TSSAA softball season rewind: Memphis area's top games, best moments

Hernando took home the MHSAA Class 6A state title. Tipton-Rosemark made the DII-A championship round for the fourth time since 2011. St. Benedict made its 25th consecutive state tournament appearance. Covington made it back to Murfreesboro for the first time in over a decade. And Taylor Smrt closed out her career by leading Collierville to its first state tournament appearance since 2015.

With Spring Fling in the books, it's time to take a look at the 2021 softball season in review. 

Best regular-season game

Brighton 6, Hardin County 4

Brie Howard, the area's home-run leader, hit a three-run walk off homer to complete the Cardinal's double-header sweep of district foe Hardin County. 

Best postseason game

Hernando 4, Oak Grove 0 (MHSAA Class 6A championship) 

Junior pitcher Julia Shaw threw a complete-game four-hit shutout against Oak Grove to claim the MHSAA Class 6A state title for Hernando. She caught the final out in the seventh inning and her teammates surrounded her and celebrated.

SOFTBALL STEPSISTERS:Rylee Eyster and Megan Vinson leading way for two DeSoto softball powerhouses

Biggest surprise 

Collierville

The Dragons had 15 players that were either freshman or sophomores and still earned their first trip to Murfreesboro since 2015. Collierville clinched its state tournament berth with a 9-8 win over Hardin County, who eliminated the Dragons in 2018 and 2019. 

2019 PLAYER OF THE YEAR:What makes Collierville's Taylor Smrt one of the area's best softball hitters

Cinderella team

St. Benedict

The Eagles were under .500 heading into the state tournament and ended up one win short of playing for a state title. After dropping their opener against Girls Preparatory School, St. Benedict won an elimination game against Chattanooga Christian which set up a rematch with GPS that ended the Eagles' season. 

Best moments

Charli Rice hits a home run and throws every pitch in quarterfinal sweep

Tipton Rosemark played Middle Tennessee Christian School in a doubleheader in the DII-A quarterfinals. Charli Rice, a Union University signee, was the winning pitcher in both games as the Rebels punched their ticket to Murfreesboro. 

TRA's ACE:Five-year starter Charli Rice leads Tipton-Rosemark softball to state semifinals

Stepsisters play against each other with trip to state title game on the line

DeSoto Central and Hernando played each other in the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals, and that matchup featured a pair of stepsisters in the Jaguars' Megan Vinson and the Tigers' Rylee Eyster playing against each other. Hernando shut out DeSoto Central 2-0, clinching its berth to the state title game. 

Brie Howard reaches 10 home runs

Brighton's Brie Howard was the only player in the area to hit double-digit home runs this year. A couple of her more memorable blasts are a three-run walk off against Hardin County and and a grand slam against Millington. 

3 bold predictions for next season

A team from DeSoto County will win the MHSAA Class 6A state title for the fourth year in a row.

Brighton's Brie Howard and Tipton-Rosemark's Myah Wright will both hit 10 or more home runs.

Collierville will make it back to the state tournament and win its opening round.