MONTGOMERY – Addison took on Sweet Water in a must-win game Thursday in the Class 1A State Baseball Playoffs. The Lady Bulldogs found hard, but came up just short, 7-5, ending their season with a record of 19-21.
The Lady Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first. Destiny Walker reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning, then Cecilee Gaither reached on a bunt single as Walker advanced to third on the play; a throwing error by the catcher allowed Gaither to advance to second. During Macey Butler's at-bat, Walker stole home to push across the first run of the ballgame.
Addison starter Anna Luker allowed just one hit through the first two and two-thirds innings, but she quickly got in trouble with two outs in the top of the third; she hit a batter, then later on, Sara Irvin hit an RBI single to tie the game at one. After Natalie Luker hit a single to left field, Eve Myers had one of the big blows in the game as she hit a two-run double to left field, later scoring on an error by catcher Laken Tyree. The Lady Bulldogs found themselves trailing, 4-1, when the inning concluded.
Addison looked to cut into the deficit in its half. Walker reached on an infield single with one out, then with two outs, Butler hit an RBI single to left field to make it a 4-2 game. Sweet Water's Mallory Roe reached on an error by second baseman Lexie Cunningham with one out in the fourth, and that error would come back to haunt Addison later in the inning, as Irvin hit a two-run single, followed by an RBI single by Luker, and the deficit grew wider for the Lady Bulldogs, 7-2.
Addison started the bottom of the fifth red-hot offensively as Laken Tyree led off the inning with a double to center field, then Brieanna Ory, the courtesy runner for Tyree, stole third, and she wound up crossing the plate on an RBI double by Walker. Gaither kept the hot hitting going for Addison with an RBI triple to right field. One out later, Luker hit an RBI groundout to make it a 7-5 game. After being held scoreless in the next inning, the Lady Bulldogs looked to keep their season alive in their final at-bats, but after a lead-off single by Butler, they couldn't get anything going.
Walker led the way offensively for Addison, going 4-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Gaither (one run scored) and Butler each added a pair of hits and an RBI in the game. Luker added a hit and an RBI. Abbie Chambless, Cunningham and Laken Tyree each had a hit, and Ory added a run scored.
Thursday's game was the final one for five Addison seniors: Laken Tyree, Brianna Chandler, Kendra Tyree, Abbie Chambless and Cecilee Gaither.
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