Lady Wildcats Edge Lady Bears for 8-2A Tourney Title

JUNCTION CITY - Woodlawn had the tying run at third in the top of the seventh but Rison's Josey Edwards got a fly ball to end the game as the Lady Wildcats held on to edge the Lady Bears, 5-4, in the 8-2A District Tournament championship game Saturday afternoon at Junction City.Both teams will advance to play in the Class 2A South Region Tournament this Thursday, May 2, at Parkers Chapel.Rison, 15-4 overall and the no. 1 seed from the 8-2A, will take on the Foreman Lady Gators (56 overall), the no. 4 seed from the 7-2A, at 3 p.m. Thursday.Woodlawn, 17-8 overall and the no. 2 seed from the 8-2A, will face the Acorn Lady Tigers (9-7 overall), the no. 3 seed from the 7-2A, at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.The Lady Wildcats went into the district tournament as the top seed after knocking off the Lady Bears, 10-5, in the regular season finale at Woodlawn. Both teams finished the season with 5-1 records but Rison earned the top seed by winning the head-tohead matchup. Woodlawn was the no. 2 seed.This battle between the Cleveland County rivals played out much different than their previous encounter on April 19. In that game, Rison led by as many as eight runs before Woodlawn made a late push.The Lady Bears took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Madi West singled to lead off the game and then scored on Jaci Hoyt's one-out double. The Lady 'Cats answered with two runs using a two-out single by Carlese Johnson and a follow-up triple by MacKenzie King to plate two runs and give Rison a 2-1 lead.Woodlawn tied it with a run in the top of the second. Macy Harrison walked to start the inning and Lily White was then hit by a pitch to put two on. Harrison moved to third on a passed ball and then tagged up to score a run on Erin West's fly to right, tying the game 2-2.The Lady 'Cats again responded in the bottom of the second as Layne Potter and Breanna Taylor delivered back-toback RBI singls, both coming with two out, as Rison went back on top, 4-2.Woodlawn made it a one-run game in…