp sent the entire lineup to the plate scoring three runs to take an 11-8 lead with New Brockton coming to bat.  In the bottom of the sixth inning the Lady Gamecock would duplicate Opp and send its entire lineup to the plate scoring three runs to tie the game up once again this time at 11-11.  Unfortunately for both teams the game would end in a tie at 11-11 when it was decided to call the game so that the varsity girl's game could begin.  The Lady Bobcats were lead by Bailey Croft who reached base in every plate appearance but one stealing 4 bases and scoring 3 runs.  On the mound Hillary Mock started the game going two innings before being relieved by Kourtney Bradley who pitched the rest of the way.  The JV Lady Bobcats finish their remarkable season with an 11-2-1 record defeating every team they played at least once.



Softball Varsity Girls
Opp 12 Florala 0

After a defensive game against Andalusia in the game before the Opp (7-11) bats looked to come alive in Florala Monday afternoon. Joi Rhymes got the Lady bobcats started leading off the top of the first inning with a base hit. Sierra Thorn would drive Rhymes in for the first score of the game giving Opp a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.

In the top of the second inning Opp looked to put the game well out of reach. Sending fifteen batters to the plate the Lady Bobcats would convert six Lady Wildcat walks and two hitter batters into eight runs in the inning. Opp also had two doubles in the inning to extend their lead to 9-0 after just innings of play. Sydney Jones would lead off the top of the third inning with a single followed by an Adrianne Ellison single to right field which would score Jones to give Opp a 10-0 lead. Ellison also came around to score on an Andrea Edwards RBI double to give Opp an 11-0 lead after three innings of play.

The pitching and defense for Opp kept Florala from threatening to score through the first four innings with only one base runner reaching third base. In the top of the fifth Sydney Jones would once again lead off the inning with a single and would come around to score two batters later on a Sierra Thorn base hit to give Opp a 12-0 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth. Needing three runs to continue the game Florala looked to attempt a rally in the bottom of the fifth.

The Lady Wildcats would get two base runners aboard breaking up pitcher Joi Rhymes' no hitter in the process. The Lady Bobcats would hold and get the final three outs to end the game in five innings and pick up the win 12-0. The Lady Bobcats were led by Sydney Jones who went a perfect 2 for 2 at the plate with a hit by pitch, 2 singles, and 3 runs scored. Sierra Thorn and Adrianne Ellison both went 2 for 3 at the plate with each scoring 2 runs. Thorn also had 2 RBIs and Ellison 1 RBI and a double. On the mound Joi Rhymes went the distance pitching a 1 hit shutout. Rhymes faced just 19 batters giving up just 1 walk, hitting 2 batters, and registering 4 strikeouts.

Softball JV Girls
Opp 21 Florala 7

The JV game between Opp (11-2) and Florala last Monday featured seventeen walks in the game by Florala including nine in one inning alone. Opp came to bat in the top of the first inning and would send the entire line up to bat twice. Seventeen batters came to the plate for Opp in the first inning.

The first six batters would all come around to score and Florala would walk four batters in a row two time during the inning. As Florala came to bat in the bottom of the first inning Opp had already built an 11-0 lead. The Lady Wildcats would get a walk and a base hit in the bottom of the first inning as they got on the scoreboard at 11-1 after one inning of play.

Both teams would go down quietly in the second with neither team would get a base runner. Opp would go back to work in the top of the third inning. The Lady Bobcats would take advantage of three Lady Wildcat errors in the inning to push three more runs across extending their lead to 14-1 heading to the bottom of the third. Florala would have their biggest inning of the game in the bottom of the third inning.

Converting on three hits and three walks in the inning Florala would send the entire line up to the plate. They would score four runs in the process and cut the Opp lead to 14-5 heading to the fourth. Opp would go quietly in the top of the fourth inning with only one batter reaching base via a walk. In the bottom of the fourth Florala would score two more runs on three base hits as they looked to make a comeback by cutting the Opp lead to 14-7.

Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly dashed in the top of the fifth. Opp would score seven more runs in the top of the fifth putting the game all but out of reach. Florala would walk four batters in a row for the third time in the game as Opp would extend the lead to fourteen points at 21-7. The Lady Wildcats would go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth giving Opp the football score win of 21-7. Every Opp player on the roster who got an at bat during the game would score at least one run with Bailey Croft, Beth Anne Spurlin, and Alli Jessie leading the way each scoring 3 times.