Thompson, Chelsea, Spain Park softball stars play key roles in North-South All-Star Game

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – Four of Shelby County’s top softball players had a big part to play in a wild doubleheader at the North-South All-Star Game while going against the top rising seniors in the state.

Thompson’s Aubree Hooks and Olivia Tindell, Chelsea’s Sydney Carroll and Spain Park’s Charlee Bennett all featured in the North-South All-Star Week’s annual softball showcase on Wednesday, July 17 at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park, including a 3-0 South win in Game One and an 11-11 tie in Game Two.

Carroll stepped into the circle to engage in a pitcher’s duel with the reigning Miss Softball, Daphne’s Vic Moten, and she allowed just one hit in the first three innings to match Moten’s total while securing five strikeouts against four walks.

The only difference between the two pitchers was the South’s three-run third inning, only one of which was charged to Carroll, leading to the 3-0 result.

Game Two saw all four county representatives play big roles in the high-scoring affair.

Hooks took the circle to start the second game against Abigail Helms, and the Shelby County Pitcher of the Year struck out five batters in three innings while weathering a storm of five runs and four hits in the first inning.

However, Carroll showed the power at the plate that made her an All-State Honorable Mention with a two-run home run in the second inning that helped the North cut the deficit to 5-4 by the end of the inning.

Tindell and Bennett both drew walks in the third inning to keep the Northern rally going, with Bennett’s plating a run to tie up the game at 5-5. Hooks then struck out two in the bottom half of the inning to finish her evening strong.

Carroll drew a walk and advanced all the way to third during a three-run fourth inning for the North, taking an 8-5 lead in the process. She finished 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk.

Tindell then scored a run off a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 9-5. The South responded in bottom of the frame with a run to make the score 9-6.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Bennett’s inning-ended strikeout was negated by a wild pitch, allowing her to reach first base and bring home a run.

She then made it all the way around the bases off another wild pitch, a ground out and a passed ball to increase the lead to 11-6. Bennett finished with two RBI, a run and a walk.

However, the South scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and two in the seventh to tie up the game at 11-11, which proved to be the final scoreline.

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