Caldwell County and Livingston Central battled down to the very last play of the game in Tuesday’s 2nd Region All A Classic semifinal contest in Eddyville.
And it took an extra inning before Livingston escaped with an 11-10 victory on a successful sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Maddie Norton got the bunt down, and Calista Jennings beat the tag at the plate to give the Lady Cardinals a walk-off win in the back-and-forth contest.
Livingston (8-1) led early 3-0.
Caldwell (7-7) took the lead with a six-run second.
The Lady Cardinals fought back to take a 7-6 lead through five innings.
But the Lady Tigers countered with a four-run sixth, and seem to have a handle on things when they took a 10-7 advantage.
However, Livingston put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth to knot things at 10-10.
Neither team scored in the seventh, which set up extra innings and the international tiebreaker rule in the eighth.
With a runner at second base to start the inning, Alicia Stanley bunted Adley Lewis to third in the top of the frame for Caldwell.
Harper Holeman then lined a shot up the middle that looked like it was destined to put the Lady Tigers back in front. But instead, Livingston pitcher Hadley Hargrove snared the line drive, then quickly threw to third base to double off the runner there for an inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jennings started the inning on second. She was bunted to third by Aubrey Leahy.
Hargrove was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners with one out.
Norton then bunted toward first base. Presley McKinney fielded the ball and quickly got it to catcher Laney Jones, but Jennings got her foot to the plate just before the tag to send the Lady Cardinals to Thursday’s championship game.
Norton finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in for Livingston. Emersyn Ramage went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Victoria Joiner went 2-for-4 and knocked in a run.
Hargrove (6-1) was the winning pitcher. She went all eight innings, allowing three earned runs on 15 base hits while striking out six and walking none.
Alexis Wood also went the distance in the pitching circle for Caldwell. She allowed just three earned runs on 11 base hits. Wood struck out three and walked one.
A.J. Hollowell was 3-for-5 with an RBI to help lead the Caldwell offense. Lewis was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Presley McKinney went 2-for-4 and knocked in three. Harper Holeman was 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs. Alicia Stanley was 2-for-4 and drove in two.
Livingston will play Crittenden County Thursday in Eddyville for the 2nd Region All A Classic championship.
Caldwell plays again on Saturday when it hosts Ballard Memorial.
