Arts & Sciences players Brianna Taylor, left, and Brittany Patmon, top right, prepare to pile on in celebration of the Lady Patriots’ victory Monday over Trousdale County and today’s first appearance in the state tournament.
Arts & Sciences pitcher Brianna Taylor cuts loose to a Trousdale County batter Monday in her one-hitter that highlighted a 4-0 win and put the Lady Patriots in the state tournament for the first time.Arts & Sciences’ Lady Patriots sang “Happy Birthday” to assistant coach Samantha Everett on Monday, although her birthday was actually Sunday. Head coach Kaity Holloway noted that her birthday isn’t until January, but she’ll gladly take what her team did on the field at Frost Stadium as an early present.
For the first time since forming a varsity softball team in the 1995-96 school year, CSAS has earned its way to the state tournament, defeating Trousdale County 4-0 in a Class A state sectional.
The Lady Patriots (25-10-1) won’t have much time to savor their accomplishment. They must be in Murfreesboro today to face McKenzie at 5 p.m. EDT at Starplex No. 4.
“It’s a great feeling,” Holloway said. “I couldn’t ask for a better support system, from the parents to the girls to administration. The talent has always been here. Sam and I are just here to help them try to realize their full potential and point them in the right direction.”
For the second consecutive postseason start, senior pitcher Brianna Taylor had a no-hitter through six innings. Both times it was broken up in the seventh — Hannah Brooke Ellis’s double to left-center spoiling Taylor’s bid Monday with one out to go — and she settled for one-hitters.