Baylor softball’s Fab Five help Tennessee sweep Georgia in All Star Classic

This year’s senior class of Baylor School softball players continued to build onto one of the state’s most impressive dynasties at the Spring Fling.

After leading the Lady Red Raiders to a ninth straight TSSAA state championship Holly Merritt, Addi Yates, Riley Oleksik, Avery Shamblin and Kaylee Snyder teammed up one last time in the Tennessee-Georgia All Star Softball Classic Tuesday at Frost Stadium.

In the 26th year of the Classic, which was started by the late Stump Martin, Tennessee swept the action with 9-4 and 5-3 victories, with Baylor’s Kelli Smith also serving as head coach for the Tennessee all-stars.

Baylor’s own version of the “Fab Five” was able to produce a 108-16-2 overall record in their prep careers, which included a 12-0 mark at the state tournament, where they outscored opponents 111-16.

“I don’t want to sound selfish, but without us a lot of those state championships don’t happen,” said Merritt, who hit .500 with 11 home runs and a team-high 54 RBIs along with a .565 on-base percentage. She will continue her playing career at Miami University in Ohio. “We have made a huge impact on not even just the program itself, but the younger kids that are there.

“After the state championship the first person I went over and hugged was Chloe Cunningham, who is a freshman. Our eighth grader, Xahara Willis, came up and they were all so happy. It was insane to see the kind of impact we made on them and we didn’t even intend to. It just kind of happened. All five of us have our own assets, but we were all just leaders for everybody.”

Yates, Merritt and Oleksik combined for a .477 batting average with 53 hits over 111 at-bats at the Spring Fling. In those 12 games, Oleksik homered six times and drove in 27 runs while Merritt drove in 17 with Yates leading the trio with a .517 average and 17 runs scored. Meanwhile, Snyder and Shamblin delivered every pitching victory for Baylor over the past three state tournaments.

In Merritt’s final high school at-bat, the left-handed slugger drilled a home run in the Division II-AA state championship win over Chattanooga Christian. Merritt delivered again in the clutch on Tuesday as she hit a towering opposite field, go-ahead 2-run home run in the sixth inning to propel the Tennessee All Stars to the 9-4 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.

“I am very grateful to be out here today,” Merritt said. “I just had freshman orientation and it made me realize how real everything is and how we are all moving on to the next part of our lives. It’s amazing to come back out here for one last hoorah with my teammates and people I have played with my whole life.”

Silverdale Baptist’s Ella Cunningham, a Michigan State signee and back-to-back Division II-A state champion, was named the All Star Classic MVP. Cunningham went 4-for-7 with two home runs, a double and eight RBIs while also striking out 10 batters over four innings, which included recording her first eight outs via the punch out.

“I just went up there with the mindset, I have to hit the ball hard,” Cunningham said. “Today meant a lot to everyone. To hear all the support in the crowd was amazing. I am very grateful for my high school career at Silverdale and the people who have supported me.”

Baylor’s Yates was the Tennessee Player of the Game, as she went 4-for-5 with two walks and three stolen bases while also making great plays at shortstop. Hixson’s Allison McDaniel hit an inside the park home run in game one.

Georgia’s Player of the Game was LaFayette’s Suki Williams, who went 4-for-6 with a pair of stolen bases. Heritage’s Kelsey Anderson also delivered five sharp innings of one-run ball in game one.

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.