Lady Trojans walk it off for opening night win

 




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

Despite trailing by more than one run on multiple occasions on Tuesday night during Dyersburg softball’s season opener against Gibson County at Doug French Field, the Lady Trojans battled back to force extra innings then ended the first game of the 2025 season with an 8-7 walk off win via an Izzie Odom flyball for an error and a run in the bottom of the eight.

“The key was sticking in there and picking each other up,” Dyersburg Head Coach Erin Worley said of the keys to victory in the first game of the season.

Dyersburg trailed 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but got the first two runners on when Addie Gatlin helped her own cause with a single then Avery hicks drew a walk to give the Lady Trojans runners at first and second. Murphy Morgan followed with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. The next batter, Kyleigh Littles, singled in both to tie the game at 7-7 before Gibson County got the next two batters to strikeout and send the game into extra innings.

With international rules in play during the eighth inning, Gatlin and the Dyersburg defense got through the top of the frame unscathed as the Lady Trojan ace struck out two of the three batters she faced to send the game into the bottom of the eighth still tied.

With Colbie Sells placed at second via the international rules, Mallory McCaslin laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached safely with Sells moving to third on the play. The next batter, Odom, sent an 0-2 pitch to left field which was dropped by the Lady Pioneer fielder, allowing Sells to score safely and give the Lady Trojans the win.

“The thing I always tell my girls is that I believe in them – they should believe, too,” Worley said of her team’s ability to rally from being down early in the season.

Tuesday’s game gave the Dyersburg girls plenty of practice answering when trailing. Gibson County scored two in the first inning but the Lady Trojans answered in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff walk and a one-out single from Gatlin was followed by a two-run Hicks single to tie the game at 2-2 after one inning.

But, Gibson County answered with a run in the second and two in the third to take a 5-2 lead after two and a half innings.

Dyersburg answered again, getting an RBI single by Bella Turnage then a one-run base hit from Morgan later in the bottom of the third. Avery Hinson followed with a single to score another run and tie the game at 5-5 after three frames.

Gibson County tacked on two in the top of the sixth to lead by a pair to set up the late-inning dramatics for the Lady Trojans.


The win comes with a gutsy performance in the circle from Gatlin, who allowed seven runs (all unearned) on six hits with 14 strikeouts in the win. The Lady Trojans committed six errors in the win.

“Our pitcher, Addie (Gatlin), had a great outing,” Worley added. "She had 14 strikeouts and that’s amazing. She got the majority of the outs.

“Another thing that we’ve got to work on is just playing clean.”

Dyersburg is scheduled to take on Dresden on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Dresden. 

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