Baylor winds up third in DII state

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Baylor’s softball season came to an end Thursday night in the losers-bracket final of the Division II-AA state high school softball tournament at Starplex No. 3.

St. Benedict defeated the Lady Red Raiders 6-3 and advanced to the final against GPS (24-6) at about 8 EDT tonight.

It was 3-3 when the Lady Eagles scored a run off an error in the fourth, and another scored on an error during a two-run fifth, which also included Bradlee Kinney’s RBI single.

“Defensively we did make a few mistakes that hurt us,” Baylor coach Kelli Smith said. “They just found a few holes, too. Against good quality teams, you’ve got to play great defense. We know defense wins championships.”

The Lady Raiders scored first when Kaitie Sims led off the second inning with a single, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Tory Helton’s two-out single. It was short-lived, thanks to St. Benedict’s three-run third, but Baylor answered with Kaitlyn Phillips’ two-RBI single in the bottom half and tied it.

The Lady Raiders added their final run in the seventh when Nina Davenport doubled and came home on a throwing error.

“Coach (Tom) Watson said he was glad we got to see Nina run the bases one more time,” Smith said in reference to her assistant about the Lady Raiders’ only senior, who’ll play for Middle Tennessee State next season.

Baylor had 11 players this season and wound up 19-13. Smith said because the basketball team advanced as far as a semifinal and with injuries and illnesses, the team rarely had all 11 at practice during the year.

“Looking back to February and how young we were, and us ending up third in the state, I’m extremely proud of what the girls accomplished,” Smith said.