Garza Law is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps’ 2026 TSSAA Spring Fling state championship coverage May 19-22 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
By Matthew Lutey
MURFREESBORO — A four-and-a-half hour rain and lightning delay took away much of the day for TSSAA state softball play.
The delay was even longer for Maryville. Originally set to start its Class 4A second-round contest with East Hamilton at Noon Central, first pitch wasn’t until 5:45.
The delay ended around 4:30, but an earlier game had to wrap up on the field the Lady Rebels were playing on. Plus, there seemed to be some issues getting the umpires to the field even after that game ended.
Despite that, it seemed like the game was going to reach a conclusion as another patch of rain hit in the seventh inning.
But not quite.
Play was halted in the bottom of the seventh tied 3-3 with no outs and the bases loaded for Maryville.
The game will resume at 9 a.m. Central time on Thursday morning with a chance for an immediate walk-off.
The Lady Rebels were down 3-2 at the start of the inning. Emily LeMaster, who hit a two-run home run in the fifth to cut into the deficit, was hit by the first pitch from East Hamilton’s Emmaline Davis.
Macey Hemphill reached via an error, and Davis, who was visibly upset with the wet softballs, walked the next two batters to tie the game.
Maryville had all the momentum, but East Hamilton had been pushing for the game to be stopped, and the umpires obliged.
Coach Michael Spain said he understood the decision to postpone, but wished it had happened sooner. Or that the game started earlier.
“I think that game should’ve been stopped long before that. That’s a good game, two really good teams that have fought hard all year. It shouldn’t come down to us having to come back and do it in the morning, but at the same time it shouldn’t have to come down to them having to throw in a torrential downpour either.
“You want the game to be decided the right way. It was the same crew that was on the field (the game before Maryville’s), apparently we lost communication that they needed to be there for the next game. There’s excuses about 10 crews and this and that, but at the end of the day we should’ve been playing 45 minutes earlier and we would’ve never been in this spot.”
Alcoa dominates David Crockett
The Lady Tornadoes (40-3) bounced back in a big way, taking down the Lady Pioneers 14-2 in a Class 3A elimination game.
Alcoa will again see Liberty Creek, the team it lost to both in the first round Tuesday and in the state title game last year, for an elimination game originally scheduled for late afternoon Wednesday, but will now be on Thursday morning due to the weather.
University of Tennessee commitment Halle Bailey did what every good leadoff hitter strives for, reached base. The senior was 5-for-5 and scored four runs.
Alcoa extended its lead from 3-1 to 7-1 in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single from Grayson Burgess, Bailey scoring on a wild pitch and a two-run double by Tori Hahn.
Burgess and Hahn had three RBIs apiece.
Cocke County drops a game, still alive in 3A
Cocke County (36-8) allowed five runs in the third inning in an 8-3 loss to McNairy Central in a non-elimination Class 3A contest.
Because of the weather delay, which paused this game in the top of the sixth, this was the only game the Lady Red got in on Wednesday.
Cocke County will take on Stone Memorial, the team it beat 2-1 on Tuesday in the first round, in an elimination game scheduled for 9 a.m. Central on Thursday.
Cocke County couldn’t solve McNairy Central (34-7-2) pitcher Bailee Shelton, who struck out 12 and only gave up two hits.
Chloe Niethammer drove in two runs with a triple to deep left in the second inning for the Lady Red.
Hailee Hartsell belted a solo home run in the seventh.
Kingston’s season comes to an end; 16 strikeouts for Presley
Sailor Presley reached double-digit strikeouts for the second straight game in the Class 2A state tournament, but the Lady Yellow Jackets (22-6) were eliminated in a 3-0 loss to Adamsville on Wednesday morning.
Playing close to her soon-to-be college destination, the senior MTSU softball commit ended her high school career with a 16-strikeout performance.
However, the Kingston offense was relatively quiet aside from the fourth inning.
In the fourth, the Lady Yellowjackets loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk, but couldn’t push any runs across the board.
Farragut done in by Lincoln County
The Lady Admirals (35-9) fought out of some jams in effort to keep their season alive, but it wasn’t quite enough in a 4-3 Class 4A tournament defeat.
A trio of Farragut pitchers surrendered nine hits and five walks, but Lincoln County left the bases loaded to end two different innings to give Farragut a chance.
Down 4-3, Callie Brown singled to begin the seventh inning. Pinch runner Camden Houston stole second, but was stranded there with a strikeout and pop out ending the contest and the season for the Lady Admirals at the same juncture as 2025.
Radford commitment Hallie Grace Johnson hammered a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning for the Lady Admirals.