By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



The Corner Lady Yellow Jacket softball team was trying to get back to the state 4A softball tournament for a third straight season, but East Limestone had other ideas. The Lady Indians had tied the best-of-three second round sub-state series with Corner at 1-game each, to set up a winner-take-all decisive game.

Corner senior Elizabeth Allred, who had won the opening game with a two-hit shutout, went to the pitching circle for the decisive contest. According to the former Lady Jacket, she threw the game of her life as Corner qualified for Montgomery for the third time in three seasons, behind her two-hit, 10 strikeout gem of a shutout, 2-0.

“That was the game I was the most mentally into ever that I pitched in high school,” Allred said. “It took more out of me mentally and physically than any other game I ever threw at Corner.”

The win was the final home game for the hard-throwing lefty who lead the Lady Jackets staff in wins for the past three years.

A week later, the Lady Jackets, who had gone two-and-out in the double-elimination state tournament the previous two seasons, won their opening game at the state tourney behind Allred’s pitching.

After losing to St. James in their next contest, the Lady Jackets rebounded as Allred again picked up the win, before Corner was eliminated by Ardmore, to finish fourth at state.

“Our team had much better focus this year over the first two years were went to Montgomery,” Allred said. “We had gone two-and-out twice and the whole team was determined not to do that again.”

Allred’s high school career came to an end with the state tournament. Looking back, she had one of the best careers ever at Corner and set a new standard for future pitchers at the school to shoot for. Allred compiled a 74-42 career won-loss record and collected many notable wins, including a big victory over Mortimer Jordan midway through the 2008 season.

It proved to be the Lady Blue Devils last loss of the season, as the went onto to win the Class 5A state title.

Allred, who has signed to play college softball with Wallace State Community College of Dothan, was your typical high school power pitcher, who tries to blow the competition away with a hard fastball. In fact, the fastball is only her third best pitch.

“My best pitch is a hard curve and my next best pitch is my rise ball,” Allred said. “I really didn’t throw my fastball much at all this year. About the only time I did, was when the count was 3-2 and I had to have a strike.”

Allred wasn’t just a great pitcher for the Lady Jackets, she was an outstanding hitter during her high school career, turning in batting averages of .401 in 2007 with 10 home runs and hitting .369 her senior season.

The 32-point dip in her batting average didn’t’ set well with Allred, who calls her senior year, “not a good one at all at the plate. I just didn’t have a good year as a hitter this past season.”

Allred credits her creator and her father for her outstanding high school career, that included being a Alabama Sports Writer’s Association two-time selection after both the 2007 and 08 seasons.

“I think the biggest things that helped me be successful were my God-give ability and my father working with me,” she said. “My dad coached me in park ball from the time I was five years old to the time I was 16 playing travel ball. He was either my head coach of one of the assistant coaches all those years. He worked with me so much, that he has to get most of the credit.”

Allred has been practicing at the college distance of 43-feet since her graduation, from Corner.

She said the extra three-feet take some getting used to but, she’s thinks she can make the adjustment soon.

“We’ll play a fall ball schedule against division one school’s and that’s when I’ll get a chance to

get used to it. So far, the extra distance has been messing with me. But, I am getting the ball breaking better recently.”

Allred admits to being a little fearful when she looks ahead to a future without the game she loves. She’s wonders how she’ll react to being without the competition, once her college playing days have ended.

“It scary to me to think I’ve only got four more years of softball left,” she said. “Softball has been my life for so long. I knew I wouldn’t burn out on it and give it up, but now I know the end is coming in just four more years. It makes me sad to think about it.”