Aside from a couple of high-fives exchanged among teammates as they walked off the field, it was nearly impossible to know Central High School’s softball team had just claimed the District 6-AA championship.
The subdued celebration Wednesday night was the product of a team accustomed to district hardware – the 2-0 win over Red Bank at Hixson gave the Lady Pounders their fourth straight tournament title – and one that recognizes there is still much work to be done to get where it wants to be.
“I think this team remembers how close we were last year before falling short of the state tournament, and they know what the end goal is,” Central coach LeeAnne Shurette said. “I actually had to try to pep them up and tell them it’s OK to celebrate and enjoy this one. They’re just really focused on bigger things right now.”
Central (25-9) will host McMinn Central in Monday’s Region 3-AA semifinals, while Red Bank (18-9) will travel to Sweetwater. The Lady Pounders will be looking to atone for last year’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the sectional round.
The subdued reaction may also have come from the confidence Central had by having senior ace Brooke Parrott pitching. The Tennessee Tech signee has been the closest among area pitchers to being a sure thing, and once again she proved why by tossing a no-hitter and striking out 18.
Parrott has been so dominating this season, neither she nor Shurette could remember how many no-hitters she has thrown.
“It’s been quite a few,” Shurette said with a grin. “Maybe 10 or so. Honestly, she hit every spot we asked of her today. She’s deadly accurate, but she also knows where to miss. She can be overpowering, and she’s matured into something really special.”
Against a Red Bank lineup that had blasted two home runs and collected 17 total hits earlier in the day to eliminate East Ridge, Parrott struck out the side in five of seven innings. The closest she came to running into trouble was in the fourth, when Destiny Painter reached on an error to lead off the inning and Hannah Wood was hit by a pitch with one out to move a runner into scoring position. But Parrott calmly struck out the next two batters on eight pitches, then cruised the rest of the way.
Central’s first run came in the home half of the first when Kerri Sylvester, who had singled, scored on a bases-loaded infield error. Although that was all the offense Parrott would need, she got an insurance run in the fourth on Sylvester’s RBI single. Parrott also went 3-for-3.
“Getting that first run really helped me relax and just throw without worrying about having to be perfect,” said Parrott, whose season high for strikeouts is 22. “Red Bank has some really good hitters, so I had to stay focused.
“It’s great to keep winning, but we don’t get too excited about the district anymore. That’s just because we all know what’s coming next week, so we’re already thinking about that.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.