OXFORD — The defending champions aren’t done yet.

Athens capped a sun-soaked day of competition at Choccolocco Park with a 9-4 victory over Gardendale, staving off elimination and keeping its championship dreams alive at the Class 6A state softball tournament.

The Golden Eagles, who beat Pell City to begin play Thursday before falling to Saraland, will duke it out against Hartselle or Pell City on Friday at 9 a.m. Athens must earn four straight wins to take home the Blue Map trophy for a second straight season.

Coach Chuck Smith’s squad (35-19) came through in the clutch during its opener against Pell City.

Trailing 7-2 entering the seventh inning, Caitlyn Tedford and Jaicey Harty kick-started the Athens rally with back-to-back singles. Paisley Howell later produced a two-out, two-run single before Amaya Green and Abby Lopez drew walks to load the bases for Jazz Davis.

The freshman delivered, too, smoking a three-run double to tie the game and scoring the go-ahead run moments later following a fielding error on Jessica Waggoner’s swinging bunt.

And though Pell City ultimately evened things on a two-out RBI single, the Golden Eagles didn’t miss a beat in extra innings.

After Tedford scored on an error to put Athens back in front, Lily Lowery roped an RBI double before Howell punctuated the decisive frame with a two-run bomb.

In Game 2, the Golden Eagles grabbed a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning on Lowery’s solo homer.

But Saraland responded in the seventh with an RBI single and scored the go-ahead run shortly afterward following a rundown that led to a razor-close play at the plate.

A battle-tested Athens wasted no time putting Gardendale away later in the afternoon, scoring four runs in both the first and fourth innings en route to the wire-to-wire win.

Seven players recorded at least one hit for the Black and Gold. Camry Townsend pitched well in the circle to help her team advance.

See capsules below.

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Game 3

Athens 9, Gardendale 4

Caitlyn Tedford: 3-for-4, 2 RBIs

Jaicey Harty: 2-for-3, RBI

Lily Lowery: 1-for-3, RBI

Paisley Howell: 1-for-3, RBI

Linsley Gillman: 1-for-3, RBI

Camry Townsend: 7 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 3 K

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Game 2

Saraland 3, Athens 2

Lily Lowery: 2-for-3 (HR), 2 RBIs

Caitlyn Tedford: 2-for-3

Jaicey Harty: 5 IP, 4 H, ER, K

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Game 1

Athens 12, Pell City 8

Caitlyn Tedford: 4-for-4, RBI

Paisley Howell: 3-for-5 (HR), 4 RBIs

Jazz Davis: 1-for-5, 3 RBIs

Lily Lowery: 1-for-5, RBI

Abby Lopez: 4 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 K