Chattanooga State catcher Chelsea Burgess tags out Salt Lake’s Meagan Neilson in the Lady Tigers’ 8-7 win that set up their 4-1 victory Saturday for the national championship.Chattanooga State wanted to play Salt Lake Community College during the Lady Tigers’ 10-game season start in Nevada.
That didn’t happen, but they got to finish the season with Salt Lake in southern Utah, and their two wins Saturday resulted in the first national championship for the Amnicola Highway school.
It was Chattanooga State’s 16th appearance in 18 years in the NJCAA Division I tournament. Its best previous finish was third in 2008.
“Amazing, wonderful — all the cliches,” said Beth Keylon-Randolph, who was honored as coach of the tournament while the Lady Tigers’ Ashley Czechner was the outstanding pitcher and the most valuable player and Lacye Walker, Andrea Dalton and Beth Breeden joined her on the all-tournament team.
Chattanooga State lost 4-1 Friday night against Salt Lake in the winners-bracket final but beat Wallace State from Hanceville, Ala., 7-2 in eight innings Saturday for a chance to play the Bruins again. Then the Lady Tigers ended on top of an 8-7 seesaw battle and added their own 4-1 win to finish at 62-5 with 38 wins in their last 40 games.