CCS Over Baylor To Clinch East, 14-4
Lady Chargers Get 18 Hits & Score In Every Inning
The Chattanooga Christian Lady Chargers won their first Division II-AA state championship in softball last spring after finishing as the runner-up the previous two years. They're having another outstanding season they hope ends up in Murfreesboro with another state title.
They took a step in that direction at home on Thursday when they hosted Baylor and prevailed 14-4 with the winning run scoring with one out in the sixth inning.
They lost to Stewart's Creek on Tuesday by an 8-2 final, so coach Steven Rogers spent more time than usual in Wednesday's practice focusing on hitting.
That extra work paid off in a big way as the Lady Chargers collected 18 hits while scoring at least run in every inning as they run-ruled the Lady Red Raiders by a 14-4 final. There was only one out in the sixth when leadoff hitter Hannah Smith tripled to drive in Neely Fillman with the run that ended the game.
CCS is now 23-8-1 overall while Baylor falls to 19-8-2. CCS finishes its regular season with a home game on Monday against Knoxville Catholic while Baylor will be at home on Tuesday to face GPS in their final regular-season game.
Rogers was really happy with the way his kids played, especially on offense when eight of their nine starters had at least one hit. Not only was Thursday's win the second of the year over Baylor, but it clinched the D-II-AA East Region for the Lady Chargers and gave them a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
"We took a lot of swings yesterday and it paid off as we hit it hard today," the coach said afterward.
"We've been putting in the work and it's starting to show. Even though we had a nice lead and scored in every inning, you can't afford to get complacent against a team like Baylor as things can change in a hurry. But this is a great win for us and we just need to keep moving forward," he added.
Baylor coach Kelli Smith watched her team get run-ruled at GPS just nine days ago, ironically by the same score, but she was feeling much better about this most recent setback.
"Chattanooga Christian hit it well from top to bottom, so give them a lot of credit, but I'm equally as proud of our hitters. I think we had two hits against them the first time we played and we had 11 today, but I saw a totally different team from the one who lost at GPS last week," she said in her usual quiet tone.
"We got a lot of hits, but we just have to figure out how to score more runs, but overall, I'm pleased with how we competed. We just have to keep working to make it back to Murfreesboro, but I feel like our best softball is yet to be played. We didn't show all of our cards today," she nodded.
CCS southpaw Kylie Black normally gets more publicity for her pitching than her hitting. She still went the distance and got the win as she recorded 10 strikeouts to go along with two walks, but she also allowed 11 hits and four runs.
Her performance at the plate was a totally different story as she was one of four Lady Chargers with three hits and four runs batted in.
The first inning was by far the best for CCS as they sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored five runs while collecting six hits.
Smith led off the inning with a single to right and she was recognized afterward as that was her 300th hit in a CCS uniform. Millie Fox followed with a double and they both scored on a double by Ella Claire Chaffin. Kenzie Knox followed with another double to plate Chaffin before Black singled to drive in Knox with the fourth run.
The fifth run scored on Baylor's first error of the game.
Fox led off the CCS second with a solo homer to right. Chaffin and Knox both singled with Chaffin scoring on a double by Black. A wild pitch allowed Knox to cross the plate as the score was 8-1 after two innings.
Fillman singled to lead off the CCS third and scored on a two-out single by Nyla Halfacre. Then in the fourth, Knox walked to get things started before Black ripped a 2-0 pitch over the fence in right for a two-run homer.
Smith and Chaffin both had singles in the fifth and scored on a triple by Knox before Smith drove in Fillman with the final run of the game.
While CCS had four players with three hits each, Baylor had five with two apiece.
Emma Hartline reached on an infield single in the first and scored on the first of two doubles by Adison Wallington. Xahara Willis hit a solo homer in the third for Baylor's second run while Willis had a single to right with the bases loaded to drive in Chloe Cunningham with Baylor's third run.
Smith made a perfect throw from right to nail Spencer Higgins at the plate for the third out.
Wallington led off the fifth by reaching on a CCS error. Courtesy runner Laila Jefferson went to second when Rylee Jasper walked and later scored following two wild pitches.
Smith, Chaffin, Knox and Black all had three hits for CCS while Fox and Fillman had two.
Higgins, Hartline, Willis, Wallington and Ellison DeMatteo all had two hits for Baylor.
BAYLOR 101 110 – 4 11 2
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 531 221 – 14 18 1
Jasper, Bagley (1), Wright (2) and Willis; Black and Flowers.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)
CCS Run-Rules Baylor To Clinch East, 14-4 - Chattanoogan.com
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