After battling for nearly six full innings - first just managing to score a run, then narrowly holding onto a slim lead - it only took one swing for Soddy-Daisy's softball team to finally end the drama.
Senior slugger Ryli Renfro, who had helped manufacture the game's first run and made an incredible defensive play to prevent two runs from scoring, crushed a pitch well over the left-field fence for a three-run home run in the sixth that helped the Lady Trojans claim a 5-1 win over Fulton in Tuesday's TSSAA Region 3-3A semifinals.
In her previous at-bat Renfro connected on back-to-back blasts that would've also been homers had they not sailed foul. She eventually struck out - the only time all game she didn't reach base - but made a timing adjustment at the plate her next time up.
"I just told myself to sit back a little longer and wait for it," said Renfro, whose 14th homer of the season came exactly eight years after the first of her career. "This is a big confidence boost for us, but we have another tough one coming up now."
The Lady Trojans (32-7) will host East Hamilton in the region championship Wednesday at 6.
Renfro helped put Soddy-Daisy ahead in the second after leading off by getting hit by a pitch, then took second on a fielder's choice, moved to third on a passed ball and barely slid in ahead of the tag to score on another wild pitch that bounced high off the backstop.
Fulton's first two batters in the fifth lined singles into left field and eventually moved up to second and third to set the packed Soddy-Daisy stands on edge. But, with two out, Renfro made a spectacular diving stop on a sharply hit grounder by Alexis Cooper, quickly got to her feet and threw out the runner at first by a step.
"That was a tremendous play," said Lady Trojans coach Kelsey Nunley-Moore, whose senior pitcher, Taylor Lloyd, allowed just four hits and struck out 12 for the win. "It was a huge relief to get out of that situation.
"We've been pretty aggressive on the bases all year, and I thought we needed to be tonight to get some offense going."
The Lady Trojans then manufactured another run in the home half of the fifth when Abby Faires walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on another wild pitch. One inning later Renfro put the game away.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis