Three Rivers' Wendy Eftink slides safely into home against Dyersburg State Wednesday afternoon at Rains Field. (Alex Abate/DAR)

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

The Lady Raiders needed a wake-up call Wednesday afternoon against Dyersburg State.

Three Rivers rallied from a three-run deficit in the opener to win 8-5 before earning the sweep with a 9-1 win.

The early 5-2 hole in the first game threw Three Rivers for a loop, Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said.

"We really weren't ready to play and we just weren't into it real well," Childress said. "We had to have a little chat about it."

In the first game, Chelsea Claypole came in to pitch for a struggling Kaci Smith and didn't allow any runs over 4 1/3 innings of work. She struck out nine.

"I guess the big thing is that Claypole found her groove," Childress said. "She has got to be there for us. She is the only pitcher that has been successful this year against Jefferson."

With Claypole controlling the Dyersburg batters, the Lady Raiders tied the at five in the fourth inning game with three runs.

"We didn't hit the ball on the screws like we had been hitting and we had to manufacture a little bit there," Childress said.

In the fifth, Wendy Eftink led the inning off with a single and moved on a Tabitha Martin base knock up . After Jaclyn Blake flied out and Smith walked Eftink crossed the plate on a fly out by Kaci Menz to take the lead 6-5. Maegan Booker and Eftink both scored in the sixth inning to give the Lady Raiders some insurance at 8-5.

Eftink had two hits and scored three runs for the Lady Raiders and is becoming a solid force in the lineup.

"For a freshman, she has been a big stick for us," Childress said. "She leads us in home runs with four and I don't know where all that is coming from."

In the second game, the Lady Raiders got going in the second. Booker led the frame off with a double and after a ground out, Martin doubled to put runners on second and third. Kayla Yeater got a single to score Booker and Martin to make it 2-0. Lindsey Landles singled later in the inning to force home Yeater and Leslie Taylor single to drive in Menz to make it 4-0.

The Lady Raiders countered the lone Dyersburg State run of the game with five runs of their own in the fourth to set the final margin.

Claypole got the win in the second game as she went four innings and had two strikeouts with two walks. Brittany Holoien came in to shut the game down and did just that getting three outs in the three batters that she faced.

"I think everything is contagious," Childress said. "When you are hitting, its contagious and when you are making error, they are too."

The Lady Raiders have had a solid turnaround after struggling early in the year.

"When we were 9-10, I was wondering if we were ever going to get something like this," Childress said. "We are just going to take it one game at a time."