Softball Drops Three at Turf Wars Invitational

Gardendale, AL – Calhoun softball faced one of the toughest days of the early season Friday, Feb. 13, at the Turf Wars Invitational, competing in three games against nationally ranked and high-level NJCAA competition. Despite putting together competitive outings in each contest, the Warhawks fell in all three games, learning valuable lessons against some of the best teams in the country.

Game 1 – Itawamba 4, Calhoun 1

Calhoun opened the day against Itawamba, the preseason No. 12 team in NJCAA Division II. The Warhawks stayed in the game for six innings, but could not overcome the Tribe's early runs in a 4-1 defeat.

Itawamba jumped on the board first with two runs in the top of the third. Calhoun's defense and pitching limited further damage for several innings, keeping the game close. In the bottom of the sixth, Addison Mikel scored on an RBI from Morgan Lane, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Tribe added two more runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 4-1. Emellie Hamilton entered in relief to close the inning, but the Warhawks were unable to mount a late rally.

Addi Wilson threw 6.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs, all earned, walking two and striking out six. Hamilton recorded the final out.

Despite the loss, the Warhawks showed patience at the plate and a willingness to fight in every inning, a key takeaway for the rest of the day.

Game 2 – Chattanooga State 13, Calhoun 6

In the second contest, Calhoun faced Chattanooga State, the preseason No. 12 team in NJCAA Division I. The Warhawks struck early in the top of the first, as Kenley Holcombe doubled to open the frame, and Keara Hall followed with a home run to make it 2-0.

The Tigers responded immediately with a nine-run bottom of the first, fueled by a home run, a walk, another home run, and a third home run in a sequence that flipped the game in their favor, taking a 7-2 lead.

Calhoun continued to battle in the top of the second. With the bases loaded, Holcombe singled to left, driving in Morgan Lane and Addison Wallace, and later drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Emily Jones. A single from Emily Burgreen scored Holcombe, cutting the gap to 9-6.

The score remained 9-6 until Chattanooga State added three runs in the bottom of the third and one more in the sixth to secure a 13-6 victory.

In the circle, Emellie Hamilton worked one inning, giving up eight hits, nine runs, five earned, and a walk. Aynslee Malone pitched five innings, allowing six hits, four runs, all earned, and striking out two.

Offensively, Kenley Holcombe went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Keara Hall had two hits, one run, and three RBI. Emily Burgreen recorded one hit and one RBI.

Despite the high score, Calhoun showed resilience at the plate and refused to fold against one of the top Division I programs in the country.

Game 3 – Walters State 12, Calhoun 8

Calhoun's final game of the day was a high-scoring battle with Walters State. The Warhawks seemed in control through the first four innings, posting three runs in the first, one in the second, and two in the fourth. Walters managed only one run in the third, leaving Calhoun with a 6-1 advantage after four innings.

In the top of the fifth, Walters broke through with four runs to narrow the gap to 6-5. Calhoun responded immediately with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to 8-5. However, Walters scored two in the sixth to tighten the game at 8-7, then added five in the seventh to pull away, ultimately handing the Warhawks a 12-8 defeat.

In the circle, Kaylee Williams started and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six hits and five earned runs, walking three and striking out two. Addi Wilson pitched 2.1 innings, giving up nine hits and seven earned runs with four strikeouts. Emellie Hamilton closed with 0.1 innings and a strikeout. For the offense, Addison Wallace went 2-for-4 with one run and four RBI. Emily Burgreen had one hit, two runs, and two RBI. Kenley Holcombe and Missey French each recorded one RBI.

"I'm proud of the way we competed today," commented Calhoun Head Coach Denton Bowling. "Asking these girls to come out and play three games back-to-back-to-back at the collegiate level against the top competition in the country isn't easy for anyone, and I thought we handled the challenge well. I would have liked to hold onto our momentum in the third game, I felt we managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the end, but with a shallow staff this year, it's a tough ask, and we'll keep working to get better and to close out those games."

Calhoun will return to action Friday, Feb. 20, at noon at home in Decatur against Alpena College.