MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- UT-Chattanooga signee Lyndsey Stiles from Soddy-Daisy wanted to get her team off to a good start Thursday night against Murfreesboro Riverdale and Tennessee signee Cat Hosfield.
Leading off in the winners bracket final, Stiles bunted and raced to first base for a single. Hosfield, Riverdale's record-setting pitcher, threw the ball away at first base and Stiles scored on the play.
In the third inning, Stiles walked and was headed for second base on a steal attempt when Caitlin Holcomb doubled. Once again using her speed, Stiles scored.
The two runs were good enough for a 2-1 Soddy-Daisy victory and a berth in the Class AAA state softball final for the fourth straight year.
Soddy-Daisy, 46-4 and ranked No. 35 in the Student Sports Fab 50 national softball poll, will play for the state title Friday night at 6:30 central against either No. 40-ranked Riverdale or Mt. Juliet, which upset No. 12-ranked Brentwood Academy on Thursday morning.
Mt. Juliet (46-10) and Riverdale (49-5-1) will play in the losers bracket final on Friday morning at 10 central.
"I'm so excited,'' Stiles said. "This is huge. It was so stressful, but we were pumped.
"I knew if I could get us started that would be good. Speed kills. We wanted to put the pressure on them.''
Said Soddy-Daisy Clifford Kirk, "Yes, we wanted to bunt Stiles and put the pressure on them early. The ball got away and she just kept running. We weren't going to stop her at third. They were going to have to throw her out.''
Holcomb and Megan Walker each had two hits for Soddy-Daisy, which won the state title last year and finished as state runners-up the two previous seasons.
"This is the first time in the state that our seniors have not lost heading into the championship game,'' Stiles said. "We're in a nice situation. We like this seat.''
Said Kirk, "I really want this title for the kids. They deserve it. They have worked really hard for it.
"I dont' care how many I get. I want this for them. I'll have another chance and they won't.''
Hosfield struck out 15 and moved within nine strikeouts of breaking the national record for most strikeouts in a season. She gave up seven hits and walked one.
Soddy-Daisy pitcher Nikki Waters, a Southern Illinois signee, gave up eight hits, including an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to Ashia Terry.
Waters struck out 12 and walked one.
In the bottom of the seventh, Riverdale loaded the bases after two out. Waters responded by striking out Kelsey Woodruff to end the game.
"Nikki was the best pitcher out there tonight,'' Kirk said. "That last out was huge because that was their best hitter.
"She hit her spots well, just pitched so well tonight. She kept them off balance.''
Alice O'Brien was 3-for-4 for Riverdale.
BOXSCORE
Soddy-Daisy HS vs Riverdale HS
May 24, 2007 at Murfreesboro, TN (Starplex # 1)
Soddy-Daisy HS 2 (3-0) Riverdale HS 1 (2-1)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Lyndsey Stiles cf.......... 3 2 1 0 Alice O'Brien rf........... 4 0 3 0
Caitlin Holcomb rf......... 4 0 2 1 Kelsey Choate lf........... 4 0 1 0
Emily Hutchins 2b.......... 4 0 0 0 Kelsey Woodruff ss......... 3 1 1 0
Katie Blevins c............ 3 0 1 0 Jessica Whitens 2b......... 3 0 0 0
Nikki Waters p............. 3 0 0 0 Cathleen Hosfield p........ 2 0 1 0
Ashlee England pr......... 0 0 0 0 Ashia Terry cf............. 3 0 1 1
Amanda Johnson 3b.......... 3 0 1 0 Jessica Ayers 1b........... 2 0 0 0
Stacey Fairbanks ss........ 3 0 0 0 Megan Chesney 3b........... 3 0 0 0
Megan Walker 1b............ 3 0 2 0 Breana Thomas dh........... 3 0 1 0
Jessica Huffman dh/lf...... 2 0 0 0 Maria Frebis pr........... 0 0 0 0
Jena Hale lf/ph............ 1 0 0 0 JP Edwards c............... 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 29 2 7 1 Totals..................... 27 1 8 1
Score by Innings R H E
-----------------------------------------
Soddy-Daisy HS...... 101 000 0 - 2 7 0
Riverdale HS........ 000 100 0 - 1 8 2
-----------------------------------------
E - Woodruff 2(3). LOB - Soddy-Daisy 7; Riverdale 8. 2B - Holcomb(1); Woodruff(1);
Terry(2). SH - Hosfield(1); Ayers(1). SB - England(1).
Soddy-Daisy HS IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nikki Waters W,3-0........ 7.0 8 1 1 1 12 0 0 0 0 27 30 4 5
Riverdale HS IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cathleen Hosfield L,2-1... 7.0 7 2 1 1 15 0 0 0 0 29 30 1 5
Strikeouts - Holcomb; Hutchins 4; Blevins; Waters; Johnson, Am. 2; Fairbanks 2;
Walker; Huffman 2; Hale; Choate 2; Woodruff 2; Whitens; Hosfield; Terry; Ayers;
Chesney 2; Thomas 2. Walks - Stiles; Woodruff.
Umpires -
Start: 8 pm Time: 1:45 Attendance:
Game: AAAGM12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Play-by-Play
The Automated ScoreBook
Soddy-Daisy HS vs Riverdale HS - Play-by-Play
May 24, 2007 at Murfreesboro, TN (Starplex # 1)
Score by Innings R H E
-----------------------------------------
Soddy-Daisy HS...... 101 000 0 - 2 7 0
Riverdale HS........ 000 100 0 - 1 8 2
-----------------------------------------
Soddy-Daisy HS starters: 9/cf Stiles; 15/rf Holcomb; 7/2b Hutchins; 16/c
Blevins; 4/p Waters; 5/3b Johnson, Am.; 21/ss Fairbanks; 11/1b Walker; 10/dh
Huffman; 12/lf Hale;
Riverdale HS starters: 9/rf O'Brien; 22/lf Choate; 14/ss Woodruff; 21/2b
Whitens; 1/p Hosfield; 16/cf Terry; 17/1b Ayers; 7/3b Chesney; 13/dh Thomas;
15/c Edwards;
Soddy-Daisy HS 1st - Stiles singled, advanced to second on an error by
ss. Stiles scored, unearned. Holcomb struck out. Hutchins struck out. Blevins
struck out looking. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Riverdale HS 1st - O'Brien singled. Choate struck out. Woodruff struck
out. Whitens struck out. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Soddy-Daisy HS 2nd - Waters grounded out to ss. Johnson, Am. struck out.
Fairbanks struck out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Riverdale HS 2nd - Hosfield singled to left field. Terry grounded out to
1b unassisted. Ayers out at first 3b to 2b, SAC; Hosfield advanced to second.
Chesney grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Soddy-Daisy HS 3rd - Walker struck out. Huffman struck out. Stiles
walked. Holcomb doubled to left center, RBI; Stiles scored. Hutchins struck
out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Riverdale HS 3rd - Thomas struck out. O'Brien lined out to ss. Choate
grounded out to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Soddy-Daisy HS 4th - Blevins grounded out to p. Waters struck out.
Johnson, Am. singled. Fairbanks struck out. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Riverdale HS 4th - Woodruff doubled to left field. Whitens flied out to
cf. Hosfield struck out looking. Terry doubled to right field, RBI; Woodruff
scored. Ayers struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Soddy-Daisy HS 5th - Walker singled. Huffman struck out. Stiles flied
out to cf. Holcomb singled, advanced to second on the throw; Walker advanced to
third. Hutchins struck out. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Riverdale HS 5th - Chesney struck out looking. Thomas struck out
looking. O'Brien singled to center field. Choate struck out. 0 runs, 1 hit,
0 errors, 1 LOB.
Soddy-Daisy HS 6th - Blevins singled to center field. Waters reached on
a fielder's choice; Blevins out at second 3b to 2b. England pinch ran for
Waters. England stole second. Johnson, Am. struck out. Fairbanks grounded out
to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Riverdale HS 6th - Waters to p for England. Woodruff walked. Whitens
popped up to rf. Hosfield out at first p to 2b, SAC; Woodruff advanced to
second. Terry struck out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Soddy-Daisy HS 7th - Walker singled. Hale pinch hit for Huffman. Huffman
to lf for Hale. Hale struck out. Stiles reached on an error by ss; Walker
advanced to second. England pinch ran for Walker. Holcomb grounded out to p;
Stiles advanced to second; England advanced to third. Hutchins struck out. 0
runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Riverdale HS 7th - Walker to 1b for England. Ayers popped up to 2b.
Chesney struck out looking. Thomas singled to center field. Frebis pinch ran
for Thomas. O'Brien singled; Frebis advanced to second. Choate singled; O'Brien
advanced to second; Frebis advanced to third. Woodruff struck out looking. 0
runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)