CCS In State Softball Finals With Comeback Win, 7-6

Madison Blevins Drives In Game-Winner With Seventh-Inning Single

  • Wednesday, May 22, 2019
  • John Hunt

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Christian softball team has had some outstanding days this spring, but it would be hard to find one any more significant than the one they celebrated here at the StarPlex softball facility in the second day of the TSSAA State Softball Tournament.

The Lady Chargers had an emotional opening game with Davidson Academy, but it all turned out well as CCS prevailed by a 2-1 margin.

Then in the winner’s bracket final on Starplex Field No. 3 Wednesday night, they one-upped themselves with a heart-stopping 7-6 victory over the King’s Academy Lady Lions.

Wednesday’s game was the fourth meeting with the Lady Lions and both teams have now won twice.

CCS had beaten them 13-3 in the opening round of the region tournament, only to lose the last two, including an 8-1 whipping in the deciding game.

Wednesday’s game was much closer.

CCS had overcome a 1-0 Lady Lion lead with a four-run third.  Another run in the fifth extended the lead to 5-2 and things were looking rosy for the Lady Chargers.

King’s Academy then came back with a four-run sixth when they sent 10 hitters to the plate for a 6-5 lead.

CCS wasn’t able to rally in the bottom of the sixth, but they came through big in the bottom of the seventh.

Savannah Ricketts, who had a two-run single in the third before ripping a solo homer in the fifth, led off with a walk and went to second when winning pitcher Madison Hollis got hit by a pitch.  Lauren Day’s sacrifice bunt advanced runners to second and third before Lauren Kay knotted the score with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Ricketts.

Rachel Kay then walked with two outs to put runners on the corners and set the table for Madison Blevins, who had failed to reach in her previous three at-bats.

The fourth time was the charm for the 17-year-old junior as she worked the count to 3-2 before ripping a pitch into right-center, easily driving in courtesy runner Miranda Blevins with the winning run.

With the win, CCS improves to 25-10 and awaits the winner of King’s Academy and Friendship for the Division II-Class A state championship at 5:30 local team.

Should the Lady Chargers lose that game, an “if necessary” game would be played on Friday at 11:30.

The CCS bench erupted in jubilant celebration at the crack of the bat on Blevins’ hit.

Needless to say, the scrappy catcher was almost speechless once the game ended.

“I was hitless in three previous at-bats, but I’m ecstatic now as we’ve worked so hard as a team to get to this point.  I feel like it was just meant to be,” she said afterward.

Hollis was the winning pitcher in both games and also drove in both runs of the first game before collecting two more hits and driving in two more in the second game of the day.

She wasn’t the most overpowering pitcher in the park as she allowed six runs on 13 hits.  She also walked three and struck out one, but she made critical pitches at the most important times and lived to talk about it.

“We’re in the finals and that’s what I’m excited about.  I felt all along that we had it, even when we fell behind, as we perform well under pressure most of the time,” the 17-year-old senior suggested.

“Right now, I’m missing my senior trip to Orlando, but I’d much rather be here as these girls mean everything to me.  Now we just need to win one more tomorrow,” Hollis nodded.

CCS coach Lisa Gray knew long before Wednesday’s last game that her girls weren’t going down without a fight.

She was exactly right.

“We’re a bunch of fighters and I feel like we had something to prove to ourselves and everyone else.  We came up here last year and lost our first two games, so making it to this point has been our goal all season,” Gray expressed.

“We beat them 13-3 the first time we played them, but they beat us twice to win the region, including 8-1 in the final game.  My kids had decided that they weren’t going to let that happen again.  My husband is an assistant baseball coach at Gordon Lee and they won a state championship earlier today.  Maybe tomorrow will be our turn,” she concluded with a smile.

Ricketts, Hollis and Lauren Day all had two hits in the second game as the Lady Chargers finished with nine.

Losing pitcher Kaylan Cole was one of four Lady Lions with two hits,  being joined by Madison Webber, Haydyn Jenkins and Katelyn  Norris.

Regan Weekly had a big two-run double in that four-run sixth while Webber and Kailee King both had run-scoring singles in that same inning.

Cole allowed all seven runs on nine hits while striking out two and walking four.  She also hit two CCS hitters.

The Lady Lions are now 35-6 following Wednesday’s defeat.

KING’S ACADEMY  110 004 0 – 6 13 0

CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN  004 010 2 – 7 9 0

Cole and King; Hollis and Madison Blevins.

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

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