By PATRICK CASEY
Walton freshman pitcher Hannah Poole threw a one-hitter and drove in the only run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning as the Braves defeated Paxton 1-0 on April 8 on Senior Night at the Walton High School softball complex.
The game was a pitching clinic as Poole dominated for Walton while Cassidy Brazile and Genesis Long kept the Bobcats on the Braves’ heels for seven innings.
Poole recorded 14 of the 21outs via strikeout for the Braves as the Bobcats had only one baserunner in the contest as Camryn Brazile had a pop-up single that died between home plate and the pitcher’s mound in the fifth inning.
Brazile took the loss but allowed only one hit, a single by Sydni Earley in the third inning after Jamie Lamb had reached on a dropped ball in the outfield. Mara Morse walked to load the bases with Poole providing a fly ball to leftfield to plate the only run of the game.
Long gave up a single to Morse in the fifth inning with two out as Poole drew a walk to put two runners on but Jade Larrick fouled out to Paxton catcher Michaela Cain to end the threat.
Walton left seven runners on base and got quite a battle from the Bobcats in the rematch after beating Paxton 11-0 on March 2 with Poole throwing a no-hitter in that game.
Walton moved across the state line on Saturday and won the Samson Invitational 8-team softball tournament by posting wins over Wicksburg (4-0), Bethlehem (5-0), Elba (5-1) and Wicksburg again in the title game 1-0.
Larrick drove in Earley in the bottom of the seventh inning to capture the title game.
Poole pitched all four contests (24 innings) while allowing only five hits while recording 49 strikeouts. She tossed a no-hitter in the opening win over Wicksburg and one-hit Bethlehem in the second round. Elba and Wicksburg each managed two hits apiece over the last two games.
Jamie Lamb had a double and a pair of runs batted in against Wicksburg in the opener with Kayla Jackson adding a single and a RBI.
Walton (19-2) is scheduled to face Pensacola Catholic on April 14 in Marianna with a playoff berth on the line in Class 4A. A win by the Braves would put them in the title game against the Marianna-West Florida winner on Thursday night at 6 p.m.
