Heidi Vu.JPG

CHULA — Valwood’s softball team finished out its regular season at Tiftarea Academy Thursday with a score that resembled what the two football teams will do once they get together later this year.

Tiftarea had an 8-1 lead after two innings. Through 4.5, the score was knotted, 12-12. The Lady Panthers outscored Valwood 10-3 the rest of the way for a 22-15 victory.

Though Valwood hung with the District 3 champions, the effort might not have been enough to get the Lady Valiants into the state playoffs. Class 3A has slots for eight teams. On Oct. 10, Valwood was ranked ninth, with a margin to make up to catch eighth place Brookwood. State is Oct. 17-19 in Columbus.

Valwood struck first Thursday. Abi Brooks led off with a triple to right and a Heidi Vu RBI groundout gave them a 1-0 lead.

Tiftarea sent 11 to the plate in the bottom of the first going ahead 5-1. Three more plated in the second.

Though in a seven-run hole, the Lady Valiants began escaping it pretty quickly.

Up again to start the frame, Brooks doubled to center, scoring when Vu also doubled. Annasten Creech forced an error and the bases filled when Hali Thomas was hit by a pitch. Heidi Vu scored on a dropped infield fly to make it 8-3 and Aahna Mattis’ sac fly brought in Creech.

Two more scored in the fourth, Brooks on an error and Heidi Vu on a single by Creech. Tiftarea had four score in the bottom half to go up 12-6, but Valwood erased that entirely in the fifth.

The Lady Valiants sent 10 to the dish and six scored.

Ella Blease singled and, courtesy of an error and wild pitch, was able to score when Mattis reached base on a strikeout in the dirt. Aniston Bozeman and Makensie Nichols loaded the bases. Brooks drove in two on a single and, after Heidi Vu walked to re-load the bags, the bases cleared on a Thomas double. The game was now 12-12.

Tiftarea didn’t let the tie stay long, scoring five times in the bottom of the fifth. Valwood tried to keep pace with three in the sixth. Mattis, Nichols and Becca Valdez crossed, two on a triple by Brooks. However, the Lady Panthers added five more in the sixth.

Thomas began the seventh with a single and the Lady Valiants ran out of juice as the game passed the three-hour mark. Tiftarea got only the third scoreless half-inning of the game to wrap the 22-15 win.

Brooks had an amazing night, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs. Three of her hits were for extra bases and she had two triples. Vu and Thomas had three RBIs apiece. Bozeman contributed three hits.

Thomas and Nichols shared pitching duties. Thomas threw an amazing 196 pitches and struck out seven.