By Mike Hensley

The Goshen Eagles were on fire Friday as they kept their bats going thought out the deciding match of the AHSAA Class 2A South Central Regional Tournament Friday and came off the field with a 7-1 win over Horseshoe Bend, sending the Eagles to the State Finals.

After the match up, Goshen head coach Amy Warrick said she was proud of her girls, knowing how much effort they had put in off and on the field this season. Warrick said today’s win was a team win.

“It was a team effort,” Warrick said.

“We changed our defense early in the season and everything we have done this season was to practice for when it counts.”

Senior pitcher Lizzy Galloway got the offense going in the first inning knocking a base hit to left field with one out for the inning. Galloway’s base hit was followed by a double from Casey Allen who sent the ball flying to right field.

With runners on second and third, Kati Thomas drove the ball to center for an out but Galloway tagged up and scored the game’s first run. Allen would follow suit and score on a base hit by Fran Warrick giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

The Eagles scored their final run of the inning when Tessa Little reached on error scoring Warrick.

The Generals answered quickly in the bottom of the first. After the leadoff hitter, Taylor Walton, reached first after getting hit by a pitch. The Generals were able to score Walton on a base hit by K-Rae Blasingame.

Galloway tightened up from there and struck out five of the Generals batters and shut the door for the remainder of the game.

When the General batters went silent so did the Eagles. It wasn’t until the top half of the seventh inning that the Eagles presented another offensive threat.

Lexi Ellisor got the inning started with walk and was advanced to second base on a ground out to the pitcher. With Carmen Kelly and Ellisor both on base, Galloway helped her own cause and smacked a double to left field driving in the two runners.

“Lizzy never hits off this pitcher, and I just took a little time and told her, ‘Are you going to let this pitcher win or are you going to battle and be a senior,’” Warrick said.

Kati Thomas kept the train moving y getting base hit that scored Galloway from second base. The Eagles scored their final run of inning on a double by Warrick that scored Thomas giving the Eagles the 7-1 win.

In all the Eagles scored four runs in the seventh inning, securing the win over Horseshoe Bend.

The Eagles played well in the tournament, having some of their best outings of the season.

“My team feels like if they score first it sets the tone,” Warrick said. “It helps our pitchers out, so scoring first is big.”

The tone was set for the Eagles all week long, they combined to out score their opponents 33-4.

Now that the regional tournament is behind them, the Eagles will turn their sites to Montgomery and the state tournament.

“We are not going to state just to be there, we are going to do something,” Warrick said. “My thing is hammer hard and play like we have all year. We intend on going deep.”