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The Lady Cats’ softball season ended in the third round of the GHSA Class AAAA State Playoffs. 

Bainbridge fell to Trinity Christian School 3-5 in seven innings, giving them a record of 15-11 on the season.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Lady Cats head coach Rex Wade. “We did what we wanted to do, and that was to go and compete at a high level. When you accept that and know that we did all we could do, it’s nice knowing that, but knowing that it’s over with is tough.”

The score was 3-5 in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Cats were up to bat and needed two runs to push the game into overtime. The Lady Lion defense held them scoreless, and the game was over.

Trinity Christian opened the scoring with a run in the 4th inning. They would score again in the 5th before the Lady Cats answered with a run of their own.

“We didn’t shut down,” Wade said. “We kept on pushing through and competing to the highest of our ability.”

Right-fielder Marisa Williams found home plate off a single from center-fielder Destiny Lofton in the bottom of the 5th inning, making the score 1-2.

The Lady Lions fired back with three runs in the 6th, and Bainbridge got back in the batter’s box facing a 1-5 deficit. 

Pitcher Brenna Conley scored quickly into the 6th. Conley led the inning off and, on the second at-bat of the inning, stole second and ran home off a line drive hit from third-baseman Kylie Miller. 

Miller tacked on the Lady Cats’ final run two at-bats later. Left-fielder Emilee Tindell grounded out to first base, allowing Miller to reach home. This would be the last run the Lady Cats scored.

Wade said it was “tough” seeing his seniors, Conley and Haylee Nix, play their last varsity game.

“They’ve put six years of blood, sweat and tears into our program,” Wade said. “It’s very unfortunate that we’re going to lose those two girls.”

Thursday’s game against the Lady Lions was a rematch of the two team’s first game of the playoffs. Conley Led the Lady Cats to a 2-1 victory with 13 strikeouts.

Trinity Christian opened the scoring in the first inning with a run from junior pitcher Kaylee Croft.

The Lady Cats answered with runs in consecutive innings. Junior center fielder Destiny Lofton hit a home run in the 3rd inning to tie the game up. Junior second-baseman Haisten Wilkinson scored the Lady Cats’ deciding run in the fourth inning. 

The Lady Cats shut out the Lady Lions for the rest of the game to secure the win. Conley struck out more than half of the batters she faced in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to keep the Lady Lions from getting much going offensively. 

The Lady Cats found themselves in Thursday’s elimination scenario after a 3-0 loss to West Laurens a day before.