Stewarts Creek riding young talent at TSSAA softball state tournament

Stewarts Creek sophomore Jadyn Brawley admits she gets a little more motivated when a Tennessee high school softball opponent walks a batter to get to her.

It's not something opposing coaches should want to do often, as she leads the Lady Red Hawks with a batting average over .500.

"It lets me know that, in that situation I've got to do something for my team, right here," said the team's cleanup hitter. She was put in that situation early in the TSSAA softball state tournament Class 4A opener on Tuesday vs. defending state champion Green Hill.

And she delivered with an RBI single.

"I have to show why I'm in the four-hole," she said

Stewarts Creek led almost the entire way and held on for an 8-7 win, putting the Lady Red Hawks (29-14) into Wednesday's winners bracket final against Knoxville Halls, which beat Henry County 2-0.

The top five in the Stewarts Creek lineup − a group that includes three sophomores and a freshman − went a combined 9-for-17 with five runs and six RBIs. Brawley went 3-for-4 with four RBIs.

That kind of production is what the young group has delivered all season.

Stewarts Creek underclassmen have earned leadership roles

Stewarts Creek starts four sophomores and a freshman, most of which have prominent roles at the top of the Lady Red Hawks' order.

It's a massively talented group, but their roles have been defined by more than just ability.

"They work," Stewarts Creek coach Jennifer Fernandez said. "From the time they were in middle school, they've been hard workers. They found their way onto this team as leaders. We have upperclassmen who are leaders too, but this group, they're leaders. They make the rest of the team work harder.

"That's why we're where we are right now."

Stewarts Creek freshman Kloe Quigle has set the table for the team as the leadoff hitter and shortstop. Even on a young team, that's an impressive role to have.

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"It was pretty intimidating (at first), but I knew I could do it," said Quigle, who is hitting .500 with 13 doubles and six triples. "But I knew my teammates had my back if I didn't."

No. 2 hitter Tenayja Thomas is a senior, but the next three are sophomores in Samya Sandifer, Brawley and Jaelyn Stembridge. Sandifer and Stembridge are both hitting over .400.

It's difficult pitching around any of that group.

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"In games past they've walked Jadyn, and I'm up and they think 'she can't hit,'" Stembridge said. "But we love having each other's backs. We have that mentality."

Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.