Gaylesville peaked at the right place and at the right time this season, as the Lady Trojans (14-14) won four straight games last weekend to win the Class 1A, Area 10 Tournament at Ft. Payne.

On Friday, Gaylesville opened the tournament with a 10-6 win over Spring Garden, followed by a 13-10 win over Jacksonville Christian.

On Saturday, Gaylesville beat Collinsville 6-0 behind Jennifer Aldridge’s one-hitter.

Spring Garden battled back in the loser bracket to face the Lady Trojans in the championship game.



In the title match, Gaylesville took an early 1-0 lead after Aldridge scored on an error, but Spring Garden scored three second-inning runs on respective singles from Jessica Preston and Nicole Ledbetter and two Gaylesville errors.

The Lady Trojans made the game’s key play in the top of the seventh when a standout throwing relay from centerfielder Desiree Tallent to second baseman Tiffany Haney to catcher Sloane Brewster nailed a Lady Panther baserunner at the plate.

Gaylesville used the above play to its advantage in the game’s final at-bat.

After Aldridge and Watwood reached base on one-out errors, Haney came through with a clutch single that tied the game.

Haney eventually reached third base, setting up Robbie Shelton’s sacrifice fly that delivered Gaylesville the first place trophy.

Aldridge, who batted 9-for-15, pitched all four games and did not allow an earned run in the final two games, was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Brewster (6-for-14), Haney (7-for-16) and Ashley Slayton (6-for-14) made the All-Tournament team, as did Spring Garden’s Brittany Heath (6-for-16, 11 RBI, four runs scored, four steals), Twyla Heggermaker (5-for-13, eight RBI, six runs scored, six steals) and Brooke Berry (8-for-14, seven runs scored, two RBI, seven steals).

Also for the Lady Panthers in the tournament, Jessica Wall went 7-for-17 with 10 runs scored, six RBI and 11 steals; Nicole Ledbetter went 6-for-13 with five RBI, four runs scored and three steals; Andi Bonds went 5-for-15 with eight RBI, eight runs scored and eight steals; Jessica Preston went 5-for-17 with seven RBI, four runs scored and six steals; Kari Galloway went 3-for-8 with four runs scored, an RBI and four steals, and Erika Smith contributed four runs scored, three RBI and three steals.

The Lady Trojans will host a substate game on May 4, while runner-up Spring Garden will travel to the second round of the playoffs.

“Collinsville beat us 11-9 in out tournament last Saturday, and Spring Garden thrashed us, 16-2 last Monday [April 19],” said Gaylesville head coach Steve Baker. “Our girls then got together and decided to refuse to lose. ‘Losing is not an option’ became our motto. We took batting practice for an hour and a half after out games last Tuesday and Thursday, and it really paid off for us.

“Spring Garden is an outstanding team and we wish then success in the playoffs. Coach [Ann] Welsh and her assistants did an outstanding job this year. We played them seven times and won three of those games, and if you throw out [Gaylesville’s 16-2 win on April 19], the difference in runs is only two in the other six games.

“Nicole Ledbetter pitched a great game in the finals - none of our runs were earned. Neither she nor Jennifer deserved to lose. Spring Garden really showed a lot of heart and character in battling back through the loser bracket.”

Against Jacksonville Christian, Gaylesville held on for the win after jumping out to an 11-2 lead after four innings.

Aldridge went 4-for-5 with two RBI, Sloane Brewster went 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI, Monique Watwood went 3-for-5 with two RBI, Ashley Slayton went 2-for-5 with a double and Tiffany Haney went 2-for-5.

Against Collinsville, Aldridge allowed only five baserunners while surrendering one hit and two walks while striking out five.

The Lady Panthers’ lone scoring threat came in the fifth inning after a hit batter and a walk, but catcher Brewster’s diving catch of a foul ball and an inning-ending double play by centerfielder Desiree Tallent and shortstop Haney ended the threat. Watwood kept the shutout intact with a stellar diving catch in the sixth.

Aldridge, Watwood, Haney Brewster and Slayton each went 2-for-4.

“Our game plan was for Jennifer to nibble on the corners [of the strike zone], and she was perfect,” said Baker.

Helped by a solid pitching effort and standout de-fensive play from Aldridge, Gaylesville opened the tournament with a 10-6 victory over Spring Garden last Friday.

With the Lady Trojans holding a 10-4 lead in the top of the seventh, respective scores from Wall and Haggermaker cut the Garden deficit to four runs with no outs and a runner on first.

Aldridge’s clutch glove work cut short the Lady Panther rally, however, when in the next at-bat she snagged a line drive and quickly threw to first to double off the baserunner.

Aldridge then induced a game-ending groundout to keep Gaylesville in the winner bracket.

In seven innings, Aldridge scattered eight hits and two walks while allowing five earned runs.

At the plate for the Lady Trojans, Shelton went 1-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI, while Slayton went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Watwood went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Aldridge went 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

Brewster contributed a hit and three RBI.

For the Lady Panthers, Heath went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Bonds went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

As the home team, Gaylesville took an early lead when Aldridge, Watwood and Shelton scored in the bottom of the first.

Heath’s RBI single in the top of the third brought home Wall and Haggermaker to draw the Garden girls within a run, but Shelton and Slayton rounded the bases in the bottom of the inning put the Lady Trojans up 5-2.

Berry scored off Smith’s sacrifice fly in the fourth before Shelton and Slayton scored once again for a 7-3 Gaylesville lead.

Spring Garden kept within striking distance when Preston’s RBI single brought home Bonds in the top of the fifth, but Shelton’s sacrifice fly and Brewster’s two-run double scored Aldridge, Watwood and Haney to give the Lady Trojans a six-run advantage.

Aldridge retired the side in order in the top of the sixth, and her stellar work on the field during Spring Garden’s final at-bat secured the win