Ooltewah Upends Walker Valley, 6-1, To Reach 5-3A Softball Title Game

White, Sullivan Homer As Lady Owls Snap Lady Mustangs' 17-Game Win Streak

  • Monday, May 7, 2018
  • Larry Fleming
Ooltewah first baseman Tyler Sullivan rounds second after hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning of Monday's District 5-3A softball tournament game in Athens. The Lady Owls won 6-1 and will play in Tuesday's championship game at 7 p.m. against either Walker Valley or East Hamilton.
Ooltewah first baseman Tyler Sullivan rounds second after hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning of Monday's District 5-3A softball tournament game in Athens. The Lady Owls won 6-1 and will play in Tuesday's championship game at 7 p.m. against either Walker Valley or East Hamilton.
photo by Dennis Norwood

ATHENS, Tenn. – In a softball rivalry that becomes more intense every time Ooltewah and Walker Valley square off these days, Monday’s winner’s bracket showdown turned into another hard-fought game.

Ooltewah, which suffered a 2-0 loss to the Lady Mustangs on April 18 that propelled Walker Valley to the regular-season championship, avenged that setback in spades with a 6-1 victory in the District 5-3A softball tournament at McMinn County High School.

The second-seeded Lady Owls (32-6) used a two-run homer by Sydney White in the fourth inning and a three-run blast by Tyler Sullivan in the sixth to power past the No. 1 seeded Lady Mustangs (28-7), who saw their 17-game winning streak snapped.

White, who played through a sore shoulder suffered diving for a ball in Saturday’2 9-4 win against Soddy-Daisy, triggered a four-run sixth with a two-out RBI single.

“In our middle lineup, we have about five or six girls that can go yard at any time,” Lady Owls coach Jon Massey said. “They’re line-drive power hitters because they’re big strong and that’s why we hit a lot of doubles and home runs.

“It was good to see us hitting the ball hard. It’s what we do best. We found the gaps a few times and it reminded me of 2015 when it seemed like we got big hit after big hit. We got runners on, moved them over and got them in.”

On the season, Ooltewah has 61 doubles, 41 home runs and two triples. Cheyanne Sales has 10 round-trippers, White eight and Kayla Boseman seven.

Walker Valley falls into the loser’s bracket and plays East Hamilton at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the tournament’s final elimination game. That winner will take on Ooltewah, which nailed down a Region 3-3A berth with Monday’s impressive win, for the championship at 7 p.m. If necessary, a second title showdown would be played on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Ooltewah is gunning for its third title in four years.

A Mississippi State signee who committed prior to her freshman season, hard-throwing Kayla Boseman (17-1) checked the Lady Mustangs on four hits while striking out six and walking one and gave her a 0.82 ERA. She has 194 strikeouts in 102 innings.

Walker Valley’s only run came in the sixth when Carissa Frost singled, moved to second on Michele Benson’s sacrifice bunt and scored on a line-drive single down the left-field foul line. Harris was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Frost’s dramatic seventh-inning, two-run homer produced the earlier 2-0 victory over Ooltewah, a game in which left-hander Natalie Pruitt fired a shutout. Pruitt (20-3), but was roughed up Monday with the two long balls that endangered a parking lot full of passenger vehicles.

After three scoreless innings, Boseman opened the fourth with a line-drive single off the center-field fence. Sales flied out to right, but White followed with her two-run shot to center – it was her eighth of the season and the shortstop now has 37 RBIs, second to Sales’ 39.

“My shoulder bothered me a little, but I played through it,” White said. “It was a lot better after that home run. We were excited for today’s game and I wanted to keep everybody calm because when we get too excited it gets kind of kabobbled out there. This was a good revenge win.”

Pruitt, who has 108 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings, only four walks and a 2.13 ERA, retired Ooltewah in order in the fifth, but quickly ran into trouble an inning later.

After Ally Chernak grounded out, Boseman drew an intentional walk and Sales’ single to center pushed courtesy runner Aubrey Smith to second. Smith scored on a White single and the Lady Owls’ lead was 3-0.

With a one-strike count, Sullivan ripped the three-run bomb, her third on the season, to left-center and the Lady Owls built a comfortable 6-0 lead.

“It was a rise ball and felt good coming off the bat,” she said. “This win was really big for us. Our last game with them cost us the number one seed and we were all hyped up for this one. I think if we carry over the intensity we had to day into (Tuesday’s) game, we’ll be OK.”

Ooltewah banged out five of their eight hits in the sixth inning.

Walker Valley went into the sixth with one hit off Boseman – Riley Suits’ single in the second – and Harris delivered her RBI single.   

Walker Valley had one last chance to turn the tide in the seventh inning.

Kaylee Hughes grounded out and Katelyn Howell reached on Chernak’s fielding error at second. Howell was forced out at second on Suits’ infield grounder and Hannah Kate Singleton singled to left. Miranda grounded out to Mabry Carpenter at third to end the game.

“(In games like these), every pitch is important; every out is important and every at-bat is important,” Walker Valley coach Lauren Limburg said. “I tell the first to cherish every at-bat, especially in high-emotional games.”

Linescore

Ooltewah                   000 204 0 – 6 8 1

Walker Valley            000 001 0 – 1 4 0

Boseman and Sales; Pruitt and Suits.

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

Shortstop Sydney White caught three popups and had two assists in a sterling defensive effort in a 6-1 win against Walker Valley. White also smacked a two-run homer in the fourth inning, leading the Lady Owls to their 32nd win in 38 games.
Shortstop Sydney White caught three popups and had two assists in a sterling defensive effort in a 6-1 win against Walker Valley. White also smacked a two-run homer in the fourth inning, leading the Lady Owls to their 32nd win in 38 games.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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