The road to the state tournament is heating up, and local softball fans have plenty to cheer about after an action-packed third day at the North Regional in Florence. Athens Bible School punched its ticket to the state tournament, while Lawrence County and Ardmore are each just one win away from joining them.
After dropping a game on Tuesday, Athens Bible showed remarkable resilience, rattling off three straight victories in the losers bracket to secure the Class 1A North Qualifier 2 spot. They'll head to Oxford next week with momentum on their side, proving that a setback can fuel a comeback.
In Class 5A, all eyes are on Thursday morning's 9 a.m. showdown between Lawrence County and Ardmore for the North Regional final. The winner earns the top qualifying spot from the North, while the loser will have to battle through the losers bracket to keep their state tournament hopes alive.
"I like our mentality. I like our dugout from top to bottom," said Lawrence County head coach Josh Graham. "I'd take these girls over anybody. We've got a lot of fire and focus. I think we're ready to go tomorrow."
The Red Devils have extra motivation this year. After a strong start in last year's regional, they suffered back-to-back losses that ended their season. Wednesday, they got payback, defeating both Class 5A's No. 3 Boaz and Scottsboro—the same teams that eliminated them a year ago.
"We got revenge, but the job isn't finished," said Lawrence County's Alivia Terry.
Ardmore, meanwhile, has been dominant. The Tigers run-ruled Douglas and then Russellville, outscoring their region opponents by a combined 27-3 on their first day of play. Their offense has been explosive, and the pitching has been just as sharp.
"Our offense was really good. When we pitch really well, we seem to hit better," said Ardmore head coach Whitney King. "So as long as we keep that rolling tomorrow, we'll be fine."
In other action, Ardmore's Fallon Broadway threw five innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts in a 13-0 win over Douglas. Payton Pennington drove in three runs with a double and went 3-for-4 at the plate. Makena Hall added a triple and two RBIs, while Broadway herself went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Ardmore followed that up with a 14-3 run-rule win over Russellville, putting them one game away from their first state tournament since 2023. Kiki Embry doubled, Kadence Williams knocked in three runs with a double, and Makena Hall collected three doubles with two RBIs. Fannon Broadway pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts.
Lawrence County also delivered a statement, beating Boaz 11-6 despite being outhit 13-10. The win avenged last year's season-ending loss and set up Thursday's heavyweight clash with Ardmore.
Unfortunately, the tournament ended for East Limestone, Falkville, and Decatur Heritage after two losses each. But for Athens Bible, Lawrence County, and Ardmore, the dream of a state championship is still very much alive.