CLEVELAND, Tenn. — It was two teams with similar records. Teams with pitchers locked in, tight defenses behind them and coaches with mutual respect for one another.
It took 10 innings to settle the losers-bracket final in the District 5-AAA high school softball tournament at Walker Valley, but Ooltewah edged the host team 2-1 on Sara O’Rear’s RBI single and earned a spot against Soddy-Daisy in today’s final, as well as a berth in next week’s Region 3 tournament. The final is scheduled at 5 p.m. with a second game at 7 if Ooltewah wins the first.
It also marked the end of Chris Doan’s tenure as Walker Valley’s coach, after he started as an assistant with Ooltewah coach Norma Nelson. She also gave him a recomendation for the Ocoee Middle School job, which he will retain.
“It’s a little surreal, knowing now this was my last one on the high school level,” Doan said after he spoke to his squad briefly in the outfield grass before gathering his tearful troops to pay tribute to the parents and supporters waiting behind the backstop. “We talked before the game and I told the girls, ‘All I want you to do is fight.’
“Anybody that watched it saw a heck of a softball game. We just couldn’t get that last one across. We did go 10 innings with a reshuffled lineup against a program with their background. I’ll take it.”
Doan and Nelson were at the end of each team’s handshake line and embraced for a few seconds when they met.
“Chris is a great friend of mine,” Nelson said. “It’s going to be hard not seeing him on the other side of the field. He always thanks me. He’s done a great job with those girls. What’s bad is one of these teams had to lose. They’re both very quality teams.”
Winning pitcher Taylor Baird gave up seven hits and three walks and totaled four strikeouts. Losing pitcher Sidney Hooper allowed five hits and one walk while striking out three.
The Lady Mustangs (28-15-1) stranded 11 to Ooltewah’s five, but all the Lady Owls were in scoring position.
Laurel Allen doubled and scored Walker Valley’s run on Kayla Sewell’s squeeze bunt in the first inning. Ooltewah (30-12) tied it on Jessica Morgan’s infield hit and Sara Kelley’s run-scoring double in the sixth.