Even with Baylor junior Blake Lundy continuing to mash the baseball for monster home runs, the Red Raiders' season came to a crushing close Wednesday in Murfreesboro.
In the latest instance of late-inning postseason heroics for Lipscomb Academy, the Mustangs scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to beat Baylor 11-9 in an elimination game at the TSSAA Division II-AA tournament. With an 0-2 showing after reaching the Spring Fling as a state semifinalist, Baylor closed its season at 26-7 overall.
Lundy hit two homers and drove in five runs to help build a 7-2 lead in the fourth inning of what turned out to be Baylor's finale. Over the last 10 games, Lundy went 18-for-29 (.621) with 10 homers, seven walks and 24 RBIs.
Baylor coach Greg Elie called Lundy, who was the 2025 DII-AA Mr. Baseball honoree and has committed to the University of Tennessee, "one of the premier power hitters in all of the 2027 class."
Lundy has 28 homers over the past two seasons.
"He has a great combination of raw strength and a really good approach," Elie added. "His swing is just built for driving the ball out of the yard. He got intentionally walked more than anybody I have ever had, and we have had some dudes. He gives us a chance to win any time he is in the box and does a great job leading behind the plate as a catcher."
The Red Raiders entered the semifinals with wins in 14 of their past 15 games — a stretch in which senior ace Wells Grisham struck out 43 batters in 23 2/3 innings — but they committed seven errors in two games at the Spring Fling, which they opened Tuesday with a 7-5 loss to Christ Presbyterian Academy.
Baylor and Lipscomb Academy had 12 hits apiece in Wednesday's slugfest.
Emerson Morris led the Red Raiders with three hits, including a homer, as the sophomore drove in two runs and scored twice. Brooks Berry and fellow senior Zack Morrison had two hits apiece, and Berry scored twice and drove in a run.
Baylor starter Miller Brock pitched 5 1/3 innings, with the junior left-hander exiting with a 7-4 lead after striking out six batters.
"We tried to do some things we normally wouldn't do so that we had a shot to keep playing, and things just didn't work out in our favor," Elie said. "Our boys had a great season, and we went down fighting. We will miss our seniors next year."
Baylor, Sale Creek lose, ending Chattanooga area's baseball run at Spring Fling | Chattanooga Times Free Press
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