By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
ALBERTVILLE – With the way Cedar Bluff’s Class 2A East Softball Regional game with Cleveland ended on Wednesday in an extra-inning one-run loss, head coach Mandy Walker admitted the Lady Tigers’ emotions from that game carried over into Thursday against No. 10 North Sand Mountain.
Cedar Bluff struggled to consistently string together hits against Lady Bison pitcher Kendall Williamson. She held them scoreless for three straight innings and five total in the game.
Meanwhile, Kaleigh Roberts led the Bison offense by going 4-for-4, including a three-run inside-the-park home run in the top of the fourth inning that blew the game open in a 9-2 decision.
The Lady Bison (29-18-1) went on to defeat Pleasant Valley 5-3 and West End 5-2 to clinch their spot in next week’s Class 2A state tournament in Oxford. Cedar Bluff finishes its season at 12-19-1.
“I think our emotions were just high,” Walker said. “We gave it so much, and we came out here today knowing it was a do-or-die situation. I just think we kind of let it be too big for us. We started settling in at the end, but it was a little too late. We just couldn’t get anything going today.”
Trailing 6-0 following Roberts’ inside-the-park home run in the top of the fourth inning, Cedar Bluff finally got back-to-back extra base hits in the form of triples off the bats of Rylie Walker and Tylee Bradford. Bradford’s triple drove in Rylie Walker for the first Lady Tiger run.
The Lady Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Paityn Walker drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, but Williamson dug in to retire Kylie Vadon on a pop up to left field for the final out of the game.
Bradford led the Lady Tigers at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Ciana Smith and Piper Cromer were both 1-for-3. Paityn Walker and Kyriah Vadon both walked.
Mackenzie Kimmons suffered the loss after working four innings. She gave up six runs on five hits before being relieved by Emma Blanks.
“I’m proud of them,” Coach Walker said. “We weren’t expected to be here, and we fought the whole time we were here.
“Getting here is a big deal. We didn’t make it last year, but we bounced back. This is where we should be every year, and that’s the tone I want them to be setting. This is the direction we want to go.”
