Livingston Central will get the chance to defend its All A Classic state championship.
Addison Tramble struck out 16, and the Lady Cardinals held off a late comeback bid to defeat Caldwell County 6-4 Monday in the 2nd Region All A championship game in Princeton.
It’s the third-straight regional title in the All A Classic for Livingston, which will play at state April 26-27 in Owensboro.
Livingston (10-3) never trailed, but had some uneasy moments when a four-run fifth inning allowed Caldwell (6-5) to cut the gap to 6-4.
The Lady Tigers got the potential tying run to the plate in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but Tramble (10-0) pitched around those baserunners to secure the win.
Livingston’s eighth-grade hurler walked six and allowed four earned runs on four base hits, but all of Caldwell’s offense came in the fifth.
Livingston took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Victoria Joiner scored on a throwing error.
Joiner singled to start the third and scored when Tramble singled through the hole on the left side. Tramble came in when Hadley Hargrove singled on a line-drive off the fence to make it 3-0.
The Lady Cardinals tacked on another run in the fourth on a two-out throwing error.
Addalyn King had a two-run double for Livingston in the top of the fifth inning to extend the margin 6-0.
Caldwell got its first base hit in the bottom of the fifth when Carlee Palm led off with a double. The first five batters in the frame reached base, with Harper Holeman and Adley Lewis each providing two-run doubles.
Lewis was still at second with nobody out, but Tramble struck out the next three batters to get out of the inning.
Hargrove finished 2-for-4 with a run batted in for Livingston. Joiner, Tramble, Irelynn Burns, King and Nevaeh Jennings each singled.
For Caldwell, Holeman, Lewis and Palm had doubles while Butts singled — all in the fifth inning.
Alexis Wood suffered the loss in the pitching circle for Caldwell. However, only three of Livingston’s six runs were earned.
Livingston now owns nine All A Classic softball regional titles since the event was begun in 2004. That’s more than any other school in the 2nd Region.
The teams return to regular season action on Tuesday. Livingston will host McCracken County while Caldwell hosts Webster County.
