After upending No. 1 seed Soddy-Daisy in a 15-8 slugfest at Clifford Kirk Stadium on Tuesday, Ooltewah turned right around and played No. 2 Walker Valley for all the marbles in the District 5-3A softball tournament.
While many thought the Lady Owls would eventually hit a physical wall in the title game, they stayed with the rested Lady Mustangs for seven inning and fell victim to Carissa Frost’s game-winning two-run homer, 6-4.
“It was great to beat Soddy-Daisy,” Ooltewah catcher Cheyanne Sales said. “We didn’t beat them during the season. As a team we were ready for Walker Valley. We weren’t cocky after the earlier win and gave them a good game.”
Both teams move on to the Region 3-3A tournament next week. The Lady Mustangs will host the District 6-3A runner-up a region semifinal next Monday and the Lady Owls will travel to play the 6-3A champion.
The region final is set for Wednesday.
Tuesday’s title game turned into a pitching duel between Walker Valley’s Natalie Pruitt and Ooltewah’s Emma Ladd. It took Frost to break it up.
Ooltewah (19-13) struck first when Madalyn Mills reached on a bunt single and later scored on shortstop Laney Harris’ throwing error.
The back-and-forth then began.
Hannah Kate Singleton singled and ninth-place hitter Allie Geren ripped a two-run homer to left-center field.
The Lady Owls tied the game in the third as Addy Keylon, a Bryan College signee, continued her torrid hitting the tournament with a solo homer to right. She also hit a round-tripper and had four RBIs against the Lady Trojans.
The Lady Mustangs (28-9) scored twice again in the third when dangerous Riley Suits sent two-run shot up the middle.
Keeping with a one-run pattern, Lexi Vogel doubled to center, scoring Alyssa White in the fourth inning. An inning later, Sales, who slammed a pair of home runs against Soddy-Daisy, doubled to center and came home on Alyssa White’s groundout. Sales has signed with Kennesaw State University.
Ladd gave up a two-out single in the fifth but retired Suits on a fly ball to center. That inning started with Keylon making a superlative diving catch of Harris’ leadoff line drive.
Singleton popped out to start the Lady Mustangs’ sixth inning and Hailey Leslie followed with a single right. She was taken out on Geren’s fielder’s choice. That brought Frost to the plate.
She took a home-run cut on a Ladd offering and missed.
On the next pitch, Frost blasted what turned out to be the game-winning homer over the right-field fence.
Pruitt retired Ooltewah in order in the seventh.
Vogel, Mills and Mackenzie Patterson had two hits apiece for Ooltewah.
“We hit well against Walker Valley and our defense was pretty good too,” Mongar said. “Nobody believed we could do what we did, but we did. When we got here today the girls knew they could win. There was zero doubt about that.”
That positive attitude played out perfectly against Soddy-Daisy, which dropped into the loser’s bracket after losing to the Lady Mustangs, 6-2, on Monday.
The first four batters in Ooltewah’s lineup had a month’s worth of offensive production in the slugfest against Soddy-Daisy.
Start with Keylon, who ended Monday’s 13-3 win over East Hamilton with a grand slam, went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and scored three runs.
“The last three games I’ve hit really well,” Keylon said. Before that I was in a slump but I came in ready to face any pitcher that came at us.”
Vogel had three hits in five trips, drove in a run and scored twice.
Sales was 2 for 4 with two solo homers, five RBIs and crossed the plate three times.
Finally, there’s Sydney White. The Owls shortstop had three hits in five at-bats, including a three-run homer and scored twice.
“That’s the best we’ve hit in long time, considering we’re in tournament play and facing some really good teams,” Mongar said. “They did great.”
Patterson collected three hits in the big win.
Ooltewah had 17 total hits.
Soddy-Daisy’s Baylie Davis went 2 for 3 with a three-run homer to lead the team’s nine-hit attack. Higgins and Blevins also had two hits.
Linescores
Championship Game
Ooltewah 011 110 0 – 4 9 2
Walker Valley 022 002 x – 6 8 1
Ladd and Sales; Pruitt and Singleton.
Loser’s Bracket Final
Ooltewah 161 002 5 – 15 17 5
Soddy-Daisy 130 300 0 – 7 9 3
Moore, Patterson (4) and Sales; Blevins, Higgins (4) and Baron.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)