In the win-and-in game for state qualification, facing off against Marbury in the losers bracket championship, the Tallassee Lady Tigers fell 6-3 ending their season.
“It did not end the way we liked,” said coach Pat Love. "We had a great season, we just did not play our best ball today.”
Tallassee entered regional play on Thursday and won its first two games, before dropping its two games on Friday with a berth to state on the line.
In the 5A regional championship Friday morning, Tallassee was defeated by rival Elmore County 7-6 in 10 innings.
Love’s team secured a 4-2 lead through two innings against ELCO, but found itself tied 4-4 heading into extras.
PHOTOS: Tallassee takes on Elmore County and Marbury in regionals
In the top of the 10th, Elmore County scored three runs to go up 7-4.
With their backs against the wall, Tallassee managed just two runs by way of two bases loaded walks.
Marlee Stewart and Marlee Osborne had two hits apiece in the game, while left fielder Kam Tate hit a solo homer as her only hit.
Brooke Royster went the entire 10 innings on the hill, punching out five.
“We played a hard Elmore County team this morning,” Love said. “We could have won, should have won in several instances. They did what they had to do to win, and we didn’t.”
One loss was not the end of the world for Tallassee, as the team still had another shot at state qualification.
The team needed to beat Marbury, who they beat less than 24 hours prior, 5-1.
Tallassee scored three runs in the top of the seventh to beat Marbury on Thursday. On Friday though, it was Marbury that got the last laugh.
The Lady Bulldogs scored one in the third to take the opening lead.
Tallassee answered with a run in the fourth on a Stewart double.
In the fifth, things ultimately took a turn for the worst for Tallassee.
Tate was chasing a ball down in left field, and was seemingly about to make a routine catch. When the ball finally reached her glove, it bounced in and out and over the left field fence for a two-run homer.
Later in the sixth, Tallassee walked in a run and let up a two-run double to fall down 6-1 heading into the final frame.
Jenna Manning hit a two-run shot to bridge the gap slightly, to the final score of 6-3, but the damage was done.
Love said ahead of Friday’s matchups that his team needed to hit better to win, something they didn’t quite do against Elmore County and Marbury.
“We just did not hit our best today,” Love said. “We struck out a lot. We just did not get it done.”
