In a matchup of two TSSAA Division II softball teams that played in state championship matchups last season, a key adjustment at the plate in the fourth inning provided major dividends for Silverdale Baptist Academy on the way to an 8-1 victory at Chattanooga Christian School on Thursday night.
CCS sophomore ace Hannah Smith was helped by her nasty changeup in holding the Lady Seahawks scoreless for the first 3 2/3 innings, but the reigning DII-A state champions were finally sparked at the plate by junior shortstop Emry Masterson.
Masterson was aggressive early in the count, and she a lined a two-run single to left field to drive in Heidi Bryant and Jaliyah Whitaker for all the runs her team would need. That was just one part of a big day for Masterson, who went 3-for-3 with a double, drew two walks, stole a base, scored twice and drove in a team-high three runs.
"Hannah was really working us inside, so my senior teammate Kennedy Stinson talked to us all before the fourth inning and was like, 'Sit back and drive the softball,'" Masterson said. "She was like, 'We are not trying to hit dinks, we are trying to hit bombs.' That fired us up, and we also talked about hitting the first pitch.
"Hannah is going to throw you that changeup, so you have to attack early when she doesn't throw her best pitch, and that's what I did."
Silverdale (11-2) left six runners on base through the first three innings, but coach Jackie Freeland's team excelled in the batter's box the rest of the way as the Lady Seahawks scored three runs in the fourth, four in the sixth and one in the seventh. The visitors drove in six of their eight runs with two outs, which included an RBI single by Stinson on a line drive up the middle, a two-run single down the left-field line by sophomore Braylee Raby and an RBI double by Gabbie Hensley.
"We know that we still have a chance as long as we have a strike or an out left," Freeland said. "Something we never do is give up. Kennedy's pep talk in the dugout before the fourth inning really fired everybody up, and Emry had a great game today. She has really came a long way this year and is one of our sparks at the top of the lineup."
The Lady Chargers (3-5), who were the runners-up in DII-AA a year ago, scored in the fourth on a double to deep left field by Erin Matthews, who has two sisters who also start on the team.
Silverdale Baptist freshman Bita Cox and senior Ella Cunningham were sharp in the victory as they combined for 13 strikeouts and gave up just three hits without allowing a walk or an earned run. Cox earned the win with four sharp innings, while Cunningham fanned six batters over three innings of one-hit ball.
Cunningham, who has struck out 85 batters in 41 1/3 innings this season, added a pair of hits in the victory, along with Raby and teammate Jaliyah Whitaker.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.