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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

Playing at home, the Lowndes Academy Lady Rebels varsity softball team finished runners-up for a second tournament in a row on Saturday while the boys varsity Rebels baseball team was eliminated by Northside.

Macon East swept the tournament winning both the softball and baseball championship.

Lowndes Academy hosted a softball/baseball Tournament that ran Thursday, March 1 – Saturday, March 3 in which the Lady Rebels finished as runner-up to Macon East. The Lady Rebels also recently finished as runners-up in the Fort Dale Baseball/Softball Tournament.

The Lowndes Tournament Baseball teams included Fort Dale, Sparta, Lowndes, Hooper, Northside, Macon East, Lakeside and Coosa Valley.

Tournament softball teams included Evangel, Coosa Valley, Lowndes, For Dale, Lakeside and Hooper.

The Lowndes Academy boys beat Hooper 2-1 in eight innings Thursday and lost to Fort Dale 8-3. And while the Lowndes Academy Rebels battled hard, they fell to Northside 6-4 on Saturday and were eliminated.

Lakeside eliminated Fort Dale 6-3 in baseball Saturday. And Macon East won the baseball side of the tournament defeating Lakeside 14-1.

The Lowndes Academy girls softball team went 2-0 Friday beating Coosa Valley 12-2 and Lakeside 11-6. The Lowndes Academy Lady Rebels also eliminated Coosa Valley 11-3 and Fort Dale 8-5 on Saturday and played Macon East, which eliminated Hooper 15-0, for the championship.

Macon East won the softball championship defeating Lowndes Academy 12-0.

Following the Northside baseball game, Lowndes head baseball coach Shane Moye agreed that his team battled back to get back into that contest, but said, “We are just struggling defensively right now. So, hopefully, we’ll get that figured out soon.”

Moye predicted that when the season is said and done, Lowndes will be in the thick of things.

He said this year’s team is a combination of 10th graders and juniors with five or six seniors, but only two or three starters. “We like the way we are for the future as well as this year,” Moye said.

Following the loss to Macon East in the championship contest, Lowndes Academy head softball coach Matt Marshall said, “It is not often you can get confidence out of a 12-0 loss, but had good play and will leave here confident.”

He said, “I was real pleased with the way played. All you can do is give yourself a chance. You can’t win a championship if you don’t get into a championship game. We are getting there. We played in the championship game at Fort Dale and played in the championship game here.”

Marshall said, “We are on the right path. We have to just keep working to get a little bit better.”

The Rebels coaches by Moye and assistant coaches Brian Briggs, Tanner Parham and Connor Franklin include: Rayan Davis, John Morgan, Jon Johnson, Colby Briggs, Will Cannon, Trevor Haney, Mason McCurdy, Tyler Franklin, Chase Robitaille, Ford Rosser, Brian Rayburn, Carter Haggard, Carter Murchinson, Gus Paige, Buddy Johnson, Zack Miller and Daniel Goolsby.

The Lady Rebels coached by Marshall and assistant coaches Ron Wilkinson and Howard Powell include: Laiken Hussey, Jessie Easterling, Emmi Ann Gluschick. Madison Bune, Hannah Claire Till, Robyn Johnson, Tristen Hilley, Anna Janes, Channing Black, Madelyn Taylor, Hannah Freeman, Ava Casey, Harley Hooper, Trinity Eiland, Molly Powell and Katie Ray.

In full baseball tournament action, On Thursday, Fort Dale defeated Sparta, Lowndes defeated Hopper, Fort Dale defeated Lowndes. On Friday, Macon East defeated Northside, Lakeside defeated Coosa Valley and Macon East defeated Lakeside and defeated Fort Dale. And Northside defeated Coosa Valley.

On Saturday Hooper defeated Sparta, Northside defeated Lowndes, Lakeside defeated Hooper and Lakeside defeated Northside. Lakeside then defeated Fort Dale to face Macon East. Macon East defeated Lakeside for the tournament championship.

In full softball tournament action, Coosa Valley defeated Evangel in game one, Lowndes Academy defeated Coosa Valley in the next game and Hooper defeated Lakeside in the game after that. Lowndes then defeated Fort Dale and Macon East defeated Hooper. Then Macon East defeated Lowndes for the softball championship.