The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes softball advanced through the district tournament last week, after falling to the Upperman Lady Bees. The season would come to an end however, after the ladies let a game slip away to a team that hadn’t scored a single point on them in the last three matchups.

On Tuesday, May 9, the Tigerettes traveled to Macon County High School to play the next round of the district tournament. DeKalb had advanced through the win or go home first round with a victory against Stone Memorial the previous Thursday. Now in double elimination, the Tigerettes would play the first of two games on Tuesday.

The first game pitted the Tigerettes against their old foe, the Upperman Lady Bees. It would be a pitcher’s game, with neither team putting points on the board until the fourth inning.

Bryna Pelham would single on a line drive to center to start the game for the Tigerettes, but would be left standing at third as the Lady Bees got off the field.

Upperman wouldn’t do much better, getting a runner to first before the end of the innings.

Points wouldn’t get on the board until the bottom of the fourth, when a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Lady Bees. With two outs on the board, a single bunt to third resulted in one runner scoring. Upperman was up 1-0.

DeKalb just couldn’t get things going. At the top of the fifth, with two outs on the board, Zayleigh Bain doubled on a line drive to left, followed by Pelham getting an intentional walk. Both would be left standing.

Upperman would add another run at the bottom of the sixth, leaving DeKalb with one last chance at bat to start the seventh. The Tigerettes would go three up, three down, giving the Lady Bees the 2-0 win.

Bri Murphy took the loss for DeKalb, surrendering one run on five hits over four innings, striking out two. Kora Kilgore threw one and two-thirds innings in relief.

Next up, the Tigerettes would take on the Livingston Academy Lady Wildcats. While the first game was all about pitching, this game would see the bats come to life.

Bain would single on a grounder to short at the bottom of the first inning for the Tigerettes, followed by Morgan Walker reaching on a bunt to third. Bain would advance to third on the play. Next, Aniston Farler stepped to the plate and doubled on a line drive to left as Bain and Walker scored. Gracie Randolph would then single on a line drive to second as Farler took third, then Emma Martin grounded out to third, but allowed Farler to score.

Martin would steal her way to third base as Aly Griffith was up to bat, then Griffith reached on a catcher’s interference play. Kora Kilgore was up next and doubled on a line drive to left as Martin and Griffith scored. The Tigerettes were up, 5-0.

The Lady Wildcats would manage to score one run at the top of the second, but the Tigerettes would come out swinging again. Pelham doubled on a line drive to left, and later Walker singled on a bunt to the pitcher as Pelham took third. Farler would fly out to center, but Pelham would come home, then, with two outs on the board, Randolph stepped to the plate and singled on a grounder to center as Walker scored. DeKalb was up, 7-1.

Livingston would score another run at the top of the third on a wild pitch by Kilgore, but the Tigerettes would match the point with another run at the bottom of the fourth. Walker singled on a ground ball to center, then would steal second as Farler came to bat. Farler singled on a line drive to left, sending Walker across the plate. DeKalb was up 8-2.

The Lady Wildcats added another run at the top of the fifth, then would come to life at the top of the sixth, tying the game. After a pair of walks, Bri Murphy came in for Kilgore, and DeKalb would get two outs with runners at second and third. A pop fly to second saw two runs come home, then another single to left and a grounder to first had the bases loaded. A dingle line drive to center resulted in two more runs coming home, then a single line drive to right resulted in the tying run crossing the plate. The Tigerettes would get off the field but it was a new game 8-8.

DeKalb wouldn’t let it rattle them however, and would get back to scoring runs at the bottom of the sixth. After Walker flew out to center, Farler singled on a line drive to short, and would take third after Murphy grounded out to second. Emma Martin was next and singled on a grounder to left as Farler touched the plate. Martin would take second on an error.

Griffith stepped to the plate and singled on a ground ball to center as Martin scored, then Kilgore doubled on a line drive to center as Griffith came home. The Tigerettes were back on top, 11-8.

The Lady Wildcats had one more at bat, but Kilgore would make quick work of them. The Tigerettes claimed the 11-8 victory.

Kilgore lead from the circle, allowing four hits and five runs over six and a third innings, striking out six, Murphy threw two-thirds of an innings in relief.

The following evening the Tigerettes were back in Lafayette, Tennessee, this time facing off with the White County Warriorettes, a team DeKalb had shutout in their last three previous meetings. This game would turn out to be a battle.

The Warriorettes would come away with one run at the top of the first inning, and hold that narrow lead until the bottom of the fourth. Elaina Turner would single for the Tigerettes on a grounder to left, followed by a walk for Griffith. After Kilgore went down swinging, Madison Martin sacrificed to the pitcher, as Randolph, in for Turner, took third and Griffith took second. The slugger, Pelham, was up next and doubled on a line drive to left as Randolph and Griffith scored. DeKalb was on top, 2-1.

White County would bounce back at the top of the fifth, scoring one run on a wild pitch. The score was tied 2-2.

The Tigerettes’ bats came to life at the bottom of the fifth, putting DeKalb back on top by two runs. Walker started things off with a triple line drive to left. She would steal her way home as Farler came to the plate, then Farler singled on a line drive to center. Farler would take second on a wild pitch as Emma Martin was up to bat, then she would take third after tagging up as Martin flew out to center. Randolph would ground out to short, but Farler would score. DeKalb was back up, 4-2.

The lead wouldn’t last long though, as White County would come away with another two runs at the top of the sixth, to tie the game at 4-4.

DeKalb would go three up, three down at the bottom of the sixth, then the Warriorettes would come away with three runs at the top of the seventh.

The Tigerettes had one last at bat, and Bain would start things off with a walk. Walker was next and singled on a line drive to center as Bain took second, then Farler grounded to fielder’s choice at short, catching Bain at third. Emma Martin would double on a line drive to center, but Walker would get caught advancing at home. Randolph would then get caught at first on a dropped third strike. White County took the 7-4 win, ending DeKalb’s season.

Kilgore was in the circle for DeKalb, lasting five and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and four runs while striking out six. Murphy threw one and one-third innings in relief.