Soddy-Daisy’s Kelsey Nunley, No. 4, throws against a Beech hitter during Spring Fling in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on Friday.
Staff Photo by Jake Daniels, Chattanooga Times Free PressCHAMPIONSHIPBEECH 2, SODDY-DAISY 1Beech 001 000 01 – 2 7 3Soddy-Daisy 100 000 00 – 1 6 0WP: Alex Banks.LP: Kelsey Nunley.HR: Heather Montgomery (B).Other highlights: H. Montgomery 2-4, 2 RBIs; C.J. McClain 2-4; Kassydi Montgomery 2-3 (B); Kali Henderson, Alex Everett each 2-4 (SD).Records: Beech 42-11-2; Soddy-Daisy 41-9.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.-For the Beech softball team, the third time wasn’t the charm, but the fourth did the trick just fine.
Heather Montgomery hit an eighth-inning home run, and the Lady Buccaneers ended three years of frustration by defeating Soddy-Daisy 2-1 to win the Class AAA state championship Friday night. It was the Hendersonville school’s fourth consecutive finals appearance, yet it had suffered losses to the Lady Trojans, Riverdale and Ooltewah in the previous three.
Montgomery’s homer proved to be the difference in a pitchers’ duel between Soddy-Daisy’s Kelsey Nunley and the Lady Bucs’ Alex Banks.
“The way the ball flew off the bat, I knew it was going far, but I didn’t expect the ball to go out,” Montgomery said. “I was prepared to keep running just to make sure.”