McCallie tops Baylor after TSSAA ruling
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the first time in its last four state tournament appearances, Baylor lost a baseball game. But it didn’t come without some late controversy.
Trailing rival McCallie 3-2 in the top of the seventh, with runners on first and second and two out, heavy rain delayed the Division II-AA game at Wilson Central High School Tuesday. After several minutes, TSSAA officials opted to revert back to the last inning completed and call it an official game, advancing McCallie into the winner’s bracket, where it will face Knoxville Catholic at 1:30. Baylor, the three-time defending state champions, drops into the loser’s bracket, where it will take on Lipscomb Academy at 11 a.m.
Trailing 2-0, McCallie struck for three runs in the bottom of the sixth, taking the lead on a two-run double to left field by J. Michael Pierce. Jonathan Larrea had two RBIs for the Red Raiders.
TSSAA assistant director Matthew Gillespie said the decision to call the game was based on National Federation of High Schools rules, which states any game that has completed five innings when inclement weather strikes will be determined to be an official game.
Meanwhile in the Class A bracket, Lookout Valley’s comeback attempt was also interrupted by weather. That game will resume Wednesday morning at 11 a.m.
In D-II A, Silverdale Baptist likely would have preferred to have its game delayed as the Seahawks fell 18-1 to Goodpasture. Ian Reagan’s fourth-inning homer accounted for the Seahawks’ only score. Goodpasture (39-4), which out-hit Silverdale 11-3, scored three in the first, added five more in the second, then put the game away with a 10-run fourth.
Silverdale Baptist (32-6-1) will play Northpoint Christian at 11 a.m. at Middle Tennessee Christian School in the loser’s bracket.
Lookout Valley fell behind 7-0 in the top of the first inning against Coalfield (27-10) but cut the deficit to three runs heading into the top of the fifth when the rains set in at Eagleville High School.
Joshua Payne’s program is no stranger to fighting back. Lookout Valley (14-16-1) entered the Spring Fling having scored 63 runs in seven postseason games and made it to Murfreesboro despite losing district and region championship games.
The Yellow Jackets fought back with an RBI single by Jacob Rollins in the second, while Jacob Winchester had an RBI double that was followed by a hard hit ball to center field by Rylan Collins that got lost in the night sky to cut Coafield’s lead to 7-3. Jaxon Quails’ RBI groundout made it a three-run game in the fourth.
Winchester settled down after allowing five hits in the first as the junior gained command and helped Lookout Valley build momentum before the weather postponement.
The game will pick up in the top of the fifth at 11 a.m. eastern time Wednesday, while the loser will have to play immediately after against Bradford in an elimination game. The winner will take on Eagleville in the semifinals Wednesday afternoon.