By Katie McElvy
Chambers Softball 1, Edgewood 10
The Lady Rebels kept things close throughout the first three innings as they traveled to Edgewood Academy to face the Lady Wildcats. Chambers’ Carly Forbus and Mckenzie Gilliland were able to get hits in the first but were unable to advance home and were left stranded. In the field in the bottom of the first, Chambers allowed one run, but ended the inning on a nice double play when third baseman Raelynn Patterson fielded the ball and threw the runner out at first. First baseman Olivia Daughtry turned the double by throwing to catcher Mckenzie Gilliland who tagged the runner out at home.
Cali Ragsdale tied things up in the top of the second when she hit a fly ball to left field. This allowed Daughtry, who had previously singled, to score. Improved field play allowed the Lady Rebels to hold Edgewood to a single run in the bottom of the second making the score 1-2. Chambers was able to make contact in the top of the third but couldn’t get on base. An error in the bottom of the third allowed one Wildcat run, but Chambers still managed to keep the game close at 1-3.
Edgewood was able to add 7 more runs in the next three innings, and Chambers just couldn’t find an answer. Although Forbus was able to hit a nice double in the top of the fifth, with no other runners on, the effort was in vain, and the Lady Rebels came up short.
The Lady Rebels also fell to Autauga Academy 3-16 at home the next night.
Chambers Baseball 9, Edgewood 5
The Chambers Rebels traveled to Edgewood to start off the week. AJ Barnes singled to start things off. After Buster Coker was hit by a pitch, Grey Hayley doubled to send in two runs. Edgewood quickly tied it up 2-2 in the bottom of the first.
With the score still tied 2-2 and two runners on going into the bottom of the third, Braxton Yerta came in as relief pitcher for the Rebels. He did allow a single which put the Wildcats ahead 2-3, but with two runners still on, he struck out the last two batters to end the inning. The Rebels couldn’t get anything going offensively in the top of the fourth, but Yerta easily handled the Wildcats in the bottom of the inning striking out all three batters. Luke Tarver, Grant Jones, and Eli Pritchard all hit singles to start the top of the fifth and tie up the score. After three Rebels were walked and one was hit by a pitch, Chambers came out of the inning with a 7-3 lead.
The Wildcats then fought back with a single, a double, and a triple, cutting the score 7-5. Catcher Luke Tarver picked off the runner at first, and Yerta struck out the final batter to allow the Rebels to escape the inning. Chambers posted no runs in the top of the sixth, but with Yerta striking out two more batters they gave up no runs in the bottom of the sixth.
In the final inning with one runner on, Barnes hit a line drive over the center field wall for a two run homer to put the Rebels up 9-5. Yerta struck out two of the last four batters, giving him ten strikeouts in five innings.
The Rebels faced Autauga Academy at home the next day and could not get their bats going while also having an uncharacteristically tough day in the field and lost 0-15.