Turns out there’s a silver lining to all those rainclouds that softball players, coaches and fans for Baylor and Chattanooga Christian School had to deal with this week in Tennessee’s mid-state region.
They’re coming home to finish a championship matchup that could be over quickly once it resumes, or lead to another long day on the diamond.
After competing from Tuesday to Friday in Murfreesboro and Smyrna — when they weren’t waiting out delays for inclement weather, including a Wednesday washout — Baylor and CCS are set to wrap up the TSSAA Spring Fling’s Division II-AA state tournament this weekend in Chattanooga.
The DII-AA final will be resumed at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jim Frost Stadium at Warner Park, where the Lady Chargers will come to bat in the top of the sixth while locked in a 3-all tie with Baylor. The teams had just finished the bottom of the fifth inning — CCS senior ace Kylie Black recorded the 900th strikeout of her prep career on a nasty changeup to strike out the side — when the bottom fell out of the sky at Middle Tennessee State University’s softball stadium just before noon local time Friday in Murfreesboro.
CCS (28-8-1) — which beat Baylor 11-2 in Tuesday’s first round of the double-elimination tournament at McKnight Park in Murfreesboro, then defeated GPS 3-1 on Thursday at Cedar Stone Park in Smyrna — needs only to win the suspended game to secure the program’s second state title a year after earning its first. Meanwhile, the Lady Red Raiders (25-10-2) would have to win this game and a second one, which is also currently scheduled for Saturday at Frost Stadium, to add a record-extending 18th TSSAA softball state title to their haul.
While the game had been scheduled to resume Friday at 5 p.m. Central at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, the new venue was unplayable due to trouble with the drainage system in right field. TSSAA officials sent the state championship trophies back to Chattanooga with the teams, and Saturday’s action is set to decide which one will take possession of it for good.
“Coming back to decide the state championship in Chattanooga is exciting,” said CCS coach Steven Rogers, whose Lady Chargers have played as the visiting team in all three of their Spring Fling games this week despite being the tournament’s No. 1 seed. “Frost Stadium will provide a really good atmosphere without question for these teams to finish the season.
“Right now everybody is exhausted. We are on the bus riding back, and the girls are asleep. We will meet up tomorrow and see if we can do it in two innings, hopefully.”
Baylor vs. Chattanooga Christian softball on May 22, 2026
The Lady Chargers, who are 3-0 against Baylor this season (winning those games by a combined score of 26-6), have the No. 8 spot in their batting order due up in the top of the sixth. Adi Wallington was in the pitching circle for Baylor and has thrown 3 2/3 innings in relief with four strikeouts, while Black has fanned six batters in five innings for CCS.
The Lady Chargers struck for the game’s first two runs, scoring on a groundout by Ella Claire Chaffin in the first inning and a single to right-center field by Abby Fillman in the second. The Lady Red Raiders fought back to take the lead in the bottom of the third on Wallington’s RBI single to center, which was soon followed by a two-run double to deep left by Olivia Elkhill.
CCS made it 3-3 in the fifth when a throwing error to third allowed Millie Fox to score. Fox is 2-for-2 with a walk and has scored twice in the game.
Regardless of how things finish, a local softball team will be crowned as a TSSAA state champion in Chattanooga for the first time since GPS beat Nashville’s Father Ryan 1-0 at Warner Park on May 25, 2001. That was the season before a nine-year run as the first host of the Spring Fling ended for Chattanooga, which had also been the site of multiple softball state tournaments before the TSSAA began holding all of of its spring sports championship events in the same area.
The Spring Fling was. in Memphis from 2003-05 before moving on to Murfreesboro, and while softball remained in that area this year, events for some sports were held elsewhere, including tennis at Chattanooga’s Champions Club last week.
Now the city is getting a second dose of the Spring Fling — one that was unexpected at the start of the week but welcomed by the coaches of the teams that are making it happen.
“I can’t think of a better place to play a state championship between two Chattanooga teams,” said Baylor head coach Kelli Smith, who has been a player or coach for all 17 of the Lady Red Raiders’ state titles.
“We are super excited. We have been in Murfreesboro since Tuesday, so getting a good night sleep in our own beds is going to be great. I believe our fans will show up big tomorrow.”
(SIGN UP: Get the daily sports newsletter in your email box by clicking here)
Marion makes history
Marion County will play in its first-ever softball state championship matchup Saturday, when the Lady Warriors (35-11) take on Community (34-9) in their winner-take-all Class 2A title game at 1:30 p.m. Eastern at Shelbyville Central High School.
Albany Harris went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks for the Lady Warriors and recorded the final out on a strong play from shortstop in Friday’s 6-2 win over Summertown, which advanced her team from its double-elimination bracket.
Lilli Nixon also had a pair of hits and RBIs in the win, while Hannah Adams drove in three runs for the Lady Warriors, whose Brynna Thompson picked up her 21st pitching win of the season. Emma McCallie also tripled and scored a pair of runs while closing the door, pitching the final two innings to set up a shot at program history in Marion County’s first season with veteran head coach Kevin Thompson at the helm.
“We are blessed,” Thompson said after his 320th career victory. “It is rewarding to see the hard work these kids have put in all year pay off. They are winners no matter what happens tomorrow.”
(READ MORE: Marion County softball team making deep run in bounce-back season)
Community, which came out of its double-elimination bracket without a loss, has outscored its opponents 10-1 in three wins at the Spring Fling.
Since opening the tournament Tuesday with a 15-6 victory against Scotts Hill, the Lady Warriors have faced Summertown three times, winning 13-7 on Wednesday and losing 5-1 on Thursday before bouncing back while facing elimination Friday.
“These girls have a fight in them like no other,” Thompson said. “They have come together, and they take care of one another. They care for one another. They love one another. God had a plan for them to be here fighting for a state championship together. I am just thankful to be a small part of this team, community and school.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.