'Different level:" Gattis hangs Ks, zeroes as Alexandria moves within win of state title

May 19—OXFORD — Rylee Gattis and twin sister Chloe hoped one day to stand at the precipice of a state softball championship. That's why they transferred from Southside to Alexandria in 2019.

Well, today's the day.

"I'm very proud to be a part of this and to say, 'Hey, I moved in there, and I was a part of that team that got to that,'" Rylee Gattis said.

The reigning Class 5A pitcher and player of the year is a huge reason why. She pitched three complete-game shutouts Wednesday, striking out 38 batters in 19 innings of work as Alexandria dispatched West Point 5-0, Rehobeth 11-0 and Satsuma 8-0 to advance within one victory of the Valley Cubs' third state title.

Alexandria (45-10), ranked No. 1 in 5A all season in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll, punched its ticket to today's finals at 5 p.m. on Choccolocco Park's signature field. The Valley Cubs will play the elimination-bracket survivor between Satsuma, Hayden and Rehobeth.

Hayden plays Rehobeth at 10:45 a.m., and Satsuma awaits the winner. The survivor must win twice against Alexandria, the only unbeaten team in the double-elimination tournament, to steal the state title away from the Valley Cubs.

Alexandria seeks its first state title in eight years and first in 5A. The Valley Cubs won 4A titles in 2004 and 2014 and moved up in classification before the 2014-15 school year.

Brian Hess, Alexandria's head coach through it all, had his usual blunt message after his team moved ever so close to another state title.

"I told them, enjoy it for what is is," he said. "It got you in the championship game and still hadn't finished it yet. You're going to have to come back tomorrow and finish it.

"Enjoy the night. Come back tomorrow ready to be focused, but you've got all day to rest."

Rest includes athletic recovery for Rylee Gattis. As she did on the final night of the Calhoun County tournament, she worked three, high-pressure games in one day and emerged victorious.

"We're gonna go to Chris Harrison and have a massage done," she said. "They have these little things that compress your muscles and then a combo machine that sends TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) units through your back."

Gattis struck out 18 batters against West Point, 11 against Rehobeth and nine against Satsuma on sunny day with temperatures approaching 90. She posted eight innings with three strikeouts and strung together 10 strikeouts in a row during one stretch of the West Point game.

"She went on a different level today," Hess said. "I hope it happens again tomorrow."

How tired was Gattis at the end of the day?

"She was talking to herself in the dugout before going out for that last inning," Hess said.

Chloe Gattis her sister's "top tierl" from her customary perch, through a mask while squatting behind the plate.

"I'm just chilling back there," Chloe Gattis said. "I know what she's going to throw, and I know how she's going to throw it. As long as I catch it."

Rylee Gattis' day reminded of Taylor West's final day at the 2012 state tournament. The former Saks and Jacksonville State University standout struck out 24 batters in a 12-inning winners-bracket final against Geneva then pitched a perfect game in the finals against Pisgah.

Rylee Gattis' pitching has helped Alexandria win its last six games by shutout ... three in the East Regional and three at state. The Valley Cubs haven't given up a run in their past eight victories.

They also scored 60 runs in those eight victories since the start of the Area 11 tournament, averaging 7.5. They gave Rylee Gattis 24 runs to play with Wednesday.

JSU signee and shortstop Ashley Phillips led the way with eight RBIs. They didn't come in one inning, like they did the day she tied a national record with two grand slams in one inning against Cleburne County, but they came.

"I wasn't trying to do too much," Phillips said. "I was just trying to get base hits. It's a big field, so not many home runs are going to be hit.

"Me kind of staying on the ball and the top of the lineup getting on the ball kind of helps everybody to kind of get through it, and it helps her (Rylee Gattis) a lot, especially with the run-rule (game) earlier."

Phillips and older sister Maggie have come through Alexandria's program. They know well the school's tradition of painting a "ball on the wall" of Larry R. Ginn Gymnasium for every team state title.

The younger Phillips and her teammates stand one victory away from bridging back to greats like Lauren O'Dell and Timberlyn Shurbutt, two of many stars on the 2014 team.

"I just feel like this is our year," Phillips said.

More details from each of Alexandria's games Wednesday:

Winners' bracket

Alexandria 8, Satsuma 0: Against Satsuma, Rylee Gattis also doubled home a run as part of Alexandria's two-run first and doubled home a run in the fifth.

RBI singles from Clancy Bright and Brie Troup accounted for Alexandria's two-run fourth inning.

Addie Jennings singled home a run in the fifth, and Chloe Gattis singled home another as part of Alexandria's two-run sixth inning.

The Valley Cubs scored two more runs on errors.

Alexandria 11, Rehobeth 0: Phillips drove in six runs on a triple, two doubles and a single.

Alexandria also got three hits and two RBIs from Rylee Gattis. Christian Hess, Chloe Gattis and Troup added RBI hits. Troup's was a double.

First round

Alexandria 5, West Point 0: West Point's Carlie Wilkins carried a no-hitter into the fifth, when Alexandria broke the game open with five runs on four hits. The rally included Phillips' two-run double and Rylee Gattis' RBI single.

AHSAA state softball tournament

at Choccolocco Park

Class 5A bracket

Wednesday

First round

Alexandria 5, West Point 0

Rehobeth 4, Elmore County 0

Satsuma 4, Brewbaker Tech 3 (11 innings)

Hayden 1, Moody 0

Winners' bracket

Alexandria 11, Rehobeth 0 (five innings)

Satsuma 4, Hayden 3

Alexandria 8, Satsuma 0

Elimination bracket

West Point 6, Elmore County 0

Brewbaker Tech 3, Moody 0

Hayden 9, West Point 4

Rehobeth 11, Brewbaker Tech 9

Today

Elimination bracket

Hayden vs. Rehobeth, 10:45 a.m.

Satsuma vs. Hayden/Rehobeth, 12:30 p.m.

Finals

Alexandria against TBA, 5 p.m.

If-necessary game, 6:45 p.m.

Sports Writer Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.