GDW Analysis:
PRICEVILLE: Good Hope's good season on the softball field came to an unfortunate end on Monda.

 The Lady Raiders needed two victories in the AHSAA 4A, Area 13 Tournament to qualify for the North Regional. They got just one.
Good Hope fought off East Lawrence 6 to 3, then was defeated by Priceviille 4 to 1 in the loser's bracket final.
The Lady Raiders went 2 & 2 in the event from Priceville ball field. They finish 3rd in the area tournament.

 West Morgan was able to wrap up the area tournament crown until Priceville rallied with a 6 run 7th inning and defeated West Morgan 7 to 4. That forced an if needed game to decide which team from Morgan County will be the area champion.
Good Hope was down 1 to 0 to East Lawrence when the Lady Eagles scored a run off a throwing error from the catcher in trying to nail a runner stealing 3rd base.

 In the 3rd, the Lady Raiders went ahead. Lizzy Steed singled and Kylie Smith was hit by a pitch. Campbell Koch followed with a double to center as Steed and Smith darted home and a 2 to 1 lead for Tim Tucker's squad.

 Another 2 run double for Good Hope took place in its half of the 4th. This one was from catcher Haley Lay as she went into the gap with Steed and Smith, again, scoring the runs.
Addyson Burgess pitched good for the Lady Raiders, allowing East Lawrence a run in the first four innings. The Lady Eagles tallied a single and a run scoring double in the 5th to close the deficit to 4 to 2.
It was time for Good Hope to gain some insurance runs. They did that with a pair scoring in the 6th. 

 Natalie Miller slapped a single, stole 2nd, got to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch for a 5 to 2 lead.

 Lay would produce her third RBI of the game with a 2 out single that sent in Steed for a 6 to 2 margin. Steed, the leadoff batter, scored three times as she reached base in three of four at bats.
Freshman Molly Benefield came in to relieve Burgess with one out in the East Lawrence 6th and the Lady Eagles had runners in scoring position. She struck out two to end the frame.
In the 7th, East Lawrence scored a run on a base hit with one out against Benefield. The freshman then got a pop out to Carly Adams at 1st and then a fly ball to Molly O'Neal in left, ending the game at 1:43 p.m. The time of the game was 1 hour, 51 minutes.
Priceville broke a nothing to nothing tie with a pair of runs scoring in the 2nd and two in the 3rd off Benefield. The Lady Bulldogs had five hits in that span and gained momentum with a 4 to 0 advantage.
Good Hope got the zero off the scoreboard in the 5th on a run scoring single from Burgess.
They could never come through with a big inning in the 6th and 7th, seeing the good season end at 20 wins in 30 games.
In the 7th, Benefield started the inning with a single and was replaced by a pinch runner. Burgess lined to 2nd that became a double play.
Miller kept the inning alive with a single before Molly Johnson struck out, ending the loser's final at 3:40 p.m. This game was played in 1 hour, 34 minutes.
Good Hope can feel good of its softball future. Tucker loses no one to graduation and the squad will be more mature for 2025.
Burgess and Benefield will continue to display their mark inside the circle and have qualify performers like Steed, Koch, Lay, Adams, O'Neil, Miller, Molly Johnson and Smith in their role from the batters' box to playing defense.
Good Hope was 8 & 4 overall in the highly competitive 4A, Area 13 season. They won 12 of their last 17 games after capturing the Cullman County championship April 3.
The Lady Raiders will wait once the season is done for AHSAA softball on where they will be aligned in Class 4A for 2025 and 2026.

Photo of Good Hope softball in a pregame drill Monday at Priceville ball field before game vs. East Lawrence.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.