CLEVELAND Tenn. — After losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to sudden favorite Rhea County Friday, Walker Valley recovered in a big way Saturday beating Ooltewah and Bradley Central to stay alive in the race for the district 5-4A softball championship.
The Lady Mustangs (24-10) rolled over the Lady Owls of Ooltewah in the early afternoon contest by a five inning final score of 12-1 before finishing off the long day of softball with a 13-3, five inning win over Bradley Central (15-13-1) ending the season for the Bearettes.
Bradley opened the day with a 13-2 elimination win over McMinn County before falling to the Lady Mustangs in the final game of the day.
“I'm really proud of our girls for fighting back. It would have been easy after that first loss, that heartbreaker, to give up, but they didn't. I just think that shows their fight and their fire and their passion. I just could not be prouder of them. They played two great games and we're excited to get to compete Monday,” said Lady Mustangs head coach Lauren Limburg.
After pitching well enough to get a win over Rhea County, but being saddled with a loss, Walker Valley's Ryann Presswood stood her ground once again in the circle giving up just three runs on eight hits against the Bearettes to earn the victory. The sophomore righty gave up a single walk and three earned runs.
It was the Bearettes who struck first scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Macy Chastain opened the game with a single to center field and later scored on a Tori Cagle safety to left.
The Feisty Fillies answered the challenge with four consecutive singles by Alyssa Davenport, Amy Benson, Addison Woodall and Presswood to jump to a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Mustangs kept the Herd moving in the bottom of the second.
Autumn Lanclos drew a walk to open the inning. Madison Thomas laid down a bunt single and Karly Blackwell followed with another hit to load the bases. Alyssa Davenport kept the ball rolling with an RBI single down the left-field line. Thomas upped the lead to 5-1 racing home on a wild pitch. The after a pithing change by the Bearettes, Woodall smacked an RBI single to make it a 6-1 game.
Bradley rallied back in the top of the third cutting the lead in half with a lead-off single to right-center field by Chastain and a one out home run over the right-center field fence off the bat of Cagle.
The Fillies got the runs back and then some in the bottom of the inning.
Kiarra Nicholes started it off with a walk before Brylie Davis trotted to first after being hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a ground out. A swinging bunt off the bat of Madison Thomas scored Nicholes. Blackwell singled to center and a walk to Davenport loaded the bases with one out. Amy Benson added to the Lady Mustangs' lead with a two RBI double to right center leading to a Bradley pitching change.
Woodall greeted reliever Madison Long with a two RBI hit to center. Presswood followed up with another hit, another single to center that plated the seventh run of the inning putting the Lady Mustangs on top 13-3.
The Bearettes loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, but couldn't push a run across.
Bradley's Lockhart singled in the to of the fifth, but Presswood and company finished off the evening with fly ball outs to third base and right field.
“This definitely isn't how we wanted to end the season. My girls came put here really excited today to win and Walker Valley just jumped on us. They are a good team, they've been a good team. We just couldn't make the little things happen and they could,” said a disappointed Bearettes coach Hallie Geren.
“This is not how we wanted to end our season, but we're really excited for this program because this is the first time in a while we've had a winning season. I'm extremely proud of these girls and what they're doing. I'm so excited about what comes next for them, especially next year. This year we were third going into this tournament and we're leaving fourth. We're still extremely proud of these girls, but next year I don't know what's going to be able to stop us.”
The Lady Mustangs will look to stay alive in the race for the district championship with a win Monday.
“We definitely did not play our best against Rhea. It was just a wake-up call for us and I'm proud of how our girls responded. That shows the love they have for each other,” Limburg said. “The way they cheer for each other and the way they believe in each other, that's special with our team. I'm so proud of them for winning both of these games and living to fight another day.”
Bradley Central 102 00 — 3 8 2
Walker Valley 337 0x — 13 12 0
WP: Ryann Presswood LP: Emily Hines HR: Tori Cagle (BC); 2B: Chloe Lockhart (BC); Amy Benson (WV). HIGHLIGHTS: Macy Chastain 3-3 2RS, Cagle 2-3 RS 3 RBI (BC); Karly Blackwell 2-4 2RS RBI, Alyssa Davenport 1-2 2RS RBI, Amy Benson 2-3 2RS 2RBI, Addison Woodall 3-3 2RS 4RBI Presswood 2-3 2RBI, Kiarra Nicholes RS, Brylie Davis RS, Autumn Lanclos RS, Madison Thomas 2-3 2RS RBI (WV). RECORDS: Bradley Central 15-13-1;Walker Valley 24-10.