ROLAND - Katie Matlock tossed a four-hitter and scored the winning run in the eighth inning as Roland edged Sallisaw 2-1 on Monday afternoon.
The game was tied 1-1 at the end of the regulation seven innings and the Lady Rangers held Sallisaw scoreless in the top of the eighth.
Matlock led off the bottom of the eighth with a triple and third baseman Linzie Roberts hit a sacrifice to drive in the winning run.
The loss tainted the homecoming of Tasha Beaty, who graduated from Roland in 1998 and was making her first trip back to her alma mater as head coach of the Lady Diamonds.
Sallisaw drew first blood, though, when Courtney Crooks handed the Lady Diamonds a 1-0 edge in the top of the second inning. Lyndsey Daggs led off with a base on balls and eventually scored on Crooks' RBI single.
Roland evened the score in the fifth inning. Jasmine Kirkwood reached base on a Sallisaw error and scored on a triple from Matlock.
Matlock finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of triples. The sophomore had two of Roland's five hits off of Sallisaw pitcher Amy Smith. Molly Gordon, Natalie Pe
