LaFAYETTE — The Chambers Academy softball team opened the postseason with a bang on Monday afternoon when the Rebel defeated Evangel Christian 4-3 and 13-1.

The first game was a thrilling comeback victory when freshman Bailey Allen connected on a two-run RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk it off.

“I was a little worried in that first game,” Chambers Academy head softball coach Brandi Fuller said. “We started hitting the ball in the second game that was the difference. We couldn’t get it past the infield in the first game.”

The unsung heroics from the freshman came as a pleasant surprise to Fuller.

“She had not hit all day, and when Bailey gets really down on herself, she doesn’t produce,” Fuller said. “I didn’t say a word to her when she got up there to bat that last time.”

Game One was a low-scoring affair throughout, going scoreless through the first three innings. Evangel broke the ice in the fourth inning as an RBI single dropped in left-center field to score a runner from third base.

Evangel went on to score a two-run inside-the-park home run to increase the score to 3-0.

Chambers Academy’s Megan Ware hit an RBI triple to get the Rebels on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. A wild pitch scored Ware later in the inning to cut the deficit to one.

In the bottom of the sixth, Brandalon Rombokas grounded out with the bases loaded to set up Allen’s seventh-inning walk-off.

Fuller said that she was satisfied with the entire batting lineup’s performance in Game Two on Monday. 

Lindsey Fuller, Olivia Williams and Chloe Mitchum were some of the hitters that stood out in particular in the win to Fuller.

Chambers Academy now advances to the regional round in Troy this Friday.

“The higher seed you are, the better off you are in the state tournament,” Fuller said. “I’m trying to get them motivated, this is not a play-in tournament. I do want them to produce and win in this region tournament so we can have a higher seed going into state. They’re excited.”