MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Silverdale Baptist Academy's softball team was averaging 12.5 runs per postseason game coming into the TSSAA Class A state tournament. But after an opening-round loss to Meigs County, that number took a hit down to 10.9.
Scotts Hill happened to be the team in the way in the Lady Seahawks' losers-bracket game Wednesday morning at the Starplex and paid the price in an 11-1 SBA victory in six innings.
SBA (38-4) plays next against Huntingdon (36-9) at 12:30 p.m. EDT at the Starplex as it tries to work its way to the final.
"We've got our work cut out for us," SBA coach Tim Couch said, "but it's been done before."
After SBA's potent offense was silenced by Meigs County ace Ashley Rogers on Tuesday, Scotts Hill's Sarah Lindsey limited the Lady Seahawks to one run through the first four innings Wednesday. However, that score came in the form of Shelby Duggard's home run to center field and got at least one teammate's attention.
"That really got us fired up, and we started to roll," SBA's Elise Pearson said. "I think we always just need a jump to get going."
The Lady Seahawks really got going in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring five runs in each to eliminate Scotts Hill (28-17).
Pearson ended up 3-for-4, including a three-run homer in the fifth. She doubled in two more runs with the bases loaded in the sixth, and another runner Couch waved home from his third-base coaching box ended up scoring when catcher Halliee Beecham was unable to hold on to the ball when courtesy runner Lexi Vogel slid into the tag.
"I haven't gotten too many thrown out this year," said Couch, who had one of his runners caught stealing in the second and another thrown out at home in the fifth. "I probably should've had three instead of two today.
"I thought we needed some energy. We'd been struggling a little bit, and I felt like, 'We've got to take some chances.'"
SBA's Emily Harkleroad was 4-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Duggard went 3-for-4, contributing a run-scoring double in the sixth. Skylar Parton and Kaiti Crawley were each 2-for-3, with Parton having a double and scoring twice.
Taylor Moran was 2-for-3 with an RBI in addition to being the winning pitcher. She allowed five hits and no walks and had eight strikeouts.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.