The reason Grace Academy pitcher Lacye Walker gave for wanting to win Friday's TSSAA Class A softball sectional wasn't the obvious one.
The Lady Golden Eagles beat Gordonsville 3-0 at Grace and now advance to next week's state tournament at Murfreesboro. As important as winning was for that reason, Walker had something else weighing on her mind.
"For me and Jessie, this was the last game we'll play on this field," Walker said, referring to senior classmate and teammate Jessie Parker. "That was the main thing for us. That's why I wanted this game so bad. I know she wanted it, too."
Lexie Dean and Bethany Cowart singled and walked, respectively, with one out in the bottom of the first inning, and both ended up scoring. Walker said she thought the early lead helped calm her down some, but then she reconsidered.
"I know I was wired a little bit in the first inning," she said. "Actually, I was kind of wired the whole game."
Walker ended up pitching a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts and three walks. Coach Tina Walker sensed her daughter was "wired," too.
"We've got a great team," the coach said. "She doesn't have to do it all herself. That's one thing we've got to help her understand."
Lacye did help herself with a hit in the fourth, driving in Erika Goodman, who had reached on an error. Parker, with a single in the first, had Grace's only other RBI.
Sierra Nunley went 2-for-3 for Grace (37-7-1). No other Lady Golden Eagle had more than one hit off Lexie Randolph.
"She kept throwing a lot off speed and had us messed up," Coach Walker said. "We were out in front with our swings a lot."