GPS's Ariana Whatley makes the catch at first before Baylor's Emily Rye makes it to base Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at GPS.
Baylor's Macy Ann McKnight pitches against GPS Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at GPS.GPS softball coach Susan Crownover said pitcher Shelby Walters was trying to be "a little too fine" in her first inning of work Tuesday against Baylor in a Division II-AA East/Middle Region game at GPS. But after that, she was just fine.
Walters did not allow a walk after giving up two in the first inning, and she pitched a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Bruisers defeated the Lady Red Raiders 3-0.
GPS (17-6, 7-1) pulled even at the top of the region standings with Baylor (21-3, 7-1), which won the first meeting between the teams. Both still must play region games against Brentwood Academy, plus there are other league games involving midstate teams left to be played to determine state-tournament seedings.
Should the Bruisers and Lady Raiders tie for the top spot, a coin flip would decide the top seeding from the region. Both teams would play at home in the tournament's opening best-of-three series.
Walters did not allow an extra-base hit. One runner got as far as third base, and that was with two out in the fourth.
"She located the ball all day very, very well," Crownover said of Walters. "She battled big time. They could've broken it open in the first inning. Of course we could have, too. She made some big pitches."
The Bruisers' first inning started with the first of Kaitlyn Songer's three singles and a walk to Elizabeth Warwick. But a double play killed the rally.
Their runs came in the bottom of the fourth, which started with Hannah Kincer drawing a walk. One out after Macie Stanfield's single, No. 7 batter Ariana Whatley doubled in two.
"We might could've stayed in it if we had executed a couple of plays that inning," Baylor coach Kelli Smith said. "They were going to get one run for sure, but I think we could've gotten the other girl out with a good throw to the plate."
Whatley took third on that throw, then scored on Karly Benefield's flyout to right field.
"Ariana came through big," Crownover said. "She's been doing that all year, off and on. We're talking about a freshman there. Then we get the sacrifice fly out of Karly. A lot of times you win games because of the work done by some unsuspecting heroes."
Of all of Walters' good work, perhaps the best thing she did was keep leadoff batter Cheyenne Lindsey, a junior who has started since eighth grade, off the basepaths. It was especially big since second batter Abby McNamara went 2-for-2 with a walk.
"There have not been many games in her four-year career so far that she's not reached base at least one time," Smith said of Lindsey.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.
GPS' Shelby Walters pitches against Baylor Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at GPS.