DECATUR, Ala. – A courageous effort came up short Friday afternoon as the Bethel Lady Wildcats bowed out of the SSAC Championships in Decatur losing 1-0 to No. 2 seeded Faulkner. Bethel had stayed alive earlier in the day with a dramatic come from behind eight-inning 5-4 win over Martin Methodist.
The Eagles strung together four hits in the second to score the only run in the game. Bethel's Billie Douglas and Casey Wade were both superb but Faulkner's Caitlin answered the challenge firing a four-hitter to keep the season alive for the Eagles.
Douglas pitched 4.1 innings allowing the only run. Wade relieved her in the fifth with runners at second and third with only one out but was able to pitch the Cats out of the jam. She and Faulkner's Abbigail Barron put on a show with a 12-pitch at bat before Wade finally retired her on a pop-out to third. Douglas and Wade stranded 10 Eagle runners to stay in the game.
Bethel had the tying run at third in the ninth but Perry was able to survive for the victory.
Bethel's Madisen Adkins had two hits while Maddie Cochran and Skyla Stanfield followed with one hit each.
Bethel finished the season at 15-36. Ten of those losses were by a single run. Bethel lost 15 games by two runs or less. Faulkner moved to 44-11 on the season.
