TSSAA Spring Fling 2019: Most memorable moments from Tennessee's spring state championships

Tom Kreager
The Tennessean

Spring Fling is over for another year.

The TSSAA crowned state champions in baseball, boys soccer, softball, tennis and track and field this past week to conclude the 2018-19 school year.

Here are the top 10 memorable moments from Spring Fling XXVI.

Storybook ending for Covington baseball

Coach Brad Warmath missed part of the season when he was in the hospital with an appendicitis and had his colon go septic after a portion of it was removed. Covington went on to win the Class AA state title, beating Forrest 11-1. The win was highlighted by Kyle Ginn's pinch-hit home run. Ginn had missed most the season with an ACL injury from football.

Greenback pitcher Tyler Cullen, top right, celebrates with catcher Reese Plemons after the teamÕs 2-1 win against Trinity Christian Academy in an TSSAA Class A State Baseball Tournament championship game Friday, May 24, 2019, in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Greenback wins Class A baseball title in extras

Greenback won its first baseball title with a 2-1 ninth-inning win over Trinity Christian Academy. The Cherokees, though, benefited from an early TCA celebration to win it.

Garrett Bond had a bases-loaded, two-out base hit past a diving center fielder in the bottom of the seventh but failed to touch first base before running toward second base to celebrate in a dogpile. Greenback noticed and touched first base to get him out.

Bearden ends Station Camp's title run

Bearden needed penalty kicks to win its first Class AAA soccer championship since 2016.

Bearden beat the Bison 2-1, winning 4-3 on penalty kicks to end two-time defending state champion Station Camp's title run.

Holden Giesecke stopped two Station Camp shots during penalty kicks to win the title.

Haywood's Dusty Rhodes ejected, kicks dirt on umpire

Haywood baseball coach Dusty Rhodes was ejected during the Tomcats' 6-4 loss to Sequatchie County that eliminated them from the Class AA state tournament.

But video of what transpired afterward went viral. After the ejection, Rhodes began to kick dirt on the umpire. Haywood players later tried to coax Rhodes back to the dugout.

Grace Christian celebrates their victory over Gatlinburg-Pittman in a Class A championship soccer match at the TSSAA state championships in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Friday, May 24, 2019.

Grace Christian wins school's first TSSAA state title

Grace Christian, a private school in Franklin, ended its tenure in Division I with a state championship on Friday.

GCA, which has been a TSSAA member for four years, defeated Gatlinburg-Pittman 4-1 in the Class A soccer championship. The Lions will enter Division II next season.

Triple winners on the track

Tennessee signee Emmanuel Bynum, Ole Miss signee Loral Winn and Vanderbilt signee Niki Narayani were the big winners on the track this week.

All three won three individual track and field titles.

Bynum, a Whitehaven senior, set a state record in the 400-meter run (46.60) and won the 100 (10.76) and 200 (21.18) in the Large Class state meet. While Bynum dominated the sprint races, Winn and Narayani won all three distance races in the Small Class and Division II-A meet, respectively.

Dresden's Winn won the 800 (2:14.77), 1,600 (5:10.76) and 3,200 (11:43.70). Knoxville Webb's Narayani won the 800 (2:22.27), 1,600 (5:13.24) and 3,200 (11:10.01).

CAK celebrates their 3-2 win over CPA during a Division II-A championship game at the TSSAA state championships in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Thursday, May 23, 2019.

CAK baseball wins title on walk-off hit

Christian Academy of Knoxville won its third consecutive baseball state championship in dramatic fashion.

CAK's Connor Jurek's single scored Hunter Loyd in a 3-2 win over Christ Presbyterian Academy in the Division II-A state championship.

Brentwood's Georgia Fischer wins fourth doubles title

Brentwood senior Georgia Fischer, a Wofford signee, ended her high school career as a four-time state doubles champion.

Fischer and freshman Alex Torre defeated Dobyns-Bennett's Lainey Hill and Sydney Berry 6-1, 6-1 for the Large Class state title.

It marks the third teammate she has won a doubles title with during her career.

Forrest celebrates after defeating Lexington 3 to 1 during the TSSAA Class AA State Girls' Softball Championship at Murfreesboro Sports Complex Friday, May 24, 2019 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Forrest wins on 2-run homer in sixth

Shelby Stinnett has won a state title as a player, assistant and now as a head coach.

Forrest senior Kennedy Gillespie's two-run home run broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Lady Rockets a 3-1 win over Lexington in the Class AA softball state final.

Stinnett was a player on the 2008 championship team and an assistant on the 2015 title team.

Jefferson County's Santanna Hall (7) and Jefferson County's Abbie Ferguson (6) greet each other as Jefferson County's Catelyn Riley (24) gets ready to pitch during the Class AAA State Girls Softball first Championship game against Siegel on Friday, May 24, 2019, on the last day of Spring Fling, in Murfreesboro.

Jefferson County wins first softball championship

Siegel took Jefferson County to the if necessary championship game before the Lady Patriots bounced back to win their first Class AAA softball title 3-0.

Jefferson County beat Siegel in the winners bracket final on Thursday before falling to the Lady Stars 10-1 in the first championship game of the double-elimination tournament.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.