Teddy Lepcio was just looking for a pitch he could hit hard and drive somewhere. Once he got what he was looking for, Baylor's senior slugger drove an 0-1 fastball on the outside corner to unfamiliar territory.
With one out and Baylor trailing by two in its final at-bat Thursday - and the entire season on the line - Lepcio drilled the pitch over the right-field fence for a three-run home run that rallied his team to an 11-10 win over Briarcrest. The dramatic victory earned the Red Raiders a spot in next week's Division II-AA Spring Fling tournament.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 4/14/17. Baylor School first baseman Teddy Lepcio celebrates an out while at his teams home field on Friday. "I very rarely ever hit the ball to the opposite field," said Lepcio, who made his final game at Baylor's Etter Stadium memorable by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and his third homer of the season. "I was just reacting, but it felt good on contact. I was sprinting to first, and then as I rounded the bag I saw it go over and just went crazy.
"All my teammates and I have worked so hard to achieve that goal, so to help my team accomplish this, especially in my last home game, is definitely a dream come true."
After splitting Wednesday's two quarterfinal series games, the Red Raiders (21-6) jumped to a big early lead Thursday with four runs in the home half of the first inning, but Briarcrest answered with a run each in the third and fourth and four in the fifth. Once Baylor had responded with four more runs in the sixth, the Saints appeared to have the game under control with a four-run top of the seventh for a 10-8 lead that could have been even more.
With Briarcrest ahead by two with runners on third and second and only one out, Baylor brought in freshman Jay Dill, who needed just one pitch to swing the momentum of the game. His first pitch was lifted into the outfield for a potential sacrifice fly, but after making the catch Stan King fired a shot to home plate to complete the inning-ending double play.
That kept the game within reach, and after Gehrig Ebel and Cooper Kinney reached base, Lepcio sent the Red Raiders back to the state final four for the first time in four years.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.