Tenne-who? Softball Dominates in Midstate Classic, 9-0

Columbia, TN — Calhoun softball delivered a dominant performance Tuesday afternoon, shutting out the Columbia State Chargers 9-0 in six innings during the Midstate Classic hosted by the City of Columbia, Tennessee.

The matchup served as the opening act for the evening's main event, which featured the No. 1 team in the nation, Tennessee Lady Vols, defeating Austin Peay 9-1.

Calhoun wasted no time getting on the board and setting the tone for the day. Kenley Holcombe opened the game with a single and quickly moved around the bases with a pair of stolen bases before scoring on an RBI from Addison Wallace to give the Warhawks a 1-0 lead.

The offense continued to build momentum in the third inning. Calhoun strung together three hits and added a sacrifice fly to push two more runs across the plate and extend the lead to 3-0.

In the fifth inning, the Warhawks broke the game open. Four hits and a walk led to four more runs, stretching the advantage to 7-0 late in the contest.

Calhoun added two more runs in the sixth, again capitalizing on timely hitting and patience at the plate. Three hits and a walk brought Morgan Lane home to give the Warhawks a 9-0 lead heading into the bottom half.

The Chargers attempted to mount a late push, opening the sixth inning with back-to-back hits. But Calhoun's defense quickly shut the door. Addison Wallace started a double play to Morgan Lane before a fly out to center field ended the game and secured the run-rule victory.

With the win, the Warhawks claimed the Midstate Classic title and picked up their 15th victory of the season before the Lady Vols' main-event win later that evening.

Addi Wilson earned the start in the circle and the win, pitching four hitless innings while striking out six of the 14 batters she faced.

At the plate, the offense was balanced as Alyce LouAllen, Addison Wallace (2), Kenley Holcombe, Tessa Jacobs (3), and Tyler Stringer (2) each batted in runs for Calhoun.

After the win, Head Coach Denton Bowling praised the team's performance and the opportunity to participate in the event. "That was a really good team win today at a great event here in Columbia," Bowling said. "It's a special opportunity for our program to be part of something like this and for us to step onto the same field as the number one team in the country. Our girls took advantage of the moment, played clean softball, and represented Calhoun the right way."

The Warhawks (15-11) will now open Alabama Community College Conference play Thursday, March 12, with a challenging road doubleheader against nationally ranked No. 4 Northeast Alabama (19-1).