The ATAK 04, a traveling softball team consisting of athletes around age 12, won a three-team tournament at the McComb Sports Park Saturday, finishing with a 3-1 record.
ATAK 04 defeated Southwest Slam 03 12-0 and 13-4 and split with the Lady Lightning with a 6-4 victory and 7-5 loss.
“They’re gutty,” ATAK 04 head coach Greg Gatlin said. “They do the things that we ask them to do. We hit the ball when we need to and, most importantly, we move runners to get them in scoring position when we have to.”
Libby Carr led the ATAK 04 in hitting with close to five doubles while Skye Sharpe, Callie Burris and Meg Gatlin pitched during the four games.
According to Gatlin, approximately 65 percent of the pitches ATAK 04 threw were strikes.
ATAK 04 broke things open with a six-run top of the third to take an 11-0 lead in the 13-4 win against Southwest Slam 03.
Lona Johnson walked and scored on a wild pitch, Cassidy Spears and Kaylea Wagner each hit one-run singles and Carr belted a two-run double.
Southwest Slam 03 went 1-3 on the day, which included shutouts in their first two games. In addition to losing 12-0 to ATAK 04, the Slam lost 9-0 to the Lady Lightning. The Slam trailed 13-1 to ATAK 04, but scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 13-4.
Blair Walsh singled and scored while Kat Case and Meredith Bates each walked and scored.
“We did not hit today at all,” Southwest Slam 03 head coach Kenneth Wallace said. “We had four runs in three ballgames, so that’s not good. We’ve got to work on our hitting.”
The only two hits in the 12-0 loss to ATAK 04 were Kaycibeth Wallace and Liberty Gillihan singles.
The Slam did close with a 3-2 win against the Lady Lightning.
Baylee Zumbro and Kaycibeth Wallace each had bases-loaded walks while Bates reached on an infield single.
Madi Smith pitched for the Slam in the win.
“We did a lot better that game defensively and hitting,” Coach Wallace said. “We got some key hits, just scored enough runs to hang on in the end and get the win. I’m glad to end the day with a win.”
ATAK 04 will be playing in the USSSA Tournament in Gulfport this weekend while the Slam will be competing in Louisiana the following weekend.
ATAK 02, a team of 14-year-olds, finished in third place in their tournament at McComb Sports Park on Saturday and Sunday.
The 14-year-olds opened with a 2-1 loss to Nitro on Saturday. They beat Motion Blue 5-2 on Sunday, Blast 01 2-1 and Rip’s Squad 8-0, but lost to Nitro 6-0.
“We had some big hits,” ATAK 02 head coach Eric Farnum said. “We just ran into a pitcher in the last game that just gives us troubles.”
Maddie Dixon was the leadoff hitter for ATAK 02, Emma Roberts had key RBI while Madelyn Burch and Hallie Creel were some of the top hitters on the team.
Alli Albritton, Nan Gatlin, Dixon and Burch pitched for ATAK 02.
“They’re learning how to play the defense well and it showed today,” Farnum said on Sunday. “I think we turned four double plays today. You just don’t see that at this age group.”
Nan Gatlin at shortstop and Dixon at second base turned one double play. Nan Gatlin turned another double play with Rachel Platt at second base.
“As far as their hitting, we are so close to hitting home run and that’s what we want,” Farnum said. “The college level wants people that can hit it over the fence.”
ATAK 02 plays in the state tournament at Shiloh Park in Brandon in two weeks.
In a coach-pitch tournament Saturday and Sunday, ATAK 07 — a team of mostly 9-year-olds — finished in second place in its tournament.
Taylor Magee and Mollee Day were the team’s leading hitters.
ATAK 07 opened with a 9-1 win against Columbia, defeated Elite 07 13-4 and LA Fusion 07 13-12. ATAK 07 lost to Diamond Dolls 17-4 to set up a two-inning shootout between the same two teams. Diamond Dolls won the shootout 10-2.
“They fought hard,” ATAK 07 assistant coach Chris Williams said. “Long day and just ran out of gas.”
ATAK 07 will be in the state tournament in Brandon June 24.
ATAK 05, consisting of mostly 11-year-olds, went 2-2 on the weekend.
ATAK 05 opened with a 5-2 win against ATAK 06 and followed with a 4-3 win against Elite 06. However, it ended with a 5-1 loss to Elite 05 and a 6-5 loss to Madison Motion.
“We had some girls that did what we asked them to do when we asked them to bunt and got hits,” ATAK 05 head coach Scott Lindsey said. “We just fell a little short.”
Carli Dixon and Madeylyn Platt led in hitting. Carli Dixon and Natalie Deer were the pitchers.
“They’re great,” Lindsey said. “They work hard. They’re great examples. We’re very proud of what they accomplished.”
ATAK 06, a team of mostly 10-year-olds, lost all three games in its tournament Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to 5-2 loss to ATAK 05, ATAK 06 fell to Mississippi Elite 7-2 and Motion 05 6-1.
Alyssa Phelps tripled and scored for ATAK 06 against Motion 05 while Julianna Wilson hit a one-run single.
Phelps, Ashley Reed Sharp and Ballard Kraft were the pitchers.
“Overall, we played well yesterday against two of the best 05 teams in the state,” ATAK 06 head coach David Burris said. “Today, we didn’t really play that well. We didn’t hit the ball well enough to win today. We’ve got a lot of young girls. We’ll be pretty much be bringing everybody back next season.”
ATAK 06 will also be playing in Brandon June 24.
