After beating Jackson State on Tuesday, the Motlow Bucks were eliminated from the TCCAA/Region VII Softball Tournament with a 6-1 loss to Dyersburg State on Wednesday. Motlow (19-31) entered the tournament, held at Volunteer State in Gallatin, as the No. 6 seed but faced the host team in the opening round and lost 12-2 in five innings. The loss put the Bucks in the elimination bracket, matching them against Jackson State.

Volunteer State 12 – Motlow 2

The Bucks got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Savanna Beard singled and scored on an RBI single by Katelyn Helmick. The Lady Pioneers, playing on their home field, came out hot in the early innings, scoring six runs in the first, two in the second, and four in the third.

Helmick slammed a solo home run in the fourth inning, but the Bucks didn’t close the gap, and the 10-run rule was activated after five innings. Hannah Burks, Mary Bradley, and Susanna Cruit pitched for Motlow, with Cruit allowing only three hits and zero runs in 1.1 innings.

Motlow 4 – Jackson State 1

The Bucks once again scored a run in the first inning, then added three more in the third to beat the Green Jays on Tuesday. Bradley was dominant in the circle, pitching a complete game and allowing only five hits with 12 strikeouts.

Karley Daughrity drove in Beard in the first to get the Bucks on the scoreboard. In the third inning, Daughrity singled in Beard and Michalee Clay. Allie Anderson then grounded out to shortstop, scoring Daughrity with the fourth run.

Beard had two hits and scored two runs, while Daughrity drove in three and scored one.

Dyersburg State 6 – Motlow 1

The Bucks banged out nine hits in the season finale, including a home run by Demi Garner, but were unable to sustain an offensive rally. Beard had two more hits, while seven other Bucks had one hit each.

Bradley went 6.1 innings in the circle, allowing nine hits with six strikeouts. Cruit pitched a perfect final 0.2 innings.

The Buck are coached by former MCHS softball player Janice Keller Morey. Follow the Bucks at MotlowSports.com and @motlowsports on Twitter. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}