Cocke County at the TSSAA Spring Fling state tournament. (Photo Tanner Walker/5SP)
By Matthew Lutey
MURFREESBORO — It was all about community for the Cocke County softball team in the Class 3A state tournament.
First time. Two wins. Hundreds of memories.
The run came to an end on Thursday afternoon with a 5-0 loss to McNairy Central, the same team that defeated the Lady Red on Wednesday.
Cocke County (37-9) would’ve needed to beat McNairy twice to reach the championship game.
Cocke County defeated Stone Memorial 7-0 on Thursday morning, its second win over the Crossville school this week.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” coach Danny Hartsell said.
“I’ve had 13 girls that have fought all year long. You look at all these other teams right here, they’ve got 20 and 25 sitting in the dugout. I’m tickled to death. I’ve always told our girls once we knock the door down here we’ll live here, and I’m a firm believer in that.”
Garza Law is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps’ 2026 TSSAA Spring Fling state championship coverage May 19-22 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
And knock the door down the team out of Newport did. It started by getting past Gibbs in the region tournament, and then defeating Elizabethton to make it to Murfreesboro for the first time.
Hartsell said he was overwhelmed by the community’s support once the Lady Red qualified, which included the baseball team making the trip.
“We win Friday night (against Elizabethton) at roughly 7:30 or 8 pm, and before we leave out we’ve got ten to fifteen thousand dollars to get down here on in two days.
“And that’s something special for us being a small community. We really rally around this stuff and rally around each other. Coach (Randy) Harrell brings the baseball team down here and supports us, and all those little things. We’re just a tight-knit place.”
Hartsell said he owes a lot to his four seniors, including his daughter Hailee. Hailee Hartsell homered in the state tournament and pitched sixteen innings across four games this week, only allowing three runs.
Hartsell pitched a complete-game shutout against Stone Memorial on Thursday morning.
Brookelyn Strange, another senior, scored two runs and drove in two in the contest.
“I’ve got four seniors leaving, which are Brookelyn, Hailee, Jansyn (Ensley) and Ceegee (McNealy),” Danny Hartsell said.
“I’ll be forever grateful for them. It’s my sixth year here, I had them back in middle school and all the way into coach pitch. I don’t give my daughter enough credit, but man she’s done a great job on the mound. I think she’s had one or two losses all year.”