MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — In the biggest game of the season, Avery Shamblin delivered her finest performance to help the Baylor School softball program stretch its streak of consecutive state titles to nine with No. 17 overall.

The senior ace fanned 27 batters over 12 1/3 scoreless innings at this week's TSSAA Spring Fling, which included 13 in the Division II-AA state championship game against Chattanooga Christian School, a 4-0 win for the Lady Red Raiders on Thursday night at Middle Tennessee State University.

But it was the final play that brought so much joy to Shamblin in her brilliant complete game.

With freshman second baseman Chloe Cunningham having already robbed CCS of a leadoff single in the fifth, fully extending for a diving stop to her left before flipping the ball to first base from the dirt, she delivered another spectacular defensive play to set off the celebration.

Cunningham ranged back into the outfield grass to grab a shallow fly, and senior first baseman Holly Merritt made a heads-up move to sprint to the middle of the infield for a double play, catching Cunningham's throw and stepping on second to get the Lady Chargers runner who was off base.

Baylor's dogpile celebration followed.

"I am so proud of all of my girls," said Shamblin, a Memphis softball signee with a vicious riseball. "We have a freshman on second base, and she has grown so much over the season. I am so glad the season got to end with something hectic and special like that. I am so happy everybody got to be involved. I love it.

"Coach (Kelli) Smith has built a dynasty like this state has never seen before. And us six seniors have been blessed to grow up here and be a part of history."

Baylor (28-6-1) outscored its competition 23-5 in three games at the Spring Fling, which included big home runs by three-hole and cleanup sluggers in seniors Holly Merritt and Riley Oleksik, along with eighth grader Xahara Willis.

Merritt drilled a solo shot into the trees beyond right field in the fifth for what wound up being the game's final run. It was the star left-handed hitter who also began a two-out rally in the third, when Merritt laced back-to-back RBI singles with Oleksik to build a 3-0 lead.

Oleksik also tied the single-season program record for home runs in Thursday morning's 11-1 run-rule victory over St. Benedict that was picked up from where storms had left it the night before. Her record-tying blast pulled her even with Crosby Huckabay, now the first base coach for the Lady Red Raiders.

Baylor opened the scoring in the second inning as senior Kaylee Snyder doubled to lead off and was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Amiya Leach.

"Every journey to get to this moment right here is different, unique and special," said Smith, who has been a player or coach in all 17 of the program's state titles. "What a great group of seniors we have who have helped these underclassmen step up and deliver for us as well. Avery was laser-focused out there and threw her best game of the season. I am so proud of these girls."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
 

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