Sparkman sets national records
Several national softball records will need to be updated after Sparkman’s outstanding season this spring.
The Lady Senators broke three national records and four state marks on the way to a 58-8-1 mark this season. Sparkman set national records for home runs in a season, hits in a season and doubles in a season.
All three were also Alabama High School Athletic Association marks. Additionally, Sparkman set the AHSAA record for runs in a season.
The Lady Senators opened the season ranked No. 1 in Class 6A by the Alabama Sports Writers Association .
Sparkman dropped to second in the third poll of the season and stayed at that spot for the remainder of the season.
Satsuma took over the top spot in the rankings during the third week of the prep softball poll and held the No. 1 spot for the final five polls of the season.
The Lady Senators had 60 home runs in 67 games this season on the way to a fifth-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament in Montgomery in May.
The 60 homers broke the previous record of 59 held by St. Amant since the 2006 season.
Ten Sparkman players had homers during the season with Sarah Suggs leading the Lady Senators with 16. Ashley Price and Hayden Crawford added 11 each, while Tori Edwards chipped in 10.
With 554 hits, Sparkman easily eclipsed the national mark of 508 set by both Taylor Light and Life Christian in 1993.
The Lady Senators’ school record 491 runs was a state mark and second best all-time nationally behind Taylor Light and Life Christian during the 1993 season.
The national record of 97 doubles in a season – held by Galesburg-Augusta of Michigan – came crashing down when the Lady Senators hit a remarkable 125 doubles this season.
Sparkman finished with a 1-2 record in the state tournament with one of the losses coming to eventual state champion Hueytown.
