There's something to be said about being in the right place at the right time. Or not so, for a losing team.
It was the heart of Stewarts Creek's order that was in the right place at the right time in Saturday's TSSAA Class AAA state sectional, and Brainna Brady and especially Loryn Sherwood made host Ooltewah pay on the way to winning 6-2.
Stewarts Creek (32-18) advances to the state tournament in Murfreesboro in its third year as a varsity program. Ooltewah, which finished third in the state last year, won District 6 and Region 3 championships this season but won't be going back to the Spring Fling.
"A 41-6 record is a pretty good year," Ooltewah coach Jon Massey said. "But we strive to get to Murfreesboro. That's our goal every year."
The Lady Red Hawks' pitcher, Kendall Mills, and Ooltewah's Kayla Boseman matched zeros through five innings. Although she had walked two, Boseman had limited Stewarts Creek to two singles before Sidney Heath and Morgan Smith had back-to-back singles to start the sixth. Smith beat out a bunt.
A passed ball advanced the runners, but an ensuing groundout to the pitcher didn't. However, cleanup batter Sherwood lined one down the third-base line that ticked off the end of Mabry Carpenter's glove and caromed into foul territory for a double, scoring both runners.
The Lady Red Hawks added an unearned run before the inning was over for a 3-0 lead. They also had a three-run seventh, with No. 3 batter Brady singling in a run ahead of a two-run homer by Sherwood, who finished 3-for-4.
"The middle of our order has been pretty strong throughout the season," Stewarts Creek coach Tory Atwood said.
The same could be said for the Lady Owls. But against Stewarts Creek the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 batters never batted with a runner in scoring position, other than Carpenter in the first - the one time she made an out. She doubled with one out and none on in the fourth, and she and Boseman hit solo home runs one out apart in the sixth.
Mills gave up seven hits and no walks and hit one batter.
"Kendall moved the ball well," Atwood said. "She changed speeds enough that they had a hard time hitting her. We knew they could hit. But the only focusing we want to do is to be the best we can be. We don't worry about the opponent. If it works out, great. If it doesn't, we go back to the drawing board."
Aside from Saturday, Massey couldn't recall his team striking out 11 times in a game this season.
"She had a good little riseball," Massey said. "Kayla and Mabry struck out in the first inning, and both looked uncomfortable doing it. We just didn't make adjustments. It's always a game of adjustments. You make the adjustments, you've got a chance. Give them credit. We knew they were going to hit. They go up there swinging."
Atwood said she did some juggling with her batting order that involved the first, sixth and ninth spots in the lineup. Heath was 2-for-4 at the top of the order and scored twice.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him at twitter.com/KelleySmiddie.