By Katie McElvy
Chambers Softball
The Lady Rebels entered the AISA AA State Softball Tournament last week. First, the Rebels faced Patrician Academy. After the Saints took an 0-3 lead, Chambers battled back in the second inning when Ansley Carter hit a two RBI single. Gabby Coleman then knocked in Madison Stanford in the third to tie up the game. Patrician hit in one run in the third and one run in the fourth to take back the lead 3-5. Chambers got runners on but couldn’t get them across the plate and fell in the game.
In the loser’s bracket, Chambers faced off against Pickens Academy. Allie Paschal, Makayla Foster, Olivia Daughtery, and Mckenzie Gilliland all doubled in the first scoring three runs, but Pickens quickly tied it up in the bottom of the inning. Gilliland hit a two run homer in the third to take the lead back. Raleigh Patterson followed with an RBI single to extend the Chambers lead 5-3. Pickens scored two runs in the bottom of the inning, but the Rebels’ bats continued to be hot in the fourth with Paschal, Gilliland, and Foster all getting hits to make it a 9-5 game. Pickens added three more runs in the game, but a big fifth inning sealed the win for Chambers when Foster and Stanford both singled and Gabby Coleman knocked in a three run homer to get the 14-8 win.
Chambers then faced Southern Academy in another elimination game. This time their bats went cold, dropping the game 1-10.
Chambers Baseball
The Rebels played a best of three series in the third round of the AISA AA Playoffs with the winner advancing to the state championship. Chambers started game one with big bats as Landon Hand, Luke Tarver, Grey Hayley, Eli Whorton, and Kyle Hand all got hits, scoring four runs, but Edgewood quickly tied it up with a grand slam in the bottom of the inning. The Wildcats then took a 4-7 lead in the second, but the Rebels chipped away at it with Jonathan Caulfield and Whorton recording doubles to make it a 6-7 ballgame. Edgewood then seemingly put the game out of reach in the third scoring six runs, but Chambers found an answer with Kyle Hand and Drew Sheppard both doubling in the fourth and getting three runs across the plate. Tarver led off in the fifth with a homerun, but Edgewood added three more scores in the bottom of the inning. After a Peyton Yerta single in the sixth, Tarver doubled to score a run. Hayley then hit a two run homer to put the Rebels within two. Hayley knocked in Yerta in the top of the seventh to tie up the game, but with one out Edgewood hit an RBI single to take the win.
A must win game followed for the Rebels. With bases loaded, Hayley and Whorton hit RBI singles to take a 3-0 lead. Sam Smith and Yerta doubled in the second to add another run, and the Rebels took advantage of two Wildcat errors to make the score 6-0. Edgewood did find some success in the fourth and fifth innings, but Chambers held onto a 7-4 lead going into the sixth. Edgewood then found new life taking the lead 7-8. A Wildcat homered in the top of the seventh to make the score 7-9, but Chambers dug deep. With bases loaded, Eli Pritchard singled for a run and Sheppard was intentionally walked to tie up the game. Smith Smith then hit a walk-off single to get the win 10-9 and force a game three. Kole Baker got the win on the mound.
The next night the Rebel comeback fell flat, falling in game three. Chambers ended their season 20-16.
