Silverdale Baptist Academy's softball team is on a roll.
The Lady Seahawks entered Wednesday's Region 3-A high school softball championship game against Marion County at Silverdale having outscored their previous four postseason opponents by 48 runs. Then after holding the Lady Warriors scoreless in the top of first, they came in and scored three runs and were on their way to a 9-4 victory.
Silverdale (36-3) and Marion County (33-7) advance to the state sectional round. The Lady Seahawks will host Region 4-runner-up Gordonsville on Saturday. A time has not been determined. As of Wednesday night, even the day had not been determined for the Lady Warriors' game at Region 4 champion Goodpasture.
"We keep talking about goals, like winning the district championship, winning the region championship," Silverdale coach Tim Couch said. "You do that and you get to play at home. You can tell by the crowds we're getting there's a lot of excitement. Still, we've got to go out and play. But it's good for the school, good for the program."
SBA breezed through its District 5 tournament, winning three games by a combined 34-1. The Lady Seahawks beat District 6 runner-up Sale Creek 15-0 on Monday before defeating Marion County, the District 6 champion.
"They're going to hit it. They always do," said Marion coach Randy Ellis, whose team split two games with the Lady Seahawks in the regular season, each team winning by two. "We struggled putting hits together. We were not very disciplined at the plate."
Elise Pearson nearly had a grand slam in the first inning, ending up with a long single high off the left-field fence that scored two. The Lady Seahawks added single runs in the second and third before Marion's Breanna Vinson hit a two-run double in the fifth to make it 5-2.
But SBA answered with three in the bottom half and Jordan Cooper delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth to stretch the lead to 9-2.
The Lady Warriors scored a run on a throwing error in the seventh and added another on Chloe Campbell's single before winning pitcher Taylor Moran got the final out.
Emily Harkleroad was the offensive catalyst for SBA, going 4-for-4 with a double. She drove in two runs and scored two.
Ali Birchfield and Lexi Vogel were each 2-for-4, Birchfield scoring twice and stealing two bases and Vogel scoring once.
"We just kind of pecked and pecked and pecked and kept scoring runs," Couch said. "We've been pretty consistent all year. We have close to 40 home runs this year. I think we had nine last year. These kids, that's a credit to them."
Vinson and Campbell were each 3-for-4 off Moran, who allowed 10 hits and one walk while striking out five. Bri Havner was 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
Losing pitcher Taylor Roberts came in with a 16-2 pitching record but struggled before Ellis replaced her in the third.
"Taylor has got a tear in a meniscus," Ellis said. "She battles a great deal to get out there and even do it. We're on borrowed time with her, and we know it."
Region 2-A
- Meigs County 2, Midway 0: At Decatur, Tenn., in a game with few scoring opportunities, the Lady Tigers (34-3) took advantage of theirs.
Coupled with another outstanding performance from starting pitcher Ashley Rogers, it was more than enough to claim a region championship and a host spot in sectionals.
Rogers (23-2) struck out 13 in a complete-game one-hitter and worked with a lead from the fourth inning on, thanks to advantageous baserunning from her teammates.
In the bottom of the third, Caylee Moore reached on a single. With a hit-and-run on, Kaley Meadows' blooper behind first base got Moore moving toward third, where an overthrow sent her home.
In the fourth, Aubrey Reed singled, joining Meadows and Moore as the only Meigs players with a hit in the game. When she stole second, the throw ricocheted into left-center field and she went around to score.
Meigs will host South Greene at 6 p.m. Friday in a sectional with a state tournament spot on the line.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com