MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — GPS got two hits from Tory Lewis and a two-hitter from Payton Leech and defeated Baylor 5-0 on Tuesday in a first-round game of the Divsion II-AA high school state softball tournament at Starplex No. 2.
GPS (23-6) doesn’t play again until Thursday’s winners-bracket final. Baylor (18-11) plays the second game of tonight’s session at about 7 EDT.
Leech retired the first nine she faced before Nina Davenport reached on an infield hit starting the Lady Red Raiders’ fourth inning. Their other hit was Alex Card’s one-out single in the seventh.
“Payton threw very well,” GPS coach Susan Crownover said. “She took control of the game early. She started out in the strike zone, which is huge for her. She made some good pitches to get out of some things.”
Lewis, the Bruisers’ leadoff batter, went 2-for-4, scored twice and had a stolen base. Hitting behind her, Whitney Hammond also scored a run.
Megan Givens went 2-for-3, had an RBI and scored a run. Jackie Baird singled in two runs in the third, Leech doubled in one in the fifth and Madison Boyd hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
“We got some big hits and got the people on base we’re supposed to have on,” Crownover said.
Said Baylor coach Kelli Smith: “You’ve got to hit the ball. Two hits is not going to win many games, if any games probably. They did a great job of putting some singles together and scoring some runs. But it doesn’t matter how many you give up if you don’t score.”
Kelley Smiddie is a sports writer who has worked at the Times Free Press for 12 years. He covers high school sports and softball. Kelley’s hometown is Chattanooga, and he graduated from Brainerd High School and graduated Chattanooga State and UTC. Contact Kelley at 423-757-6653 or ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com.
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