If you wanted to see a rematch of the past two Division II-Class AA state softball championship games, then you should have been at Chattanooga Christian Tuesday night.
The Lady Chargers were hosting the nine-time defending state champ Baylor Lady Red Raiders and it was a classic game for the ages that took nine innings to determine a winner.
Baylor scored two runs in the first and third innings, but it was a clutch three-run homer by sophomore Adison Wallington with one out in the ninth that provided the winning margin as Baylor improved to 18-6-1 overall and 6-0 in region play with the 7-4 victory. It was the third round-tripper for the talented sophomore, but by far the most important thus far.
Baylor graduated a bunch of key players from last year’s team and two others who could have come back didn’t play for various reasons, so it’s been a classic rebuilding job for head coach Kelli Smith and her staff.
But you know from all of those 15 state championship banners on the outfield fence at Baylor that Smith knows a thing or two about softball and her team is right in the thick of the race with a better-than-average shot of making it to the finals again.
Baylor has played a bunch of really good teams this spring with the Lady Chargers among the best. Tuesday’s game was just the first meeting as these same two teams will meet at Baylor on Thursday with first place in the region on the line. CCS has to win by four runs or more to earn that first-place slot.
But on an evening when the weather was perfect and every pitch was important, Smith’s Lady Red Raiders came through when it counted most.
“I’m really happy with how we put the bat on the ball tonight as we’re starting to play really good softball,” she began after her team had won its fifth straight game.
“Adison Wallington has been such a great addition to our team. She’s from Saskatchewan, Canada and about 2,000 miles from home, but she has fast become one of our better players and one we needed in a big way. She was frustrated to give up those four runs in the fourth inning, but did a great job up to that point getting ground balls when we had to have them.
“And what a great job by Brenna Bagley as she just came in and totally shut them down with a bunch of strikes. But it was nice to be challenged and this is a great team win. These girls have really come together and totally believe in each other, but we just had to settle down and play our game,” Smith nodded.
Wallington was the Baylor starter and allowed four runs on eight hits before being relieved with two outs in the third. She also had five walks and five strikeouts, but didn’t get the decision. She was definitely the difference maker when she slugged a three-run homer over the fence in center with one out in the ninth in what turned out to be the game-winning hit.
“That was a roller-coaster game for me for sure. I hit several balls really hard and it was nice to finally hit one that didn’t get caught. This wasn’t my best game pitching, but I feel like I did my part and I’m just happy that we were able to win it,” she expressed.
Bagley, another 16-year-old sophomore, earned the win after pitching the final 5.1 innings and allowing no runs on no hits. She did walk one and hit another, but had 10 strikeouts and completely dominated the CCS batters after entering the game.
“I know I’m capable of pitching well at times, but I just wanted to finish what Adison started,” she began after the game finally ended.
“I was a little nervous when I first came in, but I knew I just had to keep my composure. This was an important game for us and I couldn’t afford to get rattled,” she added.
CCS coach Steven Rogers knows that this is just the first of what could be at least two more meetings.
“That’s what it’s all about, but this is the type of game we were expecting,” he said while sitting on the tailgate of his truck watching late innings of the CCS-McCallie baseball game.
“It’s all about timely hitting. We just have to have a better approach at the plate as we swung at some bad pitches tonight. We’re still in a good spot, but we have to come back ready on Thursday and win by at least four if we want to win the region,” he said.
Shortstop Amiya Leach was one of two Baylor players who had three hits, but none were any bigger than the two-run single with two outs in the first. She also had a sacrifice fly in the third to drive in the fourth run after Wallington’s single drove in Chloe Cunningham for a 4-0 Baylor lead after three innings.
The Lady Chargers had loaded the bases with one out in the first and third innings, but had absolutely nothing to show for it, but they finally broke through in the fourth with four runs after sending 10 hitters to the plate.
Mary Katherine Flowers led off with a double and scored on a double by Black. Nyla Halfacre drove in the second with a line single off Wallington’s leg while Alli Matthews and E.C. Chaffin both got easy RBIs with bases-loaded walks.
Bagley entered the game after the last one knotted the score at 4, but she promptly ended the inning with a strikeout on just three pitches.
Baylor had a chance to regain the lead in the fifth as they loaded the bases with one out, but Black was more than up for the challenge as she ended that threat with back-to-back strikeouts.
Cunningham reached base in the ninth on a CCS error and went to second on a nice sacrifice by Rylee Jasper. Xahara Willis, who was on base five times with three hits and two walks, got the second walk in the ninth before Wallington slugged the first pitch over the fence in center for the game-winning hit.
Matthews had a one-out walk in the bottom of that inning, but Bagley got the first two outs on strikes before Flowers popped to Jasper at third to end the game.
Willis and Leach both had three hits for Baylor as they finished with a dozen for the game. Jasper and Wallington both had two.
Hannah Smith and Millie Fox both had two hits for CCS as the Lady Chargers finished with eight for the game.
While Baylor improves to 18-6-1 overall and 6-0 in region play, CCS is now 15-10 overall and 3-1 in region play.
BAYLOR 202 000 003 – 7 12 2
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 000 400 000 – 4 8 1
Wallington, Bagley (4) and Willis; Black, Smith (9) and Flowers.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)