With the Cleveland High School softball team in position to land its third comeback win of the week against stiff competition, Baylor instead came up clutch in its final at-bat and pulled off a thrilling 8-7 victory on a chilly Thursday night in Chattanooga.
Rory Oleksik, a freshman hitting ninth in the lineup, slapped her third hit of the game to left field on a full count in the bottom of the seventh inning to load the bases for the Lady Red Raiders. That set the stage for speedy senior Addi Yates, who sneakily slipped a chopper through the left side of the infield, bringing in Chloe Cunningham to score the tying run and Sydney Sharpe for the winner.
"I am really proud of our girls for having each others' backs and for coming through and finding a way to battle back and win this game," Baylor coach Kelli Smith said. "Eighth grader Xahara Willis started the bottom of the seventh with a really nice patient approach at the plate that carried over to our other hitters deep in the lineup.
"Rory has had an awesome past few days at the plate for us, and when she got that hit to left, we really liked our chances with her turning us over back to the top of our lineup."
Baylor (9-2-1), the eight-time reigning state champion in TSSAA Division II-AA, had its work cut out for it late as Class 4A's Cleveland (12-9) channelled more late-inning magic to begin the month of April.
With a pair of 5-3 comeback wins already this week against Walker Valley and Chattanooga Christian, games in which Cleveland scored nine of its runs from the fifth inning on, the Lady Blue Raiders turned up the heat late again.
Down to their final out, senior star and Furman signee Lily O'Bryan hit a towering fly ball to right field that went over the fence for a two-run homer to cut the Lady Blue Raiders' deficit to 6-5.
Allison Farnsworth, who had opened the game with a line-drive homer off Baylor starter and Memphis signee Avery Shamblin, then whacked a double down the left-field line to set the stage for senior slugger Ashley Allen's two-run single to left-center for a 7-6 lead. Allen, who has seven home runs this season, had just hit an opposite-field RBI double off the bottom of the right-field fence in the sixth.
"You have to give Cleveland credit," Smith said. "They have some great players, and we knew it would be a good game. I thought Avery Shamblin really found a groove for a bit after giving up the early home run, but they were tough to put away late."
The Lady Red Raiders were fueled at the plate by senior catcher Riley Oleksik as the Eastern Kentucky University signee came a triple shy of the cycle while generating in a game-high five RBIs. The right-handed power hitter drove in four of her runs with a double and a homer, both to right-center field.
Oleksik and fellow senior Holly Merritt have been a potent combination at the three hole and cleanup spot this year for Baylor. Oleksik drove in 11 runs last year in three games at the Spring Fling state tournament to help the program extend its run of state championships.
Meanwhile, Rory Oleksik — Riley's younger sister — starred as well Thursday with two perfectly placed bunt singles and a clutch line-drive single in her final at-bat.
"The top of our lineup certainly has its stars. Holly and Riley have both been hitting the ball out of the park a bunch this season," Smith said. "I am really proud of all of our girls, especially how the bottom half of our lineup came up big in that final inning to save us."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.