MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The 50th and final win of the 2024 season for Silverdale Baptist Academy’s emerging softball dynasty was delivered in fitting fashion Thursday at Middle Tennessee State University.
After ace Ella Cunningham recorded back-to-back strikeouts, raising the Michigan State signee’s season total to an incredible 368, a fly ball came to rest in the glove of fellow senior Kennedy Stinson, one of the top center fielders in the state, for the final out of an 8-2 win over University School of Jackson.
All that was left for the Lady Seahawks to do at this year’s TSSAA Spring Fling was begin their celebration as back-to-back Division II-A state champions.
“My team cheered me on even after a rough start when I let up two runs in the first (inning). I knew they were going to keep hitting the ball and play great defense behind me,” Cunningham said. “My best friends Amare Starling and Jaliyah Whitaker kept me calm and out of my head. They kept coming up and making me laugh and stay loose.”
The Lady Seahawks (50-3) came back from a 2-1 deficit when Cunningham started a rally in the bottom of the fourth by smoking a double down the right-field line. Sophomore Braylee Raby delivered the tying RBI on a hot shot down the third-base line, and freshman Bita Cox’s line-drive RBI single to right-center field put Silverdale ahead.