Walker Valley wins first softball state title with extra-inning thriller
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley softball players show off their trophy to fans after winning Friday's TSSAA Class 4A championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley softball players show off their trophy to fans after winning Friday's TSSAA Class 4A championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Walker Valley High School senior softball players Karly Blackwell and Ryann Presswood embraced at the front steps of Middle Tennessee State University’s dugout Friday afternoon.
Moments earlier, though farther apart from one another, they had connected in a different way: by delivering the final out of a dramatic victory that secured the first TSSAA state championship in program history.
Blackwell made a running catch in center field on a fly ball from the final pitch of Presswood’s prep career, closing out the Lady Mustangs’ 10-8 extra-inning victory over Green Hill in the Class 4A final.
“I just knew Karly had it no matter what,” said Presswood, who ended high school with 91 career wins as a pitcher. “For her to make the final catch was really special. She is one of my best friends.
“If you had told me we would go 4-0 at the state tournament this week, I probably would have laughed and said there is no way. But when we got to this third day, I was like there is no way we are losing this state championship.”
Title No. 1 came on the fifth trip to state for the Lady Mustangs, who had two runner-up finishes (Class AA in 2005, Class AAA in 2018) before Friday’s breakthrough. It came a year after they went 2-2 at state with both losses to eventual champion Dobyns Bennett.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / The Walker Valley softball team poses for photos and celebrates after winning Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley players celebrate after winning Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A softball state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Karly Blackwell reaches first base on a clutch hit during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A softball championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Karly Blackwell hits during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A softball state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley senior softball playr Karly Blackwell hugs assistant coach April Richards as head coach Lauren Limburg cries happy tears after the Lady Mustangs won Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Vanessa Byers drove in four runs in Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A softball state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley senior Karly Blackwell and softball coach Lauren Limburg embrace after Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley seniors Ryann Presswood, back, and Karly Blackwell, center, hug after the Lady Mustangs won Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A softball state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley softball coach Lauren Limburg is cheered after the Lady Mustangs beat Green Hill 10-7 in eight innings to win the TSSAA Class 4A state championship Friday at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley softball coach Lauren Limburg hugs her husband Corey after the Lady Mustangs won the TSSAA Class 4A state championship Friday at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley celebrates after winning Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A softball championship against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Amy Benson takes off toward third base during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Ryann Presswood, left, celebrates during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Amy Benson runs after bunting the ball during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Ryann Presswood celebrates during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Amy Benson celebrates after making a nice play during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Amy Benson legs out a hit in Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley senior center fielder Karly Blackwell makes a catch during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley players celebrate an out during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Ryann Presswood celebrates her RBI single during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley’s Vanessa Byers runs out of the box during Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley senior Ryann Presswood delivers a pitch in Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley senior Ryann Presswood delivers a pitch in Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley freshman Vanessa Byers is all smiles after a big hit in Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A state championship game against Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Walker Valley softball players after winning Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A championship game aganst Green Hill at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
Walker Valley finished its championship season with a 36-8 record, and coach Lauren Limburg’s team was in a groove at the plate all week at the Spring fling, scoring a combined 34 runs in its four games at state while totaling 44 hits, including three home runs from senior Alyssa Davenport.
Vanessa Byers, a freshman batting third in the lineup, drove in four runs Friday, including a two-run single up the middle in the top of the seventh that made it 7-all. Leadoff hitter Blackwell, fellow senior Amy Benson — batting second — and Byers reached base a combined 11 times against Green Hill.
“To win our program’s first state championship and to do it for these seniors means everything,” said Byers, whose season batting average of .462 led the team. “The seniors have taught me so much. Shout-out to Karly, who was on second during my last at-bat and kept telling me to breathe and stay calm. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without them.”
Walker Valley scored four runs in the first inning. Walks to Blackwell and Byers plus bunt singles by Benson and Davenport helped create chaos and a 2-0 lead before Morgan Rice’s groundout brought another run in and was followed by Presswood’s line-drive RBI single to right-center field.
Green Hill (36-4-2), with a potent lineup led by Tennessee-committed junior Avary Stockwell, fought back by pounding out 16 hits. Stockwell’s two-run homer on an 0-2 count in the fifth to cut the Lady Mustangs’ lead to 5-4. It was the 62nd home run of her prep career.
The Lady Hawks took their only lead in the bottom of the sixth, when Reagan Walter hit a two-run triple down the line in right, part of a three-run inning that made the score 7-5.
Down to its final three outs, Walker Valley responded as Autumn Lanclos and Brylie Davis singled and doubled to start the seventh from the bottom two spots in the lineup. Benson’s walk set up Byers’ tying single.
Presswood showed her toughness in the bottom half as she left a Green Hill runner in scoring position by getting a flyout to end the inning.
In the eighth, Presswood was hit by a pitch to start the extra inning, while Madison Thomas followed with a single before a sacrifice bunt by Lanclos moved runners into scoring position with one out. Davis grounded into a fielder’s choice that allowed the go-ahead run to score, and Blackwell, Benson and Byers all hit opposite-field singles to left to build a 10-7 lead.
In the bottom half, the Lady Hawks had a leadoff double, drew a two-out walk and got an RBI single to bring the winning run to the plate, but Blackwell’s defense sealed the deal for Walker Valley.
“This journey means the world to me,” said Blackwell, who also threw a runner out at home earlier in the game. “This team is such a family and has been since day one. I would give anything to have one more game with them. I am so glad we ended it this way because this is the best way we could go out. We will never forget this game and team.”
It was also a special moment for first base coach April Richards, who was part of the first graduating class at Walker Valley and a softball standout. In year 15 of coaching, Limburg and Richards helped lead their beloved program to the mountaintop.
“We work day in and day out starting in the fall for this moment,” Limburg said. “This group really made it a point to say a state championship was their goal. They believed it throughout the entire season. They made it happen.
“The fight, heart and love this group has for each other are second to none. They knew they could do it, and they did it. I am just so proud of them. Every girl played a part in this and was great in their role.”
