The Chattanooga State softball team is one win away from returning to the NJCAA Division I national tournament, where the Lady Tigers finished third last year.
And they'll have two chances at that win today, after taking care of business with two victories Friday on their own field.
Chattanooga State (44-11) beat Volunteer State 4-0 in the morning on no-doubter two-run home runs by Sydney Sloan and Shannon Plese, in the fourth and fifth innings. In a night game delayed by two extra-inning contests involving other teams, the Lady Tigers topped Walters State 7-4.
Walters State (39-9), which earlier needed 10 innings to get past third seed Columbia State, 8-6, took a 3-1 lead on the Lady Tigers in the night game on Ashli Rogers' three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. But the top-seeded hosts quickly responded, scoring five in the top of the fifth.
Lindsey Stickrod, who was 2-for-3 against Vol State, hit a tying two-run single. After a fielder's choice and a walk, Katie Scott also hit a two-run single, and then Izzy McCurry singled in another run. She had another RBI single in the seventh.
The Lady Tigers had five players with two hits each, including Plese and Courtney Styles. Sharlene Godoy pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Vol State and threw the first five innings and got the win against Walters, with Hanna Manley finishing up.
Taylor Wheeler was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Rogers also had two RBIs in Walters' extra-inning win, when Kara Brewer had two hits and two RBIs for Columbia, which later was eliminated in a 2-1 loss to Motlow. Vol State ousted Jackson State 5-4 in nine innings, with Sydney Shoulders going 3-for-4 and matching Haley Manard with two RBIs.
Chattanooga State plays the losers-bracket survivor at 2 p.m. for the title.