MONTGOMERY — Mortimer Jordan played "small-ball" to perfection, and pitcher Bailey Murphy was nearly perfect, striking out a career-high 15 batters and allowing one hit as the Blue Devils beat Spanish Fort 8-0 in the first round of the AHSAA Class 5A State Tournament at Lagoon Park.
The Devils scored five runs in the first inning, bunting their way on base, stealing and taking advantage of defensive mistakes by the Toros. The added three more runs in the sixth in much the same fashion.
Murphy's only hit came in the sixth by Alexandria Allen on a liner to right field, which went through the fielder's legs to let Allen get to third. But that's as far as she went, as Murphy struck out the next batter to close out the inning.
Murphy also gave up a walk and a hit batsman in the fifth, but the runners were stranded again after another strikeout.
Shelby Maze was 4-for-4, with two bunt singles and two swinging hits. She scored twice. Haylie McCleney was 2-for-4 and scored both times, as didi Tiffani Chaviers. Murphy drove in two runs with a single in the sixth.
Jordan now takes on forth-ranked Chelsea in the second round at 3 p.m. The No. 4 Hornets defeated eighth-ranked Scottsboro 12-1.
BOX SCORE
SPANISH FORT AB R H BI MORTIMER JORDAN AB R H BI Lauren Vaughan 3 0 0 0 Haylie McCleney 4 2 2 0 Alexandria Allen 3 0 1 0 Shelby Maze 4 2 4 1 Brianna Owens 3 0 0 0 Alyson Linn 3 1 1 0 Alanna Phillips 3 0 0 0 Tiffani Chaviers 3 2 2 1 Morgan Yates 2 0 0 0 Nikki Chafin 4 0 1 1 Katlyn Hoodless 3 0 0 0 Bailey Murphy 4 0 1 2 Taylor Nail 2 0 0 0 Morgan Cantrell 4 1 2 1 Tara Wilkinson 2 0 0 0 Brittany Collier 3 0 1 0 Laura Raines 2 0 0 0 Kristen Putnam 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 23 0 1 0 TOTALS 32 8 14 6 SPANISH FORT 000 000 0 -- 0 MORTIMER JORDAN 500 003 x -- 8 LOB--SPANISH FORT 4, MORTIMER JORDAN 8. ERR--Taylor Nail, Shelby Maze, Kristen Putnam. HBP--Taylor Nail. SB--Alanna Phillips, Laurel Lewis, Haylie McCleney, Morgan Cantrell, Shelby Maze (2). SPANISH FORT IP H R ER BB SO HR Morgan Yates 6 14 8 7 2 3 0 MORTIMER JORDAN Bailey Murphy 7 1 0 0 1 15 0 PB--Katlyn Hoodless (2). SO--Lauren Vaughan (2), Brianna Owens (3), Taylor Nail, Alanna Phillips, Tara Wilkinson, Laura Raines (2), Morgan Yates (2), Alexandria Allen, Katlyn Hoodless (2), Kristen Putnam (3). BB--Morgan Yates, Tiffani Chaviers, Alyson Linn.
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