MONTGOMERY – Both Corner and Fultondale staved off elimination in the AHSAA State Softball Tournament with wins in their first loser’s bracket games Thursday afternoon.

Cadi Oliver pitched a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts as Fultondale edged Excel 1-0 in Class 2A. Shelbi Smith led off the fifth inning with a single, moved ot third on two ground outs, then scored the winning run on a Monica Rascoe hit.

Excel got two of their three hits in the fifth, but the runners went no further due to three strikeouts by Oliver.

The Wildcats face the winner of Oakman-Hale County at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

In Class 4A, top-ranked Corner rebounded from a shutout loss to elimnate Alexandria 5-1. Preslie Cruce drove in two runs in the third with a double. Seven different Yellow Jackets had one hit each.

Kortney Sloan scattered five hits and racked up 11 strikeouts. She pitched 18-2/3 innings for the day.

Alyssa Brown’s RBI single sent in Taylor Warren for the Valley Cubs’ only run.

Corner takes on the winner of Saks and Central-Florence at 10:30 a.m.

Mortimer Jordan begins its quest of a second straight Class 5A title at noon Friday against Moody.

Robert Carter