The Chambers Academy Lady Rebels finished their season knocking off the #1 Southern Academy Lady Cougars and going toe to toe with the #2 Patrician Lady Saints before being eliminated in the state tournament.
By Katie McElvy
Chambers 4, Southern 2
After struggling in the seeding tournament, the Chambers Academy Lady Rebels charged their way through the top team in the west. Starting as the number four seed from the East, Chambers faced Southern Academy, the number one seed from the West. In the top of the second, Makayla Foster hit a hard ground ball securing a spot at first. Raleigh Patterson then hit a ground ball and reached on error. Courtesy runner, Samantha Lovelace, in for pitcher Foster, was able to score on the same error. Olivia Daughtry was then able to send in Patterson for the second score of the game.
In the bottom of the second with one out and two runners on, the Lady Cougars posted a run of their own off a high fly ball to center field. The Lady Rebels decided to remain calm and patient in the situation. With runners on first and third, Chambers caught both of the runners trying to steal to end the inning.
The next run came in the bottom of the third. After singling, McKenzie Gilliland stole second and was then knocked home by Sophie Price to put Chambers up 3-1. In the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Cougars chipped at the Lady Rebels’ lead capitalizing on a defensive error to make the score 3-2. Chambers once again remained calm to get the next two outs.
In the top of the sixth, Foster doubled. Price scored on the throw for the final run of the game, and the Lady Rebels sent the number one team to the losers’ bracket with 4-2 win.
Chambers 10, Patrician 11
After falling to Abbeville Christian, the eventual state runner-up, Chambers faced the number two seed out of the West, Patrician Academy. Looking to put the game away early, Patrician scored five runs in the bottom of the first, but the Lady Rebels collected themselves and allowed no runs in the bottom of the second even with bases loaded. Then, in the top of the third their bats came alive, and they recorded three runs led by a Brynlee Alford double.
The Lady Saints posted one run in the bottom of the third to extend their lead 3-6, but the Lady Rebels were a force in the fourth. Daughtry and Melissa Lee hit back-to-back singles to get things started. Carly Forbus then hit Daughtry in. Gilliland followed with a bunt causing an error allowing Forbus to score and Gilliland to advance to third. Price hit a sacrifice fly to tie up the game, and with Foster stepping to plate, everyone could feel what was about to happen next, and she smashed a homer over the center field wall to take the lead. Not to be outdone, Alford knocked a high fly ball over the left field wall to put Chambers up 8-6.
Patrician fought back and took the lead 8-9 in the bottom of the fourth, but Price sent in Forbus and Lee in the fifth to take back the 10-9 lead. Patrician tied it up at 10 all in the bottom of the fifth. No one scored in the sixth.
The Lady Rebels were unable to find any hits in the top of the seventh, and Patrician scored a run in the bottom of the inning to take the game. The Lady Rebels were eliminated, but it was in the most hard-fought, exciting fashion.