Silverdale Baptist Academy right-hander Taylor Moran scattered eight hits -- four in the second inning -- and notched a 7-1, four-inning win against McMinn County on Friday in the Ooltewah Invitational at The Summitt. Moran struck out six, with three coming in the final inning when he gave up two hits.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Silverdale wasn’t off the winning track for long.
The Class 1A Lady Seahawks, who saw their 19-game winning streak to start the season ended by Marion County in the title game of last weekend’s Lookout Valley Classic, knocked off Class 3A McMinn County, 7-1, Friday in the Ooltewah Invitational.
Silverdale’s Taylor Moran effectively scattered seven hits and stranded eight Lady Cherokees runners in picking up the win.
“I thought Taylor threw the ball well,” Silverdale coach Tim Couch said.
Lindsey Newell went 2 for 3 and drove in three runs with a first-inning sacrifice fly and a two-run single in the fourth.
“Lindsey,” said Couch, “must have six home runs this year and 25, probably closer to 30 RBIs. She drove in six runs in our last game. She’s really been steady for us all year and that’s because she works so hard.”
Leadoff batter Ali Birchfield went 3 for 3 and scored three runs while Emily Harkleroad was 2 for 2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Only two Lady Seahawk players – Moran and Skylar Parton – failed to get a hit.
“Our two through five batters are usually the strongest part of our lineup,” Couch said. “But we’ve been off for a few days and knocking off the rust is always an issue when you take time out. The players deserved a break though.”
The Lady Seahawks (21-1) banged out 11 hits against McMinn County and carried that momentum into its second game of the night against talented Grace Christian of Knoxville, the 2015 Class 1A state tournament runner-up to Forrest.
Silverdale won that game, 4-3, rallying for three runs in the final inning.
Birchfield led off the first with a double to right, stole second and scored on Newell’s sacrifice fly to left. Harkleroad, batting behind Birchfield, walked, stole second, went to third on the sacrifice fly and came home on catcher Jesse Mizell’s throwing error.
In the second, Maddie Tankersley singled and moved to second on Jordan Cooper’s sacrifice bunt. Savannah Turner struck out, but Birchfield kept the inning alive with a single to left.
Harkleroad’s single scored Tankersley and Birchfield capped the two-run inning by scoring from third when Harkleroad was caught in a rundown between first and second. Harkleroad escaped the pickle and reached second base safely. She stayed there when Moran popped out to second.
Shelby Duggard started the Silverdale third with a bloop single to right. She went to third on Cooper’s single. Turner singled to right-center, and when McMinn outfielder Callie King kicked the ball around, Duggard came home with Silverdale’s fifth run.
For the second time, Birchfield started an inning – the fourth this time – with a hit and Harkleroad pushed her to second with an infield hit. Birchfield went to third on Moran’s fly-ball out to left and Harkleroad stole second moments later.
Newell’s timely hit to right-center gave Silverdale its final two runs.
Callie King and Paige Robbins, the first and second hitters in the lineup, combined for four hits in six at-bats. Robbins drove in the team’s only run with an infield chopper in the second inning.
“It feels good to get off to a fast start in the tournament,” Newell said. “It puts the weekend in motion and we’re looking forward to playing Grace Christian in our next game.”
It turned out to be a thriller.
Trailing 3-0 in the last inning, the Lady Seahawks rallied for four runs and pulled out a 4-3 victory over Grace Christian, which finished runner-up to Forrest in the 2015 Class 1A state tournament.
The Grace Christian pitcher walked in two runs, hit a batter to force in the tying run.
Turner’s deep fly ball to the outfield turned into a sacrifice fly and that scored the game-winning runs for Silverdale.
Boxscore
McMinn County 010 0 – 1 8 2
Silverdale Baptist 221 2 – 7 11 0
H. Mizell and J. Mizell; Moran and Turner.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow on Twitter @larryfleming44)
Catcher Jesse Mizell (3) of McMinn County punches a single to right field on Friday in third inning of an Ooltewah Invitational softball game against Silverdale Baptist. Mizell later scored the Lady Cherokees' only run on Paige Robbins' hit.
photo by Dennis Norwood