Fairhope softball earns Red Map trophy as state runner-up

Harrison, Stewart, Earp represent Pirates on AHSAA’s Class 7A all-state tournament team

BY COLE McNANNA
Sports Editor
cole@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 5/20/23

The Fairhope Pirates fell in the AHSAA Class 7A state title game with two losses to Hewitt-Trussville Saturday, May 20, at Choccolocco Park in Oxford and earned a Red Map trophy as runners-up.

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Fairhope softball earns Red Map trophy as state runner-up

Harrison, Stewart, Earp represent Pirates on AHSAA’s Class 7A all-state tournament team

Posted

The Fairhope Pirates fell in the AHSAA Class 7A state title game with two losses to Hewitt-Trussville Saturday, May 20, at Choccolocco Park in Oxford and earned a Red Map trophy as runners-up.

Ryley Harrison, Emma Stewart and Mallory Earp represented Fairhope on the 7A all-state tournament team. Stewart, a sophomore, collected 6 hits and 2 RBIs over the five tournament games and Earp — and eighth grader — recorded 8 hits and 3 runs scored.

Harrison, a South Alabama signee, finished with 3 hits, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs to go along with 28 innings pitched in the circle where she allowed 9 runs, 8 earned, on 19 hits. She struck out 44 batters and walked only one but developed a blister on her throwing hand and was moved to first base after two innings of the final game Saturday night.

Junior Mia Gates supplemented the offensive effort with 6 hits, 1 run and 3 RBIs where senior Edy Gavin, a Wallace State signee, recorded 4 hits, 4 runs and 1 RBI. Junior Jesslyn Gordon finished with 3 hits and 1 RBI and classmate Abby Kate Long provided 2 hits and 2 runs.

In a rematch of the 2021 state finals, the Huskies produced the same result despite a 1-0 loss to the Pirates to close play Friday in the winner’s bracket.

Entering Saturday’s championship, Hewitt-Trussville needed to beat Fairhope twice in the double-elimination bracket to earn the title. The Huskies did that by scores of 7-4 and 12-2 for their third Blue Map in the last four state tournaments where they also added a runner-up finish last year.