CHATTANOOGA — The eight-time reigning state champion in TSSAA Division II-AA and top-ranked (DII-AA) Baylor Lady Red Raider softball team improved to 9-2-1 at home on Thursday night, but it wasn’t easy as they had to score two runs in their final at-bat to subdue the never-say-die Cleveland Lady Blue Raiders to win, 8-7.
Cleveland had rallied to win against a third-ranked (4A) Walker Valley and Chattanooga Christian earlier in the week, so coming from behind wasn’t as difficult as one might think, but Baylor proved they can score too and win late when their backs are against the wall.
The 13th-ranked Lady Raiders will return home to host McMinn County in a District 5-4A battle Tuesday before playing in the Gibbs Tournament next weekend.
Addi Yates, an 18-year-old senior who has committed to play softball next fall at North Carolina-Wilmington, was one of three Baylor girls to finish the game with three hits, none any bigger than the rocket she hit off the third baseman’s glove to drive in Chloe Cunningham and Sharpe with the winning runs.
It was a fairly no-big-deal softball game for the first five innings but things got interesting in the final two frames.
Allison Farnsworth slugged a solo homer with two outs in the first to put Cleveland ahead 1-0 before Baylor took the lead with three runs in the third, the first scoring on an error and the last two on a double by Riley Oleksik.
She came through in her next at-bat with a two-run homer to right-center, driving in Holly Merritt who had singled to lead off.
Cleveland then scored twice in the sixth to trim the deficit to 5-3 before a run-scoring single by Riley Oleksik stretched the lead to 6-3.
Avery Shamblin, Baylor’s starting pitcher, had been sailing along with the first-inning homer the only hit she allowed in the first five innings as she retired 11 straight Cleveland players at one stretch.
Things sort of fell apart in the sixth as Shamblin hit Lily O’Bryan and Landri Nelson on consecutive pitches. Cleveland starting pitcher Ashley Allen drove in the first run with a single before a sacrifice fly by Lilly Mason made it 5-3.
Shamblin got Emily Patterson on a grounder to short for the first out before Jamaya Hill singled. Shamblin then got Reagan Campbell on a swinging third strike for the second out before O’Bryan made it 6-5 with a two-run homer to right.
Kaylee Snyder replaced Shamblin at that point and promptly allowed a single to Nelson and a double to Farnsworth to put runners on second and third with still two outs. Allen then ripped a two-run single to left to put Cleveland ahead for the second time before Snyder struck out Mason to end the inning.
Walks to Willis and Sharpe followed by Rory Oleksik’s single loaded the bases for Baylor in the bottom of the seventh with one out, setting the stage for Yates’ game winning hit that came on a 1-0 count.
Cleveland coach K.J. Harris had watched her team win on a similar come-from-behind game on Monday against Walker Valley, but the Lady Raiders weren’t able to pull it off for the second time this week.
“That was an exciting game and I’m so proud of our fight,” Harris said after her team dropped to 13-9 for the season.
“Our bats finally came to life and I’m happy with the way we were able to come back against a really good Baylor team, but we just have to be solid on defense as well.
“We still have a lot of room to grow, but our kids played their hearts out here today and I’m happy about that,” she added.
Yates, Riley Oleksik and her freshman sister Rory all had three hits for Baylor as they finished with 14 for the game. Riley was also the leader with five RBIs. Merritt followed with two hits and two runs scored.
Farnsworth and Allen both had two hits to lead Cleveland with Allen driving in three runs on the day as the Lady Blue Raiders finished with seven hits.
Shamblin went 6.2 innings and allowed five runs on four hits. She finished with 10 strikeouts, two walks and two hit batters.
Patterson relieved Allen in the seventh and took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits with two walks.
Game Summary
Thursday, April 4
at Chattanooga
Cleveland 100 002 4 — 7 6 3
Baylor 003 021 2 — 8 13 1
WP: Kaylee Snyder. LP: Emily Patterson. HR: Lily O'Bryan, Allison Farnsworth (C); Rory Oleskic (B). 2B: Farnsworth, Ashley Allen (C); Oleskic (B). RBI: Allen 3, O'Bryan 2, Farnsworth, Lilly Mason (C); Oleskic 5, Addi Yates 2, Holly Merritt (B). Records: Cleveland 13-9; Baylor 9-2-1.
