SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Spanish Fort's softball Toros defeated Gulf Shores twice Saturday 5-2 and 12-1 to win the 5A Area 2 softball title on The Hill at SFHS. The Lady Dolphins defeated LeFlore in earlier rounds to advance to the finals. Both Baldwin County teams will move on to the South Regional in Gulf Shores this weekend.

Spanish Fort sophomore Olivia Cox (14-5) got the win in the championship game with six strike outs and scattered three hits and four walks in six innings.

Spanish Fort's Jade Phillips went 3-for-4 with two triples and a double for three RBIs, Taylor Nail also went 3-for-4 including two doubles and two RBIs, Tara Wilkinson had two hits, two RBIs and a steal, Laura Anna Raines had three hits and Brianna Owens was 2-for-4 at the plate. Emily Parrish had a hit for GSHS.

In the first game, Morgan Yates (19-7) took the win with a complete game two hitter. The junior struck out six and walked two. Yates also led at the plate with a double and a single, Nail had a single and a sacrifice fly RBI and Lauren Vaughan went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Courtney Brannon scattered six hits for GSHS and delivered one of the Dolphin hits along with Aubrey Sumlin.

The Toros (35-12-1) advance to play Friday against Rehobeth while GS will face Eufaula in the first round.

With just two seniors (Brannon and Sumlin) finishing the 2011 season and no juniors, GSHS coach Karen Collins considers the playoff berth a good sign for the future.

“We called on some of the younger ones to play some positions they were not real experienced at but they did fine,” Collins said. “We have been rebuilding all season, but at this point in the season to be here with a young bunch is not that bad. I’m proud of the effort. Physically we are building for the tournament. We get to play on our home field and I think the brackets favor either one of us, so I'm excited about it.”

Spanish Fort coach Sean Womack said he was most pleased with how his team stayed calm after getting behind early in game one.

“We got behind early, gave up two unearned runs, had the bases loaded and left everybody on. But stayed patient and in the fifth inning we executed our offense. We like to hit and run, bunt and run and put pressure on. We tied it up (2-2) and in the sixth got three more and Morgan closed the door.”

Yates struck out the side in the top of the seventh to end the game.