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Thursday was just not the day for the Troup Tigers softball team. After defeating Trinity Christian twice in the regular season, the two teams matched up in the third-place game in the region 4-AAAA tournament with the Lions coming out on top 3-0. 

The Tigers had some chances to score but could never come up with timely hits to get them on the scoreboard. In the first inning, the Tigers were able to get Ramsey Clark all the way to third base but not bring her home. Clark was the most consistent offensive presence for Troup in the game. She went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch to reach base safely on three separate occasions. She also had a whopping five stolen bases in the game. Clark was able to reach third base again — this time with no outs — but once again the Tigers were not able to bring her home. 

Trinity Christian broke the deadlock in the top of the fourth on a throwing error. The Lions scored another run in the top of the fifth to make it 2-0. Clark once again got in scoring position in the fifth inning, and once again the Tigers could not come up with a timely hit.

“The girls are either on it, or they are not,” Troup coach Ryan Simpson said. “This was one where they were not. We couldn’t come up with a big hit, and we made some errors in the field.”

The Lions added another run in the top of the seventh before the game was temporarily delayed due to the lights going out on the field during a play. After about 20 to 30 minutes, the lights were back on, yet the Tigers could not pull off the rally in the final inning of play. 

Haley Cotton and Anna Grace Keller each had a hit a piece to round out the offense in the game for the Tigers. 

Maggie McDonald got the start on the mound and pitched five innings where she kept the Lions offense mostly at bay. She allowed six hits and one earned run on four strikeouts. 

“She was great, and I never expect anything less from her,” Simpson said. “She’s a fantastic pitcher, and we can always count on her in situations like this.”

Keller came in to relieve McDonald and pitched the final two innings of the game. 

The Tigers are riding a bit of a rough patch into the playoffs as they have dropped their last two games as well as five of their last seven. 

“If we play like that next week, we will get our butts kicked,” Simpson said. 

Troup finished the regular season plus the region tournament with a record of 12-9. The Tigers will enter the AAAA state playoffs as a four seed and will be on the road next week in the super regional. 

“They know that we are in the playoffs and that’s fantastic, but we are going to have to play up to our ability,” Simpson said. “They have to believe in themselves.”