Baylor aims to extend softball state-title streak

Shortstop Abby McNamara (3) is one of three Baylor seniors hoping to finish their prep softball careers with four state championships. The Lady Red Raiders are 27-2 this season and just swept their way through the Lady Trojan Invitational at Warner Park.
Shortstop Abby McNamara (3) is one of three Baylor seniors hoping to finish their prep softball careers with four state championships. The Lady Red Raiders are 27-2 this season and just swept their way through the Lady Trojan Invitational at Warner Park.

Baylor School softball seniors Abby McNamara, Emily Rye and Brinley Garrison are well aware of the task at hand.

They never have ended a high school season with a loss.

Helping the Lady Red Raiders to a 126-13 (.906) record in their four seasons, the veteran trio will try to help the program win a fifth straight Division II-AA state title at next month's Spring Fling in Murfreesboro.

"At practice every day we talk about how it doesn't matter what happens right now," said McNamara, a shortstop with a .970 fielding percentage. "All that matters is what happens in May. Our senior class wants to win a fourth one for sure."

Controlling the game from inside the circle has been key for Baylor (27-2, 6-1 region). With an earned run average of 1.21, a dominant pitching staff has been led by freshman LSU commitment Syd Berzon along with junior Mazy Ann McKnight and sophomore Drexel commitment Acelynn Sellers.

Berzon is 12-1 with a 0.79 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings, while she has not struck out in 69 at-bats this season. Sellers is 7-0 with a 0.96 ERA and has hit a team-high six home runs, while McKnight also has seven wins along with a .411 batting average and four homers.

Over Easter weekend the Lady Red Raiders allowed just two runs and went 7-0 in the Lady Trojan Invitational to win the gold bracket at Warner Park. Berzon picked up four wins and a save and struck out 32 batters in 14 2/3 innings during the tournament.

"The dominance of our pitching staff has been unreal," said Rye, who is batting .444 with 11 stolen bases. "This is not just about softball for us. It's a family. We all love each other. We are going game by game but know what we are chasing."

Raven Jones' RBI triple down the right-field line and diving catch on a foul ball down the third-base line were highlights in Baylor's 3-0 win over Summitt in the championship game Saturday. Auburn commitment Makayla Packer singled in a run along with McKnight.

While also shining on the track team, Packer leads the softball team with a .515 average and has five stolen bases.

On top of her framing and pitch-calling duties, catcher Sophie Piskos leads the team with 34 RBIs to go with a .466 average and five homers.

Batting ninth for Chattanooga's most dominant softball program over the past half decade, CaDashia Collins has a stellar .435 average.

"We have built something special, and kids want to play softball at Baylor," said 17th-year coach Kelli Smith, who surpassed the 500-win milestone earlier this month. "They want to be a part of this great tradition that has been established from so many great players before them. It's amazing as a coach to see how many girls continue to step up for us."

One of their losses was to arch rival Girls Preparatory School, and the Bruisers look very capable of matching up with Baylor for the sixth straight year in the state championship game in late May.

"It's not about me. It's all about we," said Garrison, who leads the Lady Raiders with 13 extra-base hits and is batting .492. "We have a strong spirit here at Baylor. We want to carry on the tradition and make our school proud. We know everyone wants to beat us and that drives us even more."

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.

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