GULF SHORES — The Straughn Lady Tigers will once again travel to the Class 3A state finals in Montgomery after allowing only one run in the final day of the south regional tournament in Gulf Shores.

Straughn started the day off with a 3-0 win over Headland, then defeated Slocomb, 5-0, in the semifinal round and routed Wicksburg, 13-1, for the championship title.

Straughn coach Ray Wilson said the team only gave up one run Saturday because of two factors.

“We had some good pitching and some good defense,” Wilson said. “Both Katy (Messick) and Kaitlynn (Wiggins) did a good job pitching this tournament. We played good defense for the whole tournament and that was big.

“It kind of got hot with the bats in that game (versus Wicksburg),” he said. “That’s the most runs we’ve scored in a while and that’s good to see.”

Wilson said that he thinks the pitching is where it needs to be going into the state tournament.

“I hope that we’re peaking at the right time,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge this next week because there will be eight good teams up there. We’re looking forward to it and we’ll see what we can do.”

Straughn 13, Wicksburg 1

Straughn’s Kayla Teel hit a three-run triple in the first inning to help give her team an early scoring drive Saturday to win the Class 3A regional championship.

The Lady Tigers scored one run in the second inning, one run in the third, three runs in the fourth, two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to clinch the win.

Wicksburg tacked on a run in the fourth inning.

Kaitlynn Wiggins was named the Class 3A south regional’s most valuable player. Before being named the tournament MVP, Wiggins earned the win, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing one hit, one run and striking out three.

Straughn 3, Headland 0

Kayla Messer helped her team get off to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, bringing in Kaitlynn Wiggins on an RBI single.

Straughn added its last two runs in the third inning when both Messer and Wiggins scored.

Wiggins was 1-for-3; Messer was 2-for-3; Katy Messick was 1-for-3; and Tiffany Taylor was 2-for-3.

Wiggins earned the win, pitching 7.0 innings and allowing one hit, zero runs and striking out eight.

Straughn 5, Slocomb 0

Tiffany Taylor and Megan Johns scored on passed balls to give the Lady Tigers an early advantage in the first inning.

Kimberly Teel later scored in the same inning on an error.

In the fifth, Kayla Teel and Taylor each scored on errors.

Katy Messick earned the win, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing five hits, zero runs and striking out five.