Salem allowed five runs on 11 hits in a 5-2 loss to Alcovy, which allowed it to move back above .500 on Monday.

Alcovy snapped a two-game losing streak, in which it was shut out in back-to-back games. The Lady Tigers lost to Union Grove 4-0 then dropped a 1-0 decision to Ola in which they amassed just three hits.
"That's been the key the first two region games is we haven't been able to get that clutch hit," Alcovy coach Monica Marks said. "Hopefully we're coming around with that because we had some hits (tonight) with some runners on."

Chelsea Murphy, batting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, notched four of Alcovy's 11 hits. Two of her hits were doubles and she was perfect at the plate for the game.

"She (Murphy) wasn't so sure about hitting leadoff but what can you say? She went 4-for-4," Marks said. "She just came out swinging the bat."

Murphy also went the distance on the mound, scattering six hits over seven innings while giving up single runs in the first and third inning. Alcovy's defense did its part in support of its junior pitcher as they played flawlessly behind Murphy and bailed her out of a third-inning jam with an unconventional double play to end a scoring threat.

"Chelsea has been pitching solid all year," Marks said. "She's been keeping us in games and we just have to score runs for her. That's been the case the past two games. One key hit here or there and we win those two games."

Salem opened the third with three straight hits but ran into an out at second trying to advance on a throw home before running into an inning-ending double play. With a run already in and a runner at third, Alcovy's Morgan Beshears fielded a hard grounder at third and fired home to cut down the runner attempting to score. After catcher Marie Peck ran the runner back to third, she fired to the bag for the tag for one before Lakeiyah Sorrells turned and fired to second to gun down the batter who attempted to take an extra base.

"Our defense is pretty solid," Marks said. "There are a couple of plays here and there that we have to be able to do a better job with. Our defense and pitching have to keep us in games and our hitting has to finish them off."

The Lady Salem Seminoles scored first in their half of the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead. Alcovy stormed right back on Peck's two-run single in the bottom of the first. Murphy and Sorrells led of the game with back-to-back hits. Murphy's was a double in the left field gap. Both girls scored on Peck's single.

Alcovy added to its lead in the second inning with three more runs. Murphy again was the catalyst. With one out she hit her second double of the game in the same part of the field then moved to third after Sorrells reached on an error. Beshears doubled home Murphy and Sorrells then came in to score on Jordan Hilty's single.

Alcovy chased Salem's No. 1 pitcher Rylee Rogers after two innings and Whitney Lester came in to pitch the final four innings.

Neither team score after the third. Alcovy continued to hit the ball hard but had just four hits after the second. One of Murphy's hits was a bunt single in which she caught Salem's defense off guard.

"We didn't make adjustments after they changed pitchers," Marks said. "That's one of the things we have to do a little bit better. We came out swinging the bats. We got kind of hot in the first two innings then cooled off when they changed pitchers. It's all about making adjustments."