Lady Leopards ready to begin championship journey at state, finish regionals third place
MALVERN — The road to the 4A state championship is underway for the hometown Malvern Lady Leopards after securing the No. 3 seed from finishing the 4A South Regional Softball Tournament as a top four state tourney qualifier.
The Lady Leopards fell short to No. 1 seed Nashville 6-0 in the semifinal round, but Malvern rallied back to prevail against the Hamburg Lady Lions 9-6 in the third place consolation game to claim their third seed spot in the 2022 Class 4A state softball tournament.
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Thursday, May 12 the No. 3 seed Lady Leopards will face the No. 2 seed Farmington in the first round of the 2022 Class 4A State Softball Tournament hosted in Nashville.
4A SOUTH REGION SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL ROUND
Malvern Lady Leopards 0 Nashville
Lady Scrapperettes 6
The Lady Leopards stepped up their defense and held Nashville scoreless in the fourth, fifth and
sixth innings, but the early spark of scoring runs in the first through third innings by the Lady Scrapperettes held through during their seven inning match-up at Malvern National Bank Field. Nashville sparked two runs in the first inning, then scored one run in the second and routed three runs in the third inning to maintain their six total runs on eight hits—going errorless.
The Lady Leopards powered five hits in the frame despite being held scoreless. Leading Malvern’s offensive execution was Emily Minge, Chasney Cooper (double), Ashlyn “AJ” Fike, Lauren “LG” Golden, and Audrey Carr all collecting a hit apiece.
In the pitcher’s circle, Carr pitched two and two-third innings, allowed five hits, six runs and struck out one batter and threw 27 strikes.
Katelyn Minge came in for the relief and pitched three and onethird innings allowing three hits, no earned runs and struck out one batter and threw 26 strikes from her work in the circle.
THIRD PLACE GAME Malvern Lady Leopards 9 Hamburg Lady Lions 6
Following a tough semifinal defeat, the hometown Malvern Lady Leopards powered their way back to a victorious performance by outplaying Hamburg 9-6 to clinch the number-three seed for the state tournament.
Malvern smashed the bats and collected 11 hits while routing nine runs despite the Lady Lions out hitting them with 13 hits and held to six runs in defeat. In conclusion, the Lady Leopards prevailed for the three-run victory. Malvern sparked a productive 6-2 lead in the first inning, which lasted through the fifth inning. In the sixth, the Lady Leopards and Hamburg each scored a run from their turns offensively, but Malvern led 7-3.
In the seventh, the Lady Leopards sparked for two runs scored and defensively kept Hamburg’s comeback in check to only three runs scored—leading to Malvern’s victory and errorless performance.
Offensively, Emily Minge, Cooper (double), and Carr (double) each tallied two hits apiece to lead the offensive execution in the frame. Katelyn Minge, Fike, Golden (double), Josie Nix and Elizabeth Briner all connected for a hit apiece to spark at the plate. Fike and Golden each drove in two runs apiece, Carr and Isabella Roseberry both drove in a run for RBI. Leading the scoring attack was Cooper and Nix both accounting for two runs apiece, Emily Minge, Fike, Golden, Briner and Aelia Saling all sparked for a run. Leading the base running, Emily Minge, Saling and Briner each had a stolen base apiece.
In the pitcher’s circle, Carr and K. Minge brought the heat to provide some productive damage into the strike zone for the Lady Lions.
Carr earned the victory, pitched three innings, allowed six hits, two earned runs, struck out two batters and threw 35 strikes across the plate. K. Minge pitched four innings, allowed seven hits, four earned runs, struck out one batter and threw 45 strikes—as a dynamic pitching duo, Carr and Minge combined for 80 strikes thrown across the plate.