LEBANON, Tenn. - Greg Payne made it clear the day before that he expected another serious duel with Brentwood Academy.
The McCallie baseball coach got it Tuesday, but Payne was still trying to unwind more than a half-hour after the final pitch of his team's 1-0 victory.
Chalk up one for Palmer Steventon, who went the distance and scattered six hits as the Blue Tornado began the quest for its second Division II-AA state title with a shutout win.
"It wasn't the best I've seen from him, but it was certainly the gutsiest. He didn't have his best fastball or his best control, but when he had to have a great pitch he came up with it," Payne said of the Lipscomb University commitment.
The teams, who played two extra-inning games in their three-game regular-season series, battled scorelessly through the first four innings.
McCallie then got the one run Steventon needed in the bottom of the fifth. Corbin Brooksbank walked but was cut down on Max Riemer's fielder's choice. Payne then went to his bench to insert runner Jyles Romer, a Bahamas product who is one of the team's fastest players.
Ethan Cady then roped a double to left-center that got through and rolled to the wall.
"We were going to try to score him no matter what," Payne said. "It was closer (at the plate) than it should've been. Jyles didn't get a good break when the ball was hit. But while the play at the plate was close, he made it because the relay throw was a little high.
"I'm just glad all we had to have was one run."
Although he walked six, Brentwood Academy pitcher Jack Victory limited the Blue Tornado to four hits in his five innings of work.
Joining Cady with hits for McCallie were Brooks Bank, Quinn Smith and Alex Tucker.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.