GULF SHORES — After falling to third-ranked Alabama Christian Academy 8-2 in the Class 4A South Regional finals Saturday, Straughn’s varsity softball team gathered outside of the first base dug out and held its first meeting in preparation for the state tournament this week.

“I just told them ‘the slate is clean now. We’re going to state. Everybody’s starting the same. It’s a brand new tournament,'” Wilson said. “That’s the way we’re approaching it.”

Straughn’s Kelli Wilcox scores easily during the loser’s bracket championship game Saturday at the Class 4A South Regional Tournament in Gulf Shores. The Lady Tigers finished runner up to Alabama Christian Academy, who won 8-2 over Straughn in the regional finals.

The Lady Tigers finished as the runner-up at the tournament they have won the past two years.

In the first game of the day, Straughn found itself facing ACA, and the Lady Eagles triumphed in a 6-3 win.

SHS’ girls came back to play Jackson in the loser’s bracket championship game, and beat the Lady Aggies 10-2 to punch its ticket to Montgomery.

“You’ve got eight of the best teams in the state, and there’s not going to be a whole lot of difference,” Wilson said about the caliber of teams that will be in the state tournament. “I told these eight seniors they have one more week of softball, and let’s make the most of it.”

Straughn will play Central-Florence at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Lagoon Park in its first game at state.

Alabama Christian Academy 8, Straughn 2

McKenzie Kilpatrick and Caitlin Perry were 2-for-3 each; and Brooke Johnston and Kelli Harris were 2-for-4 each for the Lady Eagles.

Perry scored two runs, and Amanda Seales was 1-for-4 with one run.

ACA scored one run in the second inning on a sac-fly by Lizz Taylor, and then added two runs in the third inning on a single by Perry.

The Lady Eagles opened up in the fifth inning with five runs to put the game out of reach for Straughn.

Kaitlynn Wiggins was 2-for-4 with two singles to lead Straughn.

The Lady Tigers (39-11) scored one run in the fifth on an RBI single from Wiggins, and one run in the seventh on an RBI single from Laken Harris.

Straughn 10, Jackson 2

Wiggins and Tori Bracewell had two RBIs each to help lead the Lady Tigers to a state tournament berth over the Lady Aggies.

Katy Messick was a perfect 4-for-4 with four singles and an RBI; Paige Caraway was 3-for-4; and Harris, Tiffany Taylor, Payton Mitchell and Katie Beck were 1-for-4 each.

Kelli Wilcox was 1-for-1 for the Lady Tigers.

Caraway struck out six in six innings, and allowed two runs on eight hits. Wiggins earned the save.

Straughn scored one run in the first inning, two runs in the third inning, six runs in the sixth inning and one run in the fourth.

Jackson scored its two runs in the sixth inning.

Brianne Powell and Megan Alford were 2-for-3 each for the Lady Aggies.

“When you’ve got to beat somebody twice that makes it a psychological disadvantage,” Wilson said about the elimination game. “We’ll go back to work Monday, and try to improve on some things we did not do so well in the tournament as a whole. We’ll try to be better next Thursday and Friday at state.”

Alabama Christian 6, Straughn 3

Straughn suffered its first regional tournament loss in two years Saturday, as Alabama Christian scored four unearned runs on five errors to secure its berth at the state tournament.

The Lady Tigers scored two runs in the first inning on a sac-fly from Messick, and an RBI single from Taylor.

Wiggins led the fifth on a double, and moved up on a bunt from Harris.

Wiggins scored on another sac-fly from Messick to edge into ACA’s lead by one run at 4-3.

ACA scored three runs in the second, added one run in the fifth inning and scored two runs in the seventh on two hits.

Wiggins led Straughn, and went 3-for-4 at the plate.