The DCHS Tigerettes softball team were eliminated from state tournament play after a 9-0 loss to South Gibson at the Starplex in Murfreesboro Wednesday morning.

After finishing the season with a 27-6 record, the Tigerettes took the championships for the district in regular-season play, district, regional, and sub-state tournaments before advancing to the state tournament to face Chattanooga Central (20-14 on the season) on May 19 in the first round of the TSSAA Class AA State Girls' Softball Tournament.

In the game against Chattanooga Central, DeKalb took an 8-3 loss, and continued to face South Gibson in the loser’s bracket.

In a game that saw a total of seven homeruns, the DeKalb County Tigerettes softball team embarked on their seventh TSSAA State Tournament May 19 by being pounded 8-3 by the Chattanooga Central Lady Pounders.

Backed by five homeruns, Central scored seven of their eight runs off the deep ball including back-to-back shots in the top of the seven that capped a three-run inning that put the game out of reach for the Tigerettes.

Freshman Kerri Sylvester and Kaili Crawley swung the big bat for the Lady Pounders blasting two homeruns each as junior Alexis Grampp added a two-run shot of her own in the seventh inning.

Doing their part, senior Loren Cripps and sophomore Kayley Caplinger each blasted a solo homerun for the Tigerettes. Despite seven total hits DeKalb had trouble hitting the softball with runners on base stranding a total of 11 while also tallying 11 strike-outs in the contest. The Tigerettes’ defense also struggled at times committing three errors.

Kayley Caplinger tossed seven innings giving up eight runs on six hits with eight strike-outs while surrendering two walks to record the loss for the Tigerettes.

Loren Cripps and Kayley Caplinger each homered for the Tigerettes while Hannah Walker, Miranda Bailiff, Katie Hall, Alison Maynard and Dani Meadows each pitched in with a single.

In the final game against South Gibson, DeKalb County was held scoreless on two hits and committed one error, while South Gibson scored nine runs on nine hits and made one error. Tyra Graham and Loren Cripps both hit singles for the Tigerettes.

South Gibson scored three runs in the first inning, four runs in the second, and two runs in the sixth inning to clinch the win.

Losing pitcher Kayley Caplinger gave up nine runs on nine hits, struck out nine batters, and walked four.