Sterling Stewart went 3-for-4 and batted in what turned out to be the winning run as Baylor School beat Pope John Paul II 5-4 Saturday and became the final member of the TSSAA Division II-AA baseball final four this week in Murfreesboro.
Hunter Mercer had two RBIs and Wilson Maclellan (6-0) was the winning pitcher in the deciding game for Baylor (22-10), with two innings of hitless relief from Taylor Maxey. The Red Raiders join McCallie, Memphis University School and Christian Brothers in the state tournament beginning Tuesday.
Pope John Paul II won the first game Friday, 6-3, but the Red Raiders earned a doubleheader split with a 6-1 win behind the two-hit pitching of Gavin Roberson (7-2). Sterling went 2-for-2 in that game and was 7-for-10 for the weekend.
In that second game Friday, Baylor overcame a 1-0 deficit with a four-run fourth inning featuring singles by Hunter Holland, Stewart, Bryceson Mercer and Maxey mixed with walks for Alex Armstrong and Blake Layne and an RBI groundout for Hunter Mercer. Holland was 2-for-3 in the game.