Grace Academy defeated Silverdale Baptist Academy 8-1 on Tuesday, just to make sure.
Actually, Grace coach Tina Walker said the Lady Golden Eagles were surprised to have learned earlier in the day that they had already clinched the District 5-A regular-season title. Walker said she was expecting Tuesday’s game to potentially determine the top seeding in the upcoming district tournament, but Copper Basin had upset Silverdale 10-6 in the first game of a doubleheader Monday. The Lady Seahawks won the second game 15-1.
Grace (24-6) finished 10-0 in the district. Before Monday, the only district loss for Silverdale (14-6, 6-3) was by one run at Grace on April 22.
“We’ve had a very tough time with them lately,” Walker said of the Lady Seahawks, who have one league game remaining but regardless will be second-seeded in the district tournament. “I think we were a little more relaxed knowing we had first place wrapped up already.”
Silverdale coach Chip Liner dismissed the notion of any hangover effect from Monday, noting his team scored first. Erica Carroll singled to left with two out in the second inning, stole second and scored when Vanessa Silvers bounced a single up the middle.
The next half inning it all unraveled when the Lady Golden Eagles rallied for five runs — two scoring on a throw to the plate that got away. They added single runs in each of the next three innings.
Grace got a spark from the bottom third of its order with No. 7 batter Candice Miller going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and No. 9 batter Erika Goodman going 3-for-4 and scoring twice.
“Candice has really come around as a DP,” Walker said. “That’s her focus, hitting. The last four games I think she’s had one or two hits every game. Erika is a freshman who’s been getting on base a lot. Strategically we’ve put them in those positions and they’ve been doing the job.”
Bethany Cowart and Kaitlyn Eldridge each went 2-for-4, including back-to-back doubles in the sixth. Eldridge also singled in a run in the third and Cowart had an RBI on a fielder’s choice in the fourth.
Winning pitcher Lacye Walker threw the first six innings and gave up three hits, three walks and hit one. She totaled 11 strikeouts.
“We’re just in a funk right now,” Liner said. “We’re not playing as well as we did earlier. I don’t want to think we’ve peaked. We’ve got Arts & Sciences on Thursday, so we need to regroup. We’re going to have to. Our tournament is going to be pretty tough. We’ll see what we’re made of.”
The Lady Seahawks’ home game against CSAS is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. The Lady Patriots will remain at Silverdale and get the district tournament under way afterward, playing Tennessee Temple at 6. Copper Basin plays at Boyd-Buchanan in the other first-round game Friday at 4.