OXFORD – The Cedar Bluff Lady Tigers were known as a softball team that was never out of a game throughout the 2022 season.

At times on Friday in the state tournament at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park, they showed flashes of that resiliency. They rallied from a two-run deficit against Waterloo by scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 victory – their first ever in the Class 1A state tournament.

In the winners bracket, the Lady Tigers battled Holy Spirit to a scoreless tie through 5 ½ innings before falling 3-0.

Their season ended at in a back-and-forth battle with Woodland – a team they defeated just a week ago by eight runs in the East Central Regional – by the final of 10-8.

In the loss to Woodland, Cedar Bluff led 8-6 until the Lady Bobcats scored four runs – including two unearned on a wild pitch.

“It was an absolutely exhilarating game, a fun game,” Cedar Bluff coach Garrett Crane said. “It was back and forth between their girls and our girls. It’s the games you play for. It’s the ones you live to do, but we just came up on the short end of the stick today.

“I thought we hit the ball pretty well today, but I think the difference was in the field. We had more balls in play, and from that, I think we had a few errors. That made the difference. We had some passed balls and throws. The difference was in the field for sure today.”

Woodland loaded the bases against Lady Tiger reliever Jordyn Walker in the bottom of the sixth. Jaeden Herring delivered a single to center to score two runs to tie the game at 8 with one out.

After Walker retired Taylor Wilson on a ground out to short, Walker tossed a high pitch that missed the mark of catcher Harlie Nelson’s glove, allowing two more Woodland runs to score.

Woodland pitcher Juliana Lovvorn retired the first two Lady Tigers in the top of the seventh, but then Walker delivered a single to left to keep Cedar Bluff alive. However, Lovvorn struck out Reece Patterson on a full count to end the game and the Lady Tigers’ season.

Walker also suffered the loss in a tough-luck pitching dual with Holy Spirit’s Alyssa Faircloth. The two pitchers battled to a scoreless tie until the bottom of the sixth. Holy Spirit scored three unearned runs in the inning, then Faircloth retired the Lady Tiger side in the top of the seventh for the final. She allowed just a single to Ciana Smith with two outs in the seventh and finished with 15 strikeouts.

Walker finished the Holy Spirit game with eight strikeouts and scattered four hits.

“Both pitchers on both sides were throwing lights-out ball,” Crane said. “They just put a couple of more balls in play than we did. They’re a very good program, and we are too, but we’ve just got to mature in that one.”

In the Lady Tigers’ tournament opener against Waterloo, Cedar Bluff led 1-0 after a RBI-single to center by pitcher Patterson in the bottom of the third. Waterloo tied the game in the top of the fifth with an unearned run, then scored two more in the top of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead.

But then Cedar Bluff batted around in the bottom half of the sixth and scored four times to regain the lead. Natalie Baty tripled to center with one out to get things going. She scored on Haley Allen’s single to left. Za’Niya Kyle walked with two outs to load the bases to bring leadoff batter Nelson to the plate.

Nelson also drew a walk to bring in another Lady Tiger run. Mattie Payne then belted a two-run double to right to make the score 5-3.

Waterloo managed to score an unearned run in the top of the seventh with one out on a single to left by Gracie Sharp, but Patterson dug in to retire the side to give the Lady Tigers their first-ever state tournament win.

“We said coming into it we wanted to be further than what we were (last year), and we did,” Crane said. “I think from that, we’ve set up an opportunity for again next year and so forth, to keep building on the legacy these seniors who are leaving here for the group behind them. It’s an opportunity for us to grow and continue to improve this program.

“The legacy of what these three seniors (Walker, Emma Haney andCaitlin Slayton) have brought the last four years in the program, it’s about leaving your jersey in a better place and leaving a legacy. Their mold and the things they do, what they bring every day at practice, in the classroom, at work and at home, they’re complete role models. I’m so proud of these three for what they represent. I wouldn’t trade them for anything else.

“I know what our girls bring and who they’re going to be and the legacy they leave. I’m so proud and I love them.”