By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Reporter

OAK MOUNTAIN – Ashlee Sanders and Abby Jones took the mound for the Oak Mountain Lady Eagles on March 17 against crosstown rival Hoover, and were able to hang on for the win in a close contest by a final of 7-6.

The Lady Eagles did the majority of their damage in the first inning of the game. Sanders, the leadoff hitter, smacked a single to center field and was soon followed when Carmyn Greenwood followed suit two batters later. When O’Neil Roberson was promptly walked on five pitches, the bases were loaded early in the inning for Oak Mountain. The very next batter, McKenzie Ridgway, was also walked which brought home Sanders for the first run of the game and kept the bases loaded. Sara Gallman followed by hitting a sacrifice fly which brought home Carmyn Greenwood to bring the score to 2-0 with two outs in the inning.

After Cassady Greenwood hit a single to right field, which scored Roberson and brought Oak Mountain’s lead to 3-0, Abby Jones stepped up the plate. After taking a pair of strikes and a ball, she sent the fourth pitch she saw sailing over the center field fence, scoring the two base runners and herself to bring the score to 6-0 early in the contest.

The Lady Bucs chipped away at the lead over the following five innings, eventually bringing themselves all the way back to tie the game at 6-6 in the sixth inning. After a scoreless bottom half of the sixth for Oak Mountain and a scoreless top half of the seventh for Hoover, the Lady Eagles had one more chance to regain the lead they had let slip away.

After Jones, the leadoff hitter in the seventh, flied out to center field, Jenna Galloway drew a walk on five pitches to put the winning run on base. Sanders followed Galloway and on the fourth pitch of the at-bat sent a double sailing to center field, which was enough for Galloway to come all the way home and win the game in thrilling fashion.

Sanders and Carmyn Greenwood both went 2-3 from the plate to lead Oak Mountain, and the Lady Eagles advanced to 5-5 with the win.