COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Second-seeded Walters State came up a win shy of playing for the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association and NJCAA Region VII title for the second straight season when they bowed out of the Region VII Softball Tournament in the loser's bracket final Wednesday afternoon at Columbia State's Eddie Campbell Field.

The Lady Senators won their opening game of the day, defeating seventh-seeded Cleveland State, 5-4, to advance to the loser's bracket final against third-seeded Volunteer State, who lost in the opening game of the day to top-seeded Chattanooga State, 10-6.

In the season finale, Walters State managed just four hits and lost 4-0 to the Lady Pioneers to wrap up a 35-19 season. Vol State went on to lose to Chattanooga State in the championship game later in the evening.

In the opening game, Sydney Fox smacked three hits in the win, while Taylor McConnell added two hits with a double and Mia Edwardson doubled in the contest. Emily Whitaker, Jenica Brown, and Sydney Dukes each added a single in the victory. Fox, Dukes, Kelley Quillen, McConnell and Brown all drove in runs in the win.

Lauren Brickey picked up the win after tossing three scoreless innings and leaving the game with a 5-0 lead. Delilah Malczewski tossed the final four frames and recorded her eighth save of the season after giving up four runs.

In the finale, Dukes ripped two hits, while McConnell and Olivia Wheeler both had a hit in the loss, as Tara Cates went the distance in the win for Vol State inside the circle.

Malczewski allowed three runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth in giving up seven hits in the loss.