It doesn’t erase the memory of what happened last year when GPS defeated Baylor in the TSSAA Division II-AA softball state final. But the Lady Red Raiders finally got the chance Wednesday to play the Bruisers again for the first time in almost a year and appeared to be in full retribution mode.
From a three-run first inning to Lauren Lewis’s grand slam in the sixth that ended the East/Middle Region game by the 10-run mercy rule, the Lady Raiders controlled from start to finish their 11-1 victory over GPS at Baylor.
Baylor coach Kelli Smith emphasized that this is a fresh season and winning helps only right now. But with this being the only game between the teams that counts in the league standings this year — they’re scheduled to play again May 5 at GPS — more was at stake than just trying to beat a rival.
Baylor’s Kayla Hughes pitches during her game against GPS on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at Baylor School.“This had big region implications today,” Smith said.
The home run by Lewis was her only hit in four at-bats, but the Kentucky-bound senior also drove in runs when she grounded out in the first and fifth innings. For the record, the six-RBI total was not a career high. She drove in a state-tournament record eight in a game in Murfreesboro when she was a sophomore.
Lewis, who has been dealing with back problems this year and goes to physical therapy once a week, has slimmed down some because she’s unable to do certain weight workouts she used to do. But Smith said there has been no drop-off in power from Lewis, whose winning shot easily cleared the fence in dead center.
“It felt pretty good off the bat,” Lewis said.
Kamrie Rich and Crosby Huckabay each went 3-for-3 for Baylor (14-1, 4-0), with two of Rich’s hits being doubles. They had an RBI apiece and Huckabay also scored twice. Cheyenne Lindsay was 2-for-3 and scored two runs, as did Maya Mathis.
The run GPS (9-11-1, 2-2) got off winning pitcher Kayla Hughes came in the sixth. Sydney White doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored when pinch-hitter Hannah Sanders grounded out.
“Kayla had a great performance today,” Smith said of Hughes, who gave up five hits and no walks and didn’t have a strikeout. “I told her, ‘You did your job getting ground balls.’ Then you have to play defense behind her. I thought we did that, in the middle in particular. We made a lot of plays behind her. That was one of the best games she’s pitched all year.”
The payback wasn’t exactly to the same GPS team the Lady Raiders faced last season. The Bruisers’ 2015 squad includes five freshmen and five eighth-graders.
Kaitlyn Songer and Taylor Battle hit consecutive one-out singles in the third and fifth innings but ended up stranded.
The losing pitcher was Shelby Walters, one of two freshman pitchers for the Bruisers. Their other two are eighth-graders.
“We’ve got a great group of kids that love to play softball,” GPS coach Susan Crownover said. “None of them are going to lay down the rest of the season. I don’t want to take anything away from Baylor. They made the plays and they hit the ball. They pretty much outplayed us. But we had some opportunities. We just didn’t get it done. You’ve got to help out a young pitcher.”
Contact Kelley Smiddie at sports@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/KelleySmiddie.