Final Four to play for Hot Mamas title Thursday

By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com

Photo galleries
* E-Lemonators 16, Aces of Bases 6 – 473 pics
* Chix with Stix 9, Slap-a-Pitch 8 – 411 pics
* MoCo’s Most Wanted 15, Vulcan Krushers 5 – 156 pics
* Where’s My Pitches At?! 22, SALT 7 – not available

Editor’s note: In the early afternoon on Thursday, July 31, the E-Lemon-ators withdrew from the tournament and forfeited their game against Chix with Stix due to a lack of players. The 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. games will go on as scheduled, as Chix with Stix automatically advances to the championship game.

ELLERBE — It was a great night to be in Ellerbe to watch softball at Parsons Field.

With friends and family in the stands and an unseasonably cool temperature of about 77 degrees with low humidity, it was difficult not to be pleased with the evening’s Hot Mamas Softball League playoff schedule.

But it’s understandable if not everyone was happy. After all, someone had to lose.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
A Chix with Stix base runner slides roughly into third base against Slap-a-Pitch.

The four games played Tuesday determined which teams advanced to Thursday’s Final Four showdown. Play resumes Thursday at 7 p.m. as the E-Lemon-ators take on Chix with Stix. The other semifinal in the single-elimination tournament plays at 8 p.m. between MoCo’s Most Wanted and Where’s My Pitches At?! First pitch for the championship game is scheduled for 9 p.m.

In Game 1 Tuesday, the top-seeded E-Lemon-ators beat up on No. 8 Aces of Bases in a mercy rule-shortened 16-6 victory. Tied 4-4 after one inning of play, the E-Lemon-ators scored seven runs in the second to pull away.

In Game 2, No. 4 Chix with Stix pulled out a come-from-behind victory with a 9-8 win over No. 5 Slap-a-Pitch.

Chix with Stix faced an 8-4 deficit in the bottom of the sixth and final inning by scored five in the sixth to clinch the win and advance to Thursday’s Final Four. Gay Garris Rhyne scored the winning run for Chix with Stix.

In Game 3, No. 2 MoCo’s Most Wanted throttled the No. 7 Vulcan Crushers in a 15-5 win in a mercy rule-shortened game.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
An E-Lemon-ators batter hits the second of her two home runs Tuesday night against Aces of Bases in her team’s 16-6 victory.

MoCo led 6-1 after the first inning and never looked back.

In the 9 p.m. game, No. 6 Where’s My Pitches At?! upset No. 3 Sandhills Alternative 22-7 but SALT didn’t go quietly.

WMPA led 15-2 and had SALT backed into a corner as SALT had loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning with two outs. One more out and the game was over — or would have been.

SALT rallied to score five runs and force play to continue. WMPA led 15-7 after three innings and scored seven times in the top of the fourth to wipe any hope from the minds of the SALT squad. SALT went down quiet at the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning in the mercy rule-shortened 22-7 loss.