MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A pair of late-inning collapses cost the two Chattanooga-area softball teams that opened Spring Fling competition Tuesday evening.
After rallying from two runs down to tie the game in the sixth inning, Soddy-Daisy gave up an unearned run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-2 loss to Lexington in the first round of the Class 3A tournament.
Meigs County jumped out to an early two-run lead but couldn't hold it, allowing runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings in a 5-2 loss. The Lady Tigers (23-6), who got RBI hits from Lainey Fitzgerald and Sierra Howard in the first inning, will face Loretto in Wednesday's loser's bracket at 12:30, while Soddy-Daisy (34-8) plays Brighton Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the AAA loser's bracket.
Errors proved costly for the Lady Trojans, who committed two which led to a pair of Lady Tigers runs, including the game-winner. After Jadyn Yarbro reached on an error in the bottom of the seventh and stole second, Kennedy Brown lined a two-out single back up the middle to bring home the winning run.
"We fought back, like we have all year, but we keep digging ourselves into a hole and eventually that will cost you," said Soddy-Daisy coach Kelsey Nunley-Moore. "It came down to errors. I thought Regan (Rowan) pitched a heck of a game, but there's not much you can do when your defense lets you down."
The Lady Tigers (46-1) had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Abbi Faires and hot-hitting Ryli Renfro each drove in a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Rowan allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis