If Glen Woodard were worried after several early chances to score runs went by the way in Monday's Region 3-A softball semifinal game, he would not admit it later.
Though Woodard's Silverdale Baptist Academy team had ace pitcher Emily Harkleroad in the circle and a 1-0 lead against Marion County, the seven runners left on base in the first three innings at least had to cause a little doubt.
However, the Lady Seahawks put any unease away in the fourth with five runs, allowing Harkleroad to cruise to a one-hit, eight-strikeout 7-0 win. Silverdale (20-2) will travel to Whitwell on Wednesday and play at 6 p.m. EDT for the region title.
Kaili Crawley had a three-run double in SBA's big inning.
Silverdale runner Lexi Vogel steps on first as Marion County infielder Grace Sneed catches the throw during their prep softball game at Silverdale Baptist Academy on Monday, May 15, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
"Getting those four in the fourth let the whole team exhale," Woodard said. "We knew with Kaili Crawley up we were going to score at least one, but when she hit that double I wasn't going to stop them.
"With that lead and with a pitcher with an ERA under 1, we felt we had the game."
Harkleroad got things going at the plate in the first inning with a leadoff double, scoring on Savannah Turner's single. The fourth inning started with a walk by Kenzie Maddux and singles by Harkleroad and Skylar Paxton before Crawley eased the nerves with her line-drive two-base hit.
"I was just looking for a base hit and hopefully something into the gaps," Crawley said. "It came at the right time. We can be very dangerous. If we work as a unit we can compete and dominate from here on."
Turner had three of the Lady Seahawks' hits, Harkleroad and Skylar Paxton adding two each. Jordan Cooper and Kayleigh Paige added RBIs.
"Hey, we came through when we needed to," Woodard said. "That's a very good team right there that can swing the bats. Emily pitched a great game on senior night, and I think we finally wore them down a bit and put some runs on them."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.