MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Crosby Huckabay is leaving Baylor with four softball state championship rings.
The senior first baseman did her part in Friday's 9-1 Division II-AA championship win over GPS, banging out three hits and driving in two runs.
"I'm sad because it's over, but I'm happy the way I'm going out," Huckabay said.
It never gets old, even for coach Kelli Smith, who now has a title ring for every finger as a coach and one for each thumb earned as a player. Her teams have won four of the last five DII state titles.
"It's all about those girls over there," Smith said as she fought back the tears of mixed emotions - elation over the win, pride in a hard-nosed team, delight for those who earned their first state title ring and a little anguish for those who are moving on. "I'm so proud of this group. They've worked so hard."
It was Friday's opponent that actually propelled Baylor (37-4) on a determined run.
"We lost to them back early in April, and our season actually started there. We didn't lose again," Smith said. "It's become a standing joke that it's Baylor and GPS every year (for the state title), and I have the utmost respect for Coach (Susan) Crownover and those girls. The score doesn't indicate the kind of battle we had."
The potent Lady Red Raiders offense marched right along with strong and steady pitcher Kayla Hughes.
"I went out there with the mindset that this was my game," said Hughes, who improved to 19-3 with a five-hit outing that included five strikeouts.
"The win yesterday was good," she said of the winners-bracket final against GPS (25-13). "This one is even better."
Baylor again struck early and all but put the game away late.
"That's just the heart and soul of this team. That's the character they've shown all year," Smith said.
"The offense is always there. I never worried about it, and they scored six runs in the sixth. They always have my back," Hughes said.
While Hughes milked three runs through the first five innings, her teammates gave her even more breathing room with their six-run sixth, highlighted by Aaliyah Henderson's three-run homer.
Henderson finished 2-for-3, Huckaby was 3-for-5 and Kamrie Rich added four RBIs on a first-inning single and a sixth-inning double. Abby McNamara scored three runs in a 1-for-2 afternoon.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.