Three PA Players Selected to Play in AISA All-Star Game

By Brian Hamilton, Sports Correspondent

Pickens Academy had three players selected to participate in the 2018 AISA All-Star baseball and softball games in Montgomery this week. Lauren Duckworth and Allison Latham were selected to play in the senior softball game, while Austin Goodman was chosen to play in the junior baseball game. This is Duckworth and Latham’s second trip to the all-star game, as the duo was selected to play in the junior all-star game last year.

“We are pleased to be well represented at these all-star events,” Pickens Academy headmaster Brach White said. “We are very proud of our students and all their accomplishments.”

Allison Latham and Lauren Duckworth were both integral pieces to the Lady Pirates’ run to the state championship game, where they fell in the final game to Macon-East to finish runner-up in Class 2A.

“Both of them have been a big part of our program since seventh grade. We’ve had a good softball team for a while now and they’ve been a big part of it,” Pickens Academy softball coach Wade Goodman said. “Both of them had good years and I think Lauren (Duckworth) hit over .400. They’re going to be sorely missed (at PA), but they are very well deserving of the all-star selections.”

Duckworth was injured in the regional tournament at the University of West Alabama when she suffered concussion-like symptoms and was questionable for the state championships. She was later cleared to play in the championships and Goodman said it was very unlikely the Lady Pirates would have finished as runner up without her.