Lady Tigers win playoff opener

The No. 15 seeded Simsboro Lady Tigers didn't let up from start to finish in a 10-3 victory over No. 18 Evans on Friday, the program's first playoff win since 2018.

With Carlei Wheeler up to her usual standards in the circle (7 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 16 K), and Simsboro taking advantage of five Evans fielding errors at the plate, the Lady Tigers celebrated with a spirited home crowd behind them after snapping the six-year drought.

It nearly left head coach Payton Bond at a loss for words.

"I honestly have no words right now. It kind of took my breath away there at the end to see something we've been working at for four years now since I've been here," Bond said postgame. "Just the energy we brought today from start to finish. We knew we were going to pack it out and we did and I couldn’t be more proud of the Simsboro fans that came to support our girls. They brought the energy and the girls brought it too."

Simsboro (19-10) got on the board in the first inning after Callie Harrison reached second on an outfield error, eventually scoring on a passed ball. Kaylea Murphy also reached on an error, allowing Jacoya Lewis to rush home for a 2-0 lead. Simsboro kept up the pressure in the third with an RBI single from Wheeler for a 3-0 lead. As hot as the bats were putting pressure on Evans, Wheeler was dealing from the start - putting up four strikeouts through two innings and not allowing a hit until two outs in the fifth inning.

Evans cut the deficit to 4-2 on an RBI double and an infield error, but Simsboro responded with three runs in the bottom half - two coming off an RBI double from Wheeler and another after Murphy once again reached on an error. Simsboro kept it going in the sixth after Wheeler picked up two big strikeouts to hold Evans from adding on after putting runners on second and third on a walk and a double, with a 2-RBI triple from Wheeler and an RBI from Murphy for a 10-3 lead.

Lewis went 3-4 at the plate, while Wheeler went 3-4 with 5 RBI. Murphy had 1 RBI as well.

"We just kept our foot down on the pedal and didn't stop," Bond said. "This was a team effort. Together, we all did this."

It was only fitting the final three outs of the game all came from Wheeler, with the junior punching out the first two batters of the seventh before catching a light pop up on the infield grass to seal the win.

In seven pitching appearances in April, Wheeler has 58 strikeouts - an average of just over eight per outing.

"This was the big one. To her be so successful in the regular season, it was nice to see her get this one under her belt to show she can do that," Bond said of Wheeler. "That was one thing last year where we started out hot and she had a no-hitter through the third and we fell apart. So, to see us play a full game around her and her one through seven keeping us in the ballgame."

Simsboro will travel to No. 2 Zwolle (28-4) for its second-round matchup. While no official game time has been set, Bond expects the game to be played Tuesday.