STATE BASEBALL SECTIONALSClass AAATullahoma at Soddy-Daisy, 7Walker Valley at Columbia, 7:30Class AALivingston Academy at Polk County, 5East Hamilton at DeKalb County, 5:30Class AMarion County at Friendship Christian, 1Jackson County at South Pittsburg, 2
Baylor became the first Chattanooga-area team to earn a spot in next week’s TSSAA state baseball tournament by taking both ends of a Thursday doubleheader from Pope John Paul II.
“I don’t think, though, that we’ll be the last,” Baylor coach Gene Etter said following the Red Raiders’ 12-10 and 9-0 victories over the visiting Knights.
Six other area teams could play their way into their respective classification tournaments today or tonight. In Class AAA, Soddy-Daisy is at home and Walker Valley on the road; in Class AA, Polk County plays at home while East Hamilton travels; and in Class A, South Pittsburg is at home and Marion County is on the road.
Baylor had its hands full in the first game, blowing out to an 8-0 lead before PJP rallied with five runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and four in the top of the seventh.