Silverdale's Katie Willoughby delivers a pitch to the plate Saturday afternoon against Lakeway Christian in a DII-A East Region tournament game. The Lady Seahawks needed a walk-off home run from Bree Sexton to get the 6-3 decision and advance to Monday's winner's bracket final Willoughby gave up four hits and struck out 13 in the win.
photo by Dennis Norwood
It’s a Senior Day celebration that 18-year-old Breanna Sexton will never forget.
They honored four young ladies who are nearing the end of their high school softball career at Silverdale Baptist Academy on Saturday afternoon, but it was Sexton who might have the most positive memory after slugging the game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel her team to victory.
Other seniors honored included Ansley Junkins, Skylar Sheridan and Kristin Thomas.
Facing the Lakeway Christian Lady Lions in the winners bracket semfinal of the Division II, Class A East Region softball tournament, the Lady Seahawks advanced with a stirring 6-3 victory as they improved to 20-8 with the win.
Silverdale has now won 18 of its last 20 games after starting the season at 2-6.
Silverdale will now travel on Monday to play at Grace Christian in Knoxville. The Lady Rams advanced with a 9-1 victory over Boyd Buchanan. The Lady Bucs now go back to Knoxville on Monday to play at Lakeway Christian.
The Lady Lions trailed 3-1 going into the seven inning, but scored two runs to tie it, setting up an exciting finish for the Lady Seahawks.
Bentley Stiner and Gabbie Hensley both reached on errors to lead off the Silverdale half of the seventh and Sexton fouled off four pitches before ripping a pitch well over the fence in right-center to end the game. Sexton, who had been hitless up to that point, made her last plate appearance of the day count.
“I was a little nervous, but I knew that we had the ability to come back. When I made contact, I knew it was gone as I could feel that special ping of the bat that you get when you hit it in the right spot,” she smiled.
Silverdale coach Jackie Freeland also knew it was gone at the crack of the bat.
“Right off the bat, I knew it was gone. She really stroked it,” the coach responded.
“That was a close one, but I’m really proud of how we came through in the seventh. We’ve been in this situation before, but it’s nice to end a game like that on such a positive note. Maybe this will carry over until our next game.
“We can definitely hit better than we did today, but this group of young ladies just keeps battling and they always find a way to win,” the coach added.
Lakeway coach Ellen Reed could only shake her head and smile when it ended.
“That was a close game and we were in it until the end,” she said after her team dropped to 18-8 for the season.
“We competed against a really good Silverdale team today, but we didn’t have many quality at-bats. And it seems like we gave up way too many free bases, but we just have to keep this game simple and not let it get bigger than it really is,” she nodded.
Junior Katie Willoughby was the winning pitcher for Silverdale after giving up three runs on four hits. She walked two and hit two while striking out 13.
The Lady Lions scored a single run in the second before tying the score with two more in the seventh.
Catcher Abby Goodall ripped a one-out triple in the second and scored on a single up the middle by Zayle Elkins.
Then in the seventh, Goodall doubled and Elkins singled with one out before Keirsten Neely walked to load the bases. Willoughby got Kinsey Moore on strikes for the second out before hitting Kaydence Mantooth to plate Goodall with the second run. A walk on five pitches to Katie Fultz drove in Elkins with the tying run.
It didn’t take long for the Lady Seahawks to respond as Sexton’s game winner came with nobody out.
Fultz was the losing pitcher after allowing six runs on nine hits. She also struck out four, walked one and hit one.
Kennedy Stinson, Ansley Junkins, Stiner and Hensley all had two hits for the winners with Hensley also driving in a pair.
Goodall and Elkins both had two hits for Lakeway.
Silverdale now awaits the winner of Grace Christian and Boyd Buchanan. The game will be on Monday in Knoxville if Grace wins and at Silverdale if Boyd Buchanan wins.
LAKEWAY CHRISTIAN 010 000 2 – 3 4 3
SILVERDALE 000 210 3 – 6 9 0
Fultz and Goodall; Willoughby and Hensley.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)