MURFREESBORO – The third time was the charm for the Chattanooga Christian Lady Charger softball team.
They had lost in the Division II-AA state finals for the past two years, both time to Baylor. But that wasn’t the case this year as they sent Baylor to the loser’s bracket with a stirring 8-6 comeback on Wednesday in Smyrna before taking care of business here at MTSU’s softball stadium Thursday afternoon.
CCS had started play on Wednesday with a 4-2 victory over St. Benedict before the Lady Eagles bounced back to advance with a solid win over Baylor that ended a magical streak of nine straight state titles.
Thursday’s final was another pitching dual between CCS junior Kylie Black and St. Benedict’s Jorja Wheeler, but Black came out the winner after allowing just one hit in a complete-game 3-0 victory.
CCS coach Steven Rogers was almost speechless following the last game as emotions all but took over, but he was all smiles and a really happy guy to finally get that first state title.
“I’m just super proud of these young ladies as they finally made all of the hard work pay off,” he said while standing right behind second base after the post-game awards had been distributed.
“Every one of these girls had a role today, but Hannah Smith had a huge clutch hit and the double play we got in the fifth was a total momentum changer.
“I was trying to imagine just what this might feel like last night. It’s just amazing as I really don’t know what to say. Kylie Black has been our workhorse all season and had another great tournament. St. Benedict was no pushover.
“I just know that those two runner-up finishes left a bad taste in our mouth, so to win today is just incredible,” Rogers added.
Black is a 16-year-old junior who had already committed to play for Lipscomb University in Nashville. This was her first year at Chattanooga Christian. She was a most dominant pitcher at times and while she never said that this final game was her best, it was surely right there at the top.
“I just had to go out and do my job, but I knew that my defense had my back the whole way,” she said afterward.
“I was a little bit shaky at the start of the last inning, but I knew that if I just did my job, all would be okay. That double play got everyone fired up,” she added.
Wheeler retired the first 12 CCS hitters, but the fifth inning was another story as the Lady Chargers sent eight hitters to the plate where they scored all three runs on four hits.
Senior shortstop Addi Lewis got it all started with a hard line-drive double to right-center. Mary Katherine Flowers then got hit by a pitch with one out. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Alli Matthews drove in the first run with a bunt toward first.
Lewis beat the throw home as CCS fans all stood and cheered. Black then got a pop single behind first that the wind controlled. Wheeler then got the second out on a swinging third strike before Smith came through with the big hit of the day – a two-run single to left on an 0-1 pitch that provided a little insurance.
Black then retired the final six St. Benedict hitters in order to seal the win.
Black allowed the one hit, a leadoff single by catcher Izzy Henderson in the second. Black then struck out the next three hitters to avoid further damage.
Pinch hitter Ava Coleman reached on a CCS error to start the fifth, but Madison Young lined to Lewis at short, who tagged Coleman out for the double play.
Wheeler was the tough-luck loser after allowing just four hits to go along with one walk and three strikeouts.
ST. BENEDICT 000 000 0 – 0 1 0
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 000 030 x – 3 4 1
Wheeler and Henderson; Black and Flowers.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)