Athens took two softball victories Friday night, defeating Sparkman 3-2 before dispatching Decatur by a 4-2 margin.

Athens scored all three of its runs against Sparkman in the bottom of the third inning. Olivia McCurry hit an RBI single before Anna Carder tied the game with a run-scoring double. Emma Ogden then grounded out, which forced in the third run of the inning.

Athens pitcher Brenin Ezell kept Sparkman at bay, holding the Senators to two runs on eight hits. Morgan Stiles, Mary Greg Anderson and Gracie Green also had hits for Athens.

The Golden Eagles kept the big inning going in the second game, scoring all four of their runs in the bottom of the second inning against Decatur.

Ogden had an RBI double in the inning, while Alli Patterson drove in a run with a single. Patterson had two hits in the game, while Anderson, McCurry and Lilli Cain also had hits for the Golden Eagles.

Skylar Anderson was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven.

Track and field

Athens qualifies for state meet

Athens performed well at the Class 6A sectional track and field meet, held Saturday at Fort Payne High School. The team qualified for the state meet, which will be in Gulf Shores, and numerous individuals finished in the top five of their respective events.

JaCaury Mason won the discus competition, throwing 133 feet, 10 inches. Caden Shoulders was third in the same event, with a throw of 123 feet, 10 inches.

Kenan Hambrick set a new school record in the high jump, finishing second in the meet with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches.

Santravious Henderson was third in the shot put, with a heave of 48 feet, 2.25 inches, while Jack Tregonig was fifth in the same event at 44 feet, 11.25 inches.

In the track events, Chase Irland set a new school record in the 3,200-meter run, finishing fifth overall in a time of 10:26.14. Hamilton Pressnell was fifth in the 300-meter hurdles, with a time of 44.10, while Elijah Frankel took seventh in the 1,600 meters, with a time of 4:46.08.

The boys 800-meter team of Frankel, Irland, Matt Waldron and Michael Green finished sixth in a time of 8:55.60.