SOFTBALL: Sparkman leads Area 8 into Class 7A North Regional action
HARVEST – The grind of a season can take its toll, and a week without games between area softball tournaments and regionals is a welcome respite.
Sparkman, for one, has been trying to take advantage of the break. Not just to recharge but also to retool on the finer points of the game before starting Class 7A North Regional play next week at the Florence Sportsplex.
The Lady Senators will be the top-seed out of Area 8 after defeating Huntsville on April 29. They’ll open region action Tuesday at 1:45 p.m. against Florence.
“We needed this rest to kind of reset and make sure everybody’s back to 100 percent,’’ Sparkman head coach Macie Morris said. “We’ve been doing a lot of fundamental stuff just getting back to the basics of what got us to this point to begin with and allowing their bodies to reset.’’
As manager Lou Brown opined in the 1980s sports comedy classic, “Over 162 games even tough guys get muscle strains, pulls.’’ Maybe that’s an exaggeration but hey, it applies.
“I think we’re in a good spot right now so I’m looking forward to it,’’ Morris said.
Before softball regionals launch, on Saturday two local girls soccer teams are playing for a berth in next week’s state tournament final four at John Hunt Park in Huntsville.
Madison Academy (10-4-1), ranked No. 2 in the final Coaches’ Poll, hosts No. 3 Collinsville (17-5-0) at 4 p.m. in a 1A-3A match. At 7 p.m., fourth-ranked James Clemens (13-1-3) takes on Grissom (14-3-2) in a 7A clash at Madison City Stadium.
Another team from Madison Academy will be among the first to take the field in the double-elimination softball North Region. The 3A Lady Mustangs (28-5), ranked No. 3 in the final Alabama Sports Writers Association rankings and the top seed from Area 15, play Colbert Heights (26-13) at 9 a.m. Monday. Win or lose, both teams play again at 1:45 p.m.
Meanwhile, No. 6 Sparkman (36-12-1) takes on Florence (17-24) at 1:45 p.m.Tuesday. Both play again at 5 p.m.
Morris can only hope the Lady Mustangs start fast and avoid falling into the loser’s bracket early.
“That’s actually been something that we’ve talked about, specifically in the area tournament. You know, take it inning by inning but you wan to set the tone at the very beginning. Get the momentum swinging in your favor and it’s hard to stop that, so.’’
It’s also hard to get Big Mo back.
