Throughout East Hamilton’s time at the Class 4A softball state tournament at this year’s TSSAA Spring Fling, Alana Johnson overflowed with team spirit and was a rally starter for the Lady Hurricanes.
The senior standout made her presence felt this week in Murfreesboro, where over four games she collected seven hits (including a double and a triple) and two walks, stole two bases and scored eight runs.
While a special run fell one round short of East Hamilton’s first appearance in a softball state final, Johnson made the month of May one to remember, along with fellow senior Bailey Poschke, who had two hits in all four of her team’s Spring Fling games after hitting a walk-off bomb to send the Lady Canes there in the first place.
“East Hamilton means a lot to me,” said the switch-hitting Johnson, who went 17-for-34 in May. “I did band for the past four years, too, and I was the drum major this year. But softball is what I want to do in college and is my passion. I have loved playing for Coach (Norma) Nelson since sixth grade. I have put my whole heart and spirit into the game.
“Softball brings people together and gets the crowd going. I love it and have made so many great memories with this team.”
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Another bright spot for Nelson’s program on the big stage was freshman ace Emmaline Davis.
The 5-foot-9 left-hander was fierce in the pitching circle at state as Davis struck out 41 batters in 26 innings while allowing just 17 hits and seven earned runs. Two of those runs came while pitching in a monsoon Wednesday night, when Davis could not grip the ball whatsoever in the bottom of the seventh with her team entering the inning up 3-2 over Maryville.
Davis fired a one-hit shutout in Thursday’s 5-0 victory against Summit in an elimination, striking out 11 batters in the 100-pitch outing. However, a pair of 4-3 losses to Maryville to begin and close the day ultimately brought the Lady Hurricanes’ run to an end as they finished the season 33-7.
Davis finished the year with a 24-5 record, a 1.52 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings. She also had three extra-base hits at the Spring Fling and drove in six runs.
“Emmaline went above and beyond our expectations,” Nelson said. “She hits her spots and has been a great asset to this team.
“We will miss our two seniors in Alana and Bailey. They were great sparks for us at the top of the lineup and forces in the field defensively. Bailey is one of the top-10 talented players I have ever coached, and Alana improved so much this season. They had a great final ride.”
Marion County vs. Summertown softball on May 21, 2026
Summertown 5, Marion County 1: In the Class 2A tournament, the Lady Warriors (34-11) gave up four runs in the top of the fifth as they fell for the first time this week at the Spring Fling, forcing a third showdown with Summertown at 11 a.m. Eastern on Friday, with the victor advancing to the winner-take-all championship game against Community at 11 a.m. Saturday at Middle Tennessee State University.
Brynna Thomasson and Emma McCallie each had two hits in the defeat.
Copper Basin 10, Cloudland 0 (five innings); Eagleville 6, Copper Basin 0: In Class 1A, Copper Basin seniors Alexis Hyatt and Riley Akens were a combined 7-for-7 with seven runs scored, five extra-base hits (one home run apiece) and four RBIs in a run-rule victory to begin Thursday’s action. Kinsley Ross threw four scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and five strikeouts in the win.
However, the Lady Cougars’ season came to a close at 20-10 as Hyatt and Akens accounted for the team’s only hits against Eagleville, which advances to Saturday’s title game at MTSU.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.