The Baylor Lady Red Raider softball team once again punched their ticket for the Spring Fling in Murfreesboro early Wednesday evening with hopes of winning their ninth straight state championship in Division II-AA.
It’s been a long time since Baylor lost a quarterfinal-round battle as they normally run-rule the other team with a couple of quick and unchallenging five-inning games. Baylor won both of its games on Wednesday afternoon against Tipton-Rosemark Academy, but the Lady Rebels gave the home team a run for the money, at least in the first game.
Freshman Amiya Leach was the hero in the first game when her two-run homer with one out in the seventh provided the winning margin in a 6-4 victory.
The second game wasn’t as close as senior Kaylee Snyder provided the highlights with two home runs, including a grand slam in the sixth that gave Baylor a little breathing room in a 9-2 victory.
Baylor improves to 25-6-1 overall while the Lady Rebels season ends at 24-15-1.
Baylor’s last regular-season game against GPS was moved to Warner Park due to wet grounds, so Senior Day was never celebrated and took place following Wednesday’s two wins.
Tipton-Rosemark came out swinging the bats in the first game and finished with nine hits. Snyder was well aware of that fact, but pitched a dandy after going the distance, allowing five hits while walking one and striking out six. She also hit a batter.
And while she was really pumped about her performance in the circle, it was her final game at home where she hit the two home runs that really ranked high on her priority chart.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had two home runs in the same game and I’m pretty sure I’ve never hit a grand slam,” the senior smiled after collecting two hits in both games and getting six RBIs on the day.
“It was definitely emotional with this being my last game on this field, but our season isn’t over yet. On that last time up, I was facing a count with two balls and no strikes. I was looking for a good pitch and I got it,” she added with a smile.
Baylor was the visiting team in the second game and scored run in their first at-bat. Addi Yates led off with a single and later scored on a single by Riley Oleksik.
Solo homers by Holly Merritt and Snyder in the third extended the lead to 3-0 before Addie Thorpe put TRA on the board with an opposite-field two-run homer.
Xahara Willis joined the Baylor home run parade with a solo shot in the fourth to make it 4-2 before blowing it wide open with five runs in the sixth, all five scoring with two outs.
Rory Oleksik’s single plated Syd Sharpe, who had doubled with one out. Merritt singled and Riley Oleksik walked to load the bases for Snyder, who got the pitch she was looking for and made the Lady Rebels pay.
Snyder had pitched a 1-2-3 first before Tipton-Rosemark got two singles in the second, the home run in the third, a single in the fourth and a double in the fifth. She then retired the last six hitters in order to preserve the win.
The first game was much closer than the second as Baylor had to come from behind twice to win.
Yates led off the Baylor first with a walk and later scored on a Lady Rebel error before the visitors from West Tennessee tied the game with a run in the second. Losing pitcher Lanie Howe led off the inning with a double and later scored on a single by Allie Willis.
Tipton-Rosemark then made it 3-1 with two in the third on RBI-singles from Howe and Willis. Baylor answered in the bottom of the inning two two runs, the first on a run-scoring single by Snyder and the second on a groundout by Rory Oleksik.
Both teams had solo home runs in the sixth with Emma Ursery’s blast making it 4-3. Sharpe countered with a home run off the roof of the third-base dugout on the middle school baseball field in right.
Winning pitcher Avery Shamblin, who allowed four runs on nine hits while recording 14 strikeouts, retired the side in order in the seventh, setting the stage for Leach’s big blast.
Snyder had led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout by Chloe Cunningham before Leach ripped the first pitch out in dead center for the game winner as Baylor coach Kelli Smith leaped for joy when the ball cleared the fence.
“We’re just excited to go back to Murfreesboro as we get to play for another state title,” Smith said after all the senior recognition ceremonies had ended.
“Strength and unity were the keys for us today as all kinds of different people contributed for us, either with the bat or on defense. Tipton-Rosemark is a really scrappy team and they made us earn those two wins.
“I can’t say enough about Amiya Leach, who is just a freshman and who stays after practice every day to hit more. It was nice to see her hard work pay off. What a big-time hit that was as her first home run for us was huge,” Smith added.
Tipton-Rosemark coach Johnie Sanfratello could only shake his head at what could have been when these two games ended.
“Baylor is a really good team and that’s why they have all of those state championship banners on the fence,” he said while pointing to the 16 banners from 1993 to the present.
“It’s really hard to get them out, but we were right there in the first game. We knew that our backs were against the wall from the beginning and you almost have to play perfect softball to beat them, but I’m really proud of my girls as they gave it everything they had today,” he added.
Howe, Ursery and Willis all had two hits for the Lady Rebels in the first game while Ursery had two in the second game as well.
Snyder and Leach were the only two Baylor players with two hits in the first game. Willis had three hits for Baylor in the second game while Yates, Rory Oleksik, Merritt and Snyder all had two apiece.
Those six seniors who were honored after the games included Izzy Moore, Merritt, Riley Oleksik, Shamblin, Snyder and Yates.
FIRST GAME SUMMARY
TIPTON ROSEMARK 012 001 0 – 4 9 1
BAYLOR 102 001 2 – 6 10 1
Howe and Willis; Shamblin and Riley Oleksik.
SECOND GAME SUMMARY
BAYLOR 102 105 0 – 9 14 0
TIPTON ROSEMARK 002 000 0 – 2 5 1
Snyder and Riley Oleksik; Ursery and Willis.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)