Sullivan provides spark for Bob Jones softball team in area win
Bob Jones softball players need only look as far as their shortstop for inspiration this season. That is where Brianna Sullivan is back at the position she has played for two years and showing no signs of the major knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee that ended her season early last year.
She is also back batting leadoff for the Lady Patriots who defeated Decatur on Tuesday, 11-4 to run their overall record to 20-6 and their area record to 3-0.
She is also back batting leadoff for the Lady Patriots who defeated Decatur on Tuesday, 11-4 to run their overall record to 20-6 and their area record to 3-0. A big lead early meant most of the regulars could take the rest of the game off and let the younger players get some playing time.
Anabelle Smith got the start at pitcher and went 3 innings. She gave up 1 run on 1 hit and struck out 5. Lizzie Nickey went the rest of the way.
Bob Jones pushed across 3 runs in the first inning, 4 in the second, and 3 in the third. Decatur scored just enough runs to avoid the game ending early in the 10-run rule. Sullivan was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored before she took the rest of the game off. Other hitting stars who took an early seat were Sydney Booker who was 2-3 with one RBI, Amy Carden who was 2-2 with 2 RBI’s, and Allie Stocking who was 2-2 with a double and 2 RBI’s.
“I like seeing the other girls play too, those who don’t start. As long as I have done my job and I’m doing fine then they should be able to play too,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan is a senior but has not announced where she will go to college and if she will play softball at the next level. She said that she is still weighing her options and going over some offers she has. One thing she knows for sure is she wants to continue playing softball in college.
“I’m not going to announce anything yet,” Sullivan said. “Not until I know it is official. I don’t really know where I want to go I just know I want to play somewhere in college. I’m looking forward to playing in college because not a lot of girls can do that.”
So far Bob Jones players Abby Guest and Allie Stocking have signed scholarships to play softball in college.
“I think it is awesome that we have so many girls that are going to play softball in college,” Sullivan said.
With 12 seniors on the team Sullivan says it is a shared leadership by all the seniors who want to get back to the championship series in Montgomery.
“We are all leaders,” Sulivan said of the 10 seniors. “We lift each other up and help each other out.”
“We really want that championship this season. We were so close last year, really the last couple of years,” Sullivan said.
Two years ago Bob Jones made it to the state tournament in Montgomery only to lose to eventual state champion Hueytown. Last year Dothan won the state championship.
For Sullivan just being back in the lineup at all required a lot of hard work. She injured her knee running out a ground ball trying to avoid the first baseman who had fallen on the bag. Months of rehabilitation followed surgery. She missed an entire summer of travel ball but was determined to return for her senior season.
So far she has been a fixture back at shortstop this season. At the plate she is among the team leaders in all offensive categories.
The third-ranked Bob Jones softball team will now spend the week preparing for one of the biggest softball tournaments in the North Alabama, the Bob Jones/ Huntsville Hospital Invitational which will be Friday and Saturday. The primary location will be Palmer Park but other sites will be at Madison Academy and the Huntsville Sportsplex. The championship game will be played at Bob Jones home field. Over 20 teams will be coming to play from all over Alabama and some from out of state.
