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The Zion Chapel Lady Rebels fell to the Wicksburg Lady Panthers in the opening round of the Class 2A South Regional Softball Tournament on Tuesday by a score of 3-2.

The two sides went into the bottom of the seventh inning tied 2-2 when Wicksburg’s Chloe Joyce hit a walk-off sacrifice fly that drove in the winning run with the bases loaded.

Zion Chapel was led at the plate by Madison Meeks, who went 2-for-3, while Hagen Sessions and Shea Wambles scored one run each.

Riley Bannin pitched all seven innings and struck out one batter, while giving up three hits and one earned run.

Zion Chapel advanced to the losers bracket and remained alive in the tournament by picking up a 12-2 win over the Ariton Purple Cats. Zion Chapel jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back as they blasted their way to a dominant win. Meeks again led ZCHS at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs, while Amber Kidd went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Wambles hit a triple and scored two runs, while Sydney Boothe earned four RBIs and one run. Kaylee Hodge scored two runs and Bannin added one run for the Lady Rebs.

Syndey Boothe pitched all six innings and fanned seven batters, while giving up six hits and one earned run.

Next, Zion Chapel fell to GW Long 13-7 to be eliminated from the tournament on Wednesday. Wambles went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs, while Kidd went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and one run in the loss. Bannin pitched four innings and gave up eight hits and one earned run with six strikeouts in the circle. Boothe also pitched three innings and fanned three batters along with giving up four hits and one earned run.

Zion Chapel ends the 2023 campaign with a 17-15 record, area runner-up and having made the regional tournament for the first time since 2018.