Ooltewah falls into AAA softball losers bracket
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Ooltewah fought back against Powell on Thursday in the winners-bracket final of the TSSAA Class AAA softball state tournament — just not quite far enough.
The Lady Owls scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but Powell’s three-run third proved to be too much to overcome and Ooltewah fell 3-2 at Starplex.
Ooltewah (38-7) will take on District 5 rival Walker Valley (34-10) in today’s losers-bracket final at 10 a.m. EDT at Starplex’s No. 1 field. The winner plays in the championship against Powell at the same site at 4 p.m. EDT and will need to win twice to earn the title.
The Lady Owls loaded the bases in the fourth and got a run on Sydney White’s sacrifice fly, but nothing else. Lexi Vogel, a Silverdale Baptist Academy transfer who just became eligible at the state tournament, had the fifth-inning RBI.
Kayla Boseman pitched a three-hitter for the Lady Owls, but they made three errors and Boseman walked seven batters.
“We’ve just got to make plays,” Ooltewah coach Jon Massey said. “We’ve got to refocus and come back tomorrow morning. I don’t think we hit it very well. We didn’t hit too many balls hard. At this stage, you’ve just got to get up there and see it and hit it where it’s pitched.”
› Walker Valley 6, Henry County 5: Kaylee Hughes’ single up the middle drove in the tie-breaking run in the top of the 11th inning of an elimination game.
Carissa Frost was 3-for-6 and scored twice for Walker Valley. Hannah Kate Singleton was 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
› Walker Valley 5, William Blount 4: The Lady Mustangs, who trailed 4-0 before batting in the third, had two out in the bottom of the seventh when Hughes singled, Katelyn Howell walked and Riley Suits
singled in the winning run to make Walker Valley one of three teams remaining in the title hunt.
Natalie Pruitt notched another pitching win and Hughes ended up 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Abbey Davis was 2-for-3 and Laney Harris was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
“I’m so proud of them,” Walker Valley coach Lauren Limburg said. “They have fought every game. Even down four runs, I knew they were not going to give up. They keep believing, and they did it.
“It’s very rewarding as a coach to see all of their hard work pay off. They care so much about the team, and each other.”