Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Opp rolled to three straight wins at the 3A South Regional in Gulf Shores last week and clichéd a trip to the state tournament this week for the second consecutive season.

The Lady Bobcats tied a team record for the most wins in a single season and improved their overall record to 39-6-1.

Game 1: Opp 11, Ashford 0
In a rematch of the 2023 winner’s bracket final, Opp cruised to an 11-0 opening-round win over Ashford. Jaidyn Ivey was 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Taylor Adams was 2-for-2 with two singles and an RBI. Bradleigh Lanier finished 1-for-3 with a single, RBI, and two runs scored.

Reese Cauley went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, and scored a run. The AUM signee’s 11th home run broke the school record for most in a single season. Cauley also dominated in the circle and was the winning pitcher in five innings. She allowed two hits and struck out nine Ashford batters.

Game 2: Opp 9, Thomasville 2
The Lady Bobcats moved into the winner’s bracket final with a 9-2 win in the second round. Rylie Kate Thrash was 3-for-3 with two singles, a triple, and two RBIs. Ivey was 1-for-4 with a single, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

Cauley had another solid performance at the plate as well as in the circle. She was 2-for-3 with a double, triple, and three RBIs at the plate. Cauley gave up only one earned run on four hits and struck out 12 in all seven innings for her second straight complete game.

Game 3: Opp 5, Excel 1 (Winner’s Bracket Final)
Opp overcame a slow start and took the top seed in the South Regional for a second consecutive year with a 5-1 win over Excel. Lanier was 1-for-3 with a two-run inside the park home run, two RBIs, and a run scored. Thrash was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Crislyn Birge also finished 1-for-3 with a single and an RBI, while Amaya Womack went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Cauley delivered her third complete game for the Lady Bobcats. She allowed one unearned run and three hits while striking out 14 in seven innings of work.

Opp will travel to Choccolocco Park in Oxford for the double-elimination state tournament on Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17.

The Lady Bobcats begin play against Madison Academy (31-4) in the first round on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. Last year, Opp advanced all the way to the 3A state championship game but fell to Plainview in the final game.

Other teams joining Opp in the state tournament field include Alabama Christian (Central qualifier two), Excel (South qualifier two), Madison Academy (North qualifier two), Plainview (East qualifier one), Piedmont (East qualifier two), Saint James (Central qualifier one), and Winfield (North qualifier one).

To view the complete 3A state softball tournament bracket, visit https://scorebooklive.com/alabama/softball/brackets/9055.

Red Level, Straughn each win once, but fall short
In other county South Regional action, Red Level and Straughn both ended their seasons with 1-2 records in Class 1A and Class 3A.

Red Level fell to Kinston, 15-0, in the opening round and rebounded with a 3-2 win over Millry in the loser’s bracket. Against Kinston, Kennedy Lord and Amaya Williams had a hit. Against Millry, Kennedy Lord and Ke’Mariah Crittenden both tallied two hits. Caroline Blackwell, Zoey Phillips, Payten Martin, and Kayden Lord all contributed with a hit. Blackwell threw eight innings and was the winning pitcher.

Red Level lost to Sweet Water, 18-8, and finished the year with a 16-11 record. Kennedy Lord, Phillips, and Martin all collected two hits, while Williams, Bailey Green, and Blackwell added one. Blackwell threw all seven innings for the Lady Tigers in the circle for their final game.

Straughn won its opening round contest against Providence Christian, 16-6, and came up just short to Excel, 5-4, in the winner’s bracket second round. In the win against Providence, the Lady Tigers recorded 17 hits. Allyx Williamson, Kyleigh Bennett, Maddie Williamson, McKena Bailey, Logan Parrish, and Sophie Pettus all earned multi-hit performances. Bailey was the winning pitcher with four innings of work. Against Excel, Straughn trailed 4-0 in the first inning and nearly came back. A. Williamson and Parrish combined for four of the six hits. Jaycee Norton threw all seven innings against Excel.

Straughn dropped a hard-fought game in the loser’s bracket to Ashford, 9-5, and ended the year with a 19-13 record. Adelaide Dunn, Parrish, and Bailey all notched multi-hit showings as the Lady Tigers had 11 hits. Norton threw the final six innings in the circle in relief of Bailey.